How to (Almost) Never Be Locked Out Again

Ever been locked out? It's the sort of thing that makes you want to cry out in frustration. Sometimes only a locksmith can help you, but there are a few steps to take to make sure that being locked out is only a temporary inconvenience.

Duplicate

Make a spare key and give it to a friend, or even better, a neighbour. It seems somewhat obvious, but not so many people actually take this precaution. If you rent your home and your keys are ominously stamped "Do Not Duplicate," you can get around this by asking your landlord for a spare set of keys. There's also the fact that many key cutters don't notice such a warning, or only treat it as a suggestion—ideal if your landlord is not so helpful.

Watching Each Other's Backs

It's better to befriend your neighbour and leave the key with them, since if you're locked out of your place without a phone, you can't exactly get in touch with a friend so easily. Perhaps you and your neighbour could hold each other's keys in a, "You watch my back and I'll watch yours" type of arrangement.

Hide and Don't Seek

If key loss is a frequent occurrence, you might want to bite the bullet and actually hide a spare key around your property. It's vital to be creative, since leaving a key under a pot plant or a doormat is a fast way to say goodbye to your laptop and plasma TV. Consider something like a fake sprinkler that acts as a key holder. For a more DIY approach, glue a pill bottle to the bottom of a rock and then bury it so only the surface of the rock is visible. The sealed pill bottle then becomes a waterproof key hiding place.

The Four-Legged Solution

Do you own a pooch? You could easily attach a spare key to your dog's collar since it then becomes virtually impossible to lose. This only works if your dog is wary of strangers. If your pet adores everyone, he or she might happily make a new friend when a potential intruder arrives, basically inviting them inside.

Technology

Technology might be the end of being locked out. There's a Berlin-based company that's developing an app which will transmit an unlock signal from your smartphone as you approach your door, unlocking it as you arrive. Smartwatches can also utilise the technology, and this has already happened in some major hotel chains. In the not too distant future, it might become impossible to be locked out, just so long as you're wearing a watch.

Despite your best efforts, sometimes you will be locked out and there will only be one way to get back inside. Ask around for the name of a reputable locksmith such as AXCESS LOCKSMITHS and store their number in your phone. You could even try to commit their company name to memory, just in case your phone is locked inside with your keys.