How to Avoid Locking Yourself Out of Your House

It happens to the best of us, especially these days with juggling so many things at one time. Locking yourself out of your house. But it doesn’t have to happen to you. You can be that person. That person who’s organized and prepared for anything, and it’s easy. There are things you can do ahead of time to prevent this misadventure from happening to you. Even if you’re not organized and prepared in the rest of your life, you can be here. Our Lockout Locksmiths experts are frequently called out to Ferndale, MI, homes to help homeowners who’ve locked themselves out. But you can avoid this by following our locksmiths’ recommendations.

Ways to Avoid Locking Yourself Out

There are quite a few precautions you can take to avoid finding yourself without your house key and locked out. Just follow these recommendations, and you’ll be back in your home in no time without breaking a sweat––or a window.

Train yourself to check for your keys before you leave.
According to experts, it takes a minimum of three weeks to create a new habit. So for the next three weeks, made a conscious effort to check for your keys each time you leave your house or you’re leaving somewhere to return to it. That conscious effort, though tough at first, should pay off in no time with you always having your keys in hand.

Have spare keys made and share them.
Always have spare copies made of your house key. It’s never a safe or cost-effective practice to only have one key. There are too many opportunities for something to happen to it. So make copies, and give one to a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member. The friend or family member may not live next door like your neighbor, but at least you’ll save the expense of calling a locksmith if you end up locked out. (Of course, remember to retrieve the copies if your relationship with these people ever changes. It could evolve into a safety issue.)

Keep a spare key in your car or purse/briefcase.
Alternately, instead of (or in addition to) relying on someone else’s proximity to your home and his or availability, keep a spare key in your car or purse/briefcase. If you do choose to stash one in your vehicle, avoid the glove compartment or inside the bumper (magnetically attaching it). Hiding the key in the glove compartment is the first place burglars look, and attaching it to the bumper can easily result in it dislodging and being lost.

Try hiding a lockbox instead of key.
Instead of hiding a key outside your house, since most burglars are familiar with all the hiding places, try hiding a lockbox containing your key. Be sure all household members have the combination, and you’ll be prepared. The biggest hardships with this recommendation are remembering the combination and putting the key back in the lockbox after unlocking the door.

Change your locks to smart or keyless locks.
The most obvious precaution to take is to change over your locks to smart or keyless locks. The most popular choice is still a keypad combination lock, but growing in popularity is the fingerprint lock. Whichever you choose, be sure it’s a high-quality lock. That completed, you’ll never need worry about forgotten keys again.

Invest in a key finder.
If you’re like some people, and no matter what you try, you simply forget or lose your keys often. Sigmund Freud couldn’t even help you. A perfect solution for you is to purchase a key finder. There are several different key finders out that are of high quality. They’re very good at helping you track down those lost keys. Of course, if you’ve left your keys somewhere you can’t retrieve them in a timely manner, having one of the other recommendations in place as well may be a good idea.

Though it hasn’t happened to you yet, the possibility is there. You close the front door without thinking, and you suddenly realize you’ve left your keys inside, locking yourself out. By following one of our Lockout Locksmiths Expert’s recommendations above, it won’t be a stressful situation for you. You’ll have immediate access to another key. Feel free to call us at 248-321-2244 if we can help you in any way.

Contact the experts!