There are many ways that you can get locked out of your home. Sometimes you may have lost your key, forgotten it inside the house or have a malfunctioning lock. And this can be a very stressful experience when you cannot access your own home. There are a few things you can do to resolve the situation.
The first thing is to stay calm once you realise you are locked out of the house.
Many people tend to panic and they forget about the solutions that are open to them. Take a deep breath and remain calm. There is always a solution to any problem. Once you are very sure that the key is not on your person or in the vicinity, you can check whether there are any other points of entry to the house. This can be an open window, open back door etc. If you don’t find anything, the next thing you need to do is call a locksmith. You can search on Google for a “locksmith near me” to get an idea of professionals in your local area. It is generally recommended to research and select a locksmith beforehand when you first move into the house. This will be good preparation for any emergency situation.
If you don’t have a contact for a locksmith saved,
Carry out a quick search and screen the results for a bonded, licensed and insured locksmith that has a lot of experience with the type of lock you have. You will need to let the locksmith know your location as well as the type of lock you have. You can take some time to think about the relevant details you need to give the locksmith before you call them. This will save a lot of time and prevent you from panicking. You may have an urgent meeting to go to or there can be an urgentappointment you will need to make. In this case, you will not be able to stay and wait for the locksmith to arrive. Call a friend or family member you trust to come and wait for the locksmith instead. Also, if you have a friend or family member with a spare key, you can ask them about their ETA if you are not able to wait for a locksmith.
If you are locked out of your vehicle,
You may be in an unsafe area and in this case, it is very important that you stay in a populated area that is well-lit till the locksmith arrives. If you live in an unsafe neighbourhood, you can wait in your car with the doors locked. You should never try breaking into your own home as this can be considered illegal in your state and it can also damage the lock making the locksmith’s job that much harder. It is also best not to avoid help from strangers. The most that can happen is that you will have to wait a while for the locksmith. That is a small price to pay for staying safe. Something you can do to prevent future lockouts is to leave a spare key with a trusted friend or neighbour. You can also look into a keyless entry system.