Right, you’ve lost your house key, what do you do next? Well, depending on the circumstances you’ll either know straight away and start cursing or you’ll go into denial/panic mode and start searching every bag, purse, pocket, sofa cushion, car seat, and anywhere else it might have slipped from/down/between/behind/under. We all recognise that mode. And a lot of the time we eventually find the missing key, along with a renewed faith in a benevolent God, but what if it really is lost? Or more to the point, if your key has been stolen or it’s lost outside and can be traced back to your house. Because even if you might have a spare key normally (and you really, really should or you’re just asking for trouble) if someone else now has a copy of the key, or even if you are merely worried by the possibility, you simply have to the act fast and decisively. Three things to do then in that situation, alright, four if you include remaining calm, but what you should do next is to call a locksmith, contact the police and check your insurance. Needing a locksmith to fit a new lock is pretty obvious. Don’t make things worse by breaking into your home, if you need a new lock just ask an experienced locksmith to do what they normally do if you were just locked out. They will let you in and then they can change the lock. Once inside and you find everything is ok you’ll no doubt start to feel a little better too. But if you know your key is stolen you should also contact the police. Perhaps your bag was stolen at the same time. You will need to report the theft for insurance reasons anyway since you may have lost a phone, purse, credit cards, and other valuables too. You may also have had a car key on the same keyring or keys to other premises. You can describe the key(s) but let’s face it, a similar key will look alike to many others, so a good tip under any circumstances is to keep them on a distinctive keyring. That way if by chance a good samaritan does find it and hand it in, there’s a much better chance of the key being identified as yours. You ought to get in touch with your insurance company too, or at least check your policy. Insurance providers often have a minimum standard for locks so understand their requirements, else they could reserve the right to refuse a claim in the future. You might also be lucky with cover for a lock change within the policy but see if that affects your no claims if you invoke it. And while a forced lock change by necessity or a ‘better safe than sorry’ pragmatism is still troubling, may we offer just a crumb of comfort for you. It might be the impetus to upgrade the ageing locks that you’ve been meaning to for years. Maybe you can install keyless entry locks this time so you need never worry about losing your keys again. Indeed, there are lots of options to choose from. But whatever your choice, whatever your budget, if you need an emergency locksmith for a door lock change and one to guide you expertly through the whole process, you can rely on Towergate Locksmiths.
