Lost Your House Keys? Now What?
Looking for your house keys? Can’t find them anywhere? Your first impulse might be to panic, especially if it’s a weeknight and the kids are hungry, or you’re expecting a date or a big bill payment check that you need. Panic is understandable, but it is not a solution. Instead, we have outlined a few things you should do after you have lost your keys.
1- Make Sure Your Keys Are Lost
The first thing you need to do is make sure that your keys are really lost. This might sound like an absurd idea, but it happens more often than you think. You may have left your keys at the office or in your car. Go back and check a few places, it will save you a lot of headaches later on.
Now that you’ve made sure that your keys are truly lost or misplaced, it’s time to deal with the problem at hand. We highly recommend not to break into your own home; you might cause more damage to your door. If you cannot get in, the first thing you should do is get in touch with a residential locksmith.
2- Call a Residential Locksmith
If your policies cover locksmith services, call your insurance company and report the missing keys. This might save you some money because they will pay the residential locksmith to cut new keys or change the locks entirely. If you don’t have insurance to cover such services, call your local locksmiths. A residential locksmith should be able to come to your home and unlock the doors within an hour.
Residential locksmiths are highly trained and skilled, and they can swiftly deal with all sorts of residential locks. They can pick locks, repair them, and cut new keys as well. If you want to install new locks, they should be able to do so as well.
What Do You Do with the Locks Now?
If your keys are lost, there are limited choices in what you can do. However, we have listed some of the most recommended options for you below.
1- Cut New Keys
Getting duplicate keys is the best and most cost-effective solution if you are sure the missing keys cannot be traced back to your home. A residential locksmith should be able to produce new keys from your lock.
2- Rekey the Lock
Residential locksmiths can also alter the internal structure of a lock. They’ll drill through the lock and reinsert the pins in a new arrangement. With this new lock, old keys will be useless. This method is more expensive than purchasing a new key but is cheaper than replacing the whole lock.
3- Replace the Lock
If you are not sure whether lost keys can be linked to your house and the home security is compromised, it’s best to change the locks. Plus, many insurance companies also require you to change the locks if you have lost your keys, no matter the circumstances. Changing entire locks is a more expensive but the most secure option.
