Why you should never hide keys
We appear to have made it to the Spring Bank Holiday which can only mean one thing. Well, two things, I guess. One is that many of us will get a much-welcome Monday lie-in, but the second is the knowledge that the long-delayed summer is on its way. May’s been a bit of a write-off with the weather, but June’s looking more hopeful, at least if the weather forecasters aren’t mistaken.
Speaking of being mistaken, mistakes are all around us recently, and I’m not just talking about weather forecasts and political events. Whether it’s ships getting stuck in the Suez canal, Manchester United not substituting on a penalty-saving keeper in the Europa League final, or my tenuous segue into today’s topic, mistakes are an important part of everyday life and impossible to totally avoid.
However, a mistake that IS possible to avoid (I told you the connection would be tenuous) is one made by householders when they leave their front door key in an obvious hiding place in the exterior grounds of their house. This could be because there are expecting a visitor to call whilst no-one is in, or perhaps for a child to let themselves in when they get home from school, or even a cleaner or carer. Sadly this mistake will sometimes result in the key being taken by an unintended visitor, leading to a burglary. And, what’s more, a burglary that will take place without the perpetrator having to go to the effort of snapping a lock or forcing a door.
Never leave keys under a flower pot
So let’s get this out of the way first. Yes, sometimes we might need to leave a spare set of keys somewhere, either for our own peace of mind in case we were to lose ours, or because someone needs access to the property when we’re not there. However, leaving keys under a flower pot or door mat, behind a garden ornament, or hanging just inside the letter box is NEVER a good idea. Much as burglars may not be the sharpest pencils in the case, neither are they totally without brainpower, and a grizzled old criminal will know all the secret places where keys are stashed.
Enough about what you shouldn’t do, what about what you can do? One solution is to invest in a key safe. These little metal boxes affix to the brickwork of your house and can only be opened by tapping out a code on the panel of the door. Inside can be stored a set of keys for the front door, inaccessible to anyone who doesn’t know the specific code. Think of them as like a cash machine, but for keys instead of bank notes.
Key safes have been increasing in popularity
Key safes have been increasing in popularity recently. When they first came on the market their main use was by social care workers, community nurses and carers who would visit properties where the occupant was perhaps disabled or infirm and couldn’t get to the door. This system allowed the care-giver to retrieve the key and enter the house without needing to be let in by the householder. It also eliminated the need for the client/patient to get another set of keys cut or for the carer to need to carry around dozens of keys for all the houses they visited. Instead, all they needed was a 4 or 6 digit code to be able to get the key, get into the house, and then leave the key in the key safe when they left, ready for the next visit.
Now that their appeal is spreading, people are finding key safes useful in other circumstances too. They can be uses simply to store a spare set of keys, meaning if the worst happens and you lose your key whilst out and about, this doesn’t prevent you getting back into your house. This will then give you extra time to either a) search for the key or b) get a locksmith out to change the locks – this should be done any time a key is lost as you never know where it’s ended up.
Safes are also used as an alternative to passing a key around, for instance giving access to family or friends instead of needing to get more keys cut. You can even use them if, say, a tradesperson needs access to your house. You should always make sure they are reputable but it you can’t be at home, simply pass on the code, they can let themselves in to do the work, and then put the key back when they are done. Remember to change the code as soon as you can after their visit for security reasons, and the code should be changed regularly as a matter of course.
I recently read that almost a third of people leave their keys hidden somewhere outside and this sends shivers down my spine. All the work you do beefing up security, getting the latest locks, the most secure of doors etc is rendered useless if you then leave the key to your main front door in a place where an unscrupulous visitor could find it.
We all do silly things and make mistakes, but if you’re one of these people, please do rethink and stop leaving your key outside. Instead, make the investment in a key safe so that you’re adding that bit extra security to your home.