Expert Locksmith Advice

Security advice before going on holiday

Have we all finished digging ourselves out of the snow by now? That was all quite exciting, wasn’t it, but it seems we’re done now and the snow shovels can be put away into storage for another year. Now, the temperatures are rising and before you know it we’ll be facing Easter and Spring. Then it’ll be Summer, and if history has taught us anything, we’ll then be in Autumn and then back into Winter which is where we began. I may be getting a bit ahead of myself here, let’s rewind back to the Easter holiday season and thoughts of getting away for a few days. 

If you’re lucky enough to be going away for a week or so over Easter, this raises an issue that we’ve encountered before on these pages – the fact that you’ll be leaving your property empty. An unoccupied property is at far greater risk of burglary than when it is occupied. You being in your house is one of the best deterrents money can buy. Not that money can buy you of course… I expect. And I’m not judging you if it can, everyone makes their own life choices and that. Anyway, moving on from that awkwardness, I’ll go through a few tips that will help you make your home secure whilst you’re away.

Tips to consider when moving house

Greetings from the blog that you are currently reading right now. This month I thought I’d return to a subject I’ve touched on before, but which I’ve been asked about again recently – the security steps you should take when you move into a new home. Moving house is a big step and you don’t want the new adventure to be immediately ruined by worries over the security of your new place. 

It’s a stressful time what with arranging the logistics of moving trucks, sorting out utilities, dealing with solicitors and agents, co-ordinating dates, exchanging keys etc, so I’m sorry to add to this list, but without further ado, here are my tips on things to consider when moving house.

Different lock types for homes

Well hello there and a very Happy New Year to you. I don’t want to get all Mystic Meg on you but I’m sure that 2018 will be the year that a lot of things happen and some things don’t happen, whilst other things might happen. And remember, you heard it here first. 

Everyone’s heads can be in a bit of a muddle at this time of year what with the over-indulgence throughout Christmas, the not knowing which year to put on your cheques (if indeed anyone even writes cheques any more), and the knowledge that Donald Trump is inexplicably coming up to the first anniversary of his presidency. 

I thought I’d do my bit for the de-cluttering of your head by penning a quick reminder of the various types of locks you can get for your front door. I know, right -  it’s the New Year’s gift you never knew you wanted, but whereas the intricacies of gym memberships or the bank holiday affected bin calendar may be befuddling you, at least you’ll never be caught out by not knowing the difference between a nightlatch or a deadlock. 

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Don't let your Christmas party turn into a home security nightmare

“Snow is falling… All around me…” Okay, well actually it isn’t but any excuse to dust off the Shakin’ Stevens impression. To be fair, we did have a couple of very snow showers this week, but not enough to build even the most rudimentary of snowmen, and certainly not enough for a Wham! Christmas video. But it’s enough to remind us we’re not all that far away from the festive season. Admittedly, the Christmas adverts, songs and products that have been in the shops since October might have already given that away but dammit, I’m trying to be poetic here and focussing on the snow. 

As well as disappointingly brief snowfall, this will also bring with it a host of social occasions and parties. If you’re lucky (or unlucky in the case of office parties) to be invited out to one of these do’s, you’ll no doubt be looking forward to some partying, celebrating and eating. Added to that, may be a copious amount of drinking. And that is relevant to what I’m talking about today.

Mobile locksmith in Barnsley

There are a number of jobs which would be practically impossible without having transport. An ambulance driver for one or at the other end of the scale (although just as life-saving on a cold winter’s day outside the football ground) a burger van operator. And how would Lewis Hamilton manage to earn all that money that he keeps away from the tax man without his Formula One car. To this select bunch, you can add me (although rest assured my tax affairs are all totally above board), as I simply could not carry out my job without being mobile. My van is my office and workshop combined and I couldn’t imagine my working life without it. 

It’s true that some locksmiths do operate out of a shop, but it’s not for me. I feel I can provide a much better service to my customers by being totally mobile and out in the community. Below, I’ll talk about a few of the advantages of this method of working and why I’ve decided this is the best way to work. 

Advice on key safety

Did you hear about that time that Robert Louis Stevenson was sacked from his job as a maintenance man at the bird reserve? They had no choice really – he decked a jackal and missed a hide. I’ve told that joke to literally dozens of people now and not one of them have laughed, so this was my final go. I can sense the tumbleweed, but drop me a postcard or telegram if you did chuckle just so that I have some form of validation. Regardless of all that, there is a tenuous connection between that ‘joke’ and the subject of today’s blog which will all be about hiding keys – asking whether you should, and if so, the places you should definitely avoid. 

Ideally, you would never hide your house keys around your property. The safest place for them to be is on your person at all times. Hiding originals or duplicates anywhere away from you runs the risk of an unintended “seeker” coming across them, and gaining the easiest of access to your property. If you must hide them though, here are a few places you should certainly side-step. 

Should you change your locks when moving house?

What do they say are the most stressful times of a person’s life again? I seem to recall they included getting married or divorced, dealing with a loved one’s death, moving house, and discovering there are no Twix bars left when you could have sworn there was at least one, and who’s been stealing all my Twixes again? I’ll just be talking about one of these today anyway – I’ll give you a clue, it’s not the marriage/divorce topic nor is it the death thing, and unfortunately it’s also not the Twix issue as that’s still too painful to talk about. 

Going on holiday - security advice

A very happy August to you all. I would say Happy Holidays, but that would just be annoying to those of us who aren’t going on any holidays this month. So Happy August it is. And for those of you not having a holiday this year whether through choice, economic circumstances or because you forgot to get your passport renewed in time, you can at least relax for the rest of this blog and feel relieved that some of the advice won’t apply to you.  You should still read it though, clearly, as it’s both entertaining and information, plus most of the tips will also relate to day to day circumstances as well as just holidays. 

Car crime in Doncaster... stay alert

“I like driving in my car, it's not quite a Jaguar. I like driving in my car, I'm satisfied I've got this far.” If someone is singing that whilst approaching your house then beware, it could be the first sign of Madness. Oh, come on, that’s a legitimate joke and I stand by it, so shush. Anyway, you may have noticed I’m not Suggs and as such you may now be questioning why I’m suddenly quoting him. As you’ll soon see, there’s method to my madness (sorry).

You will be relieved, or perhaps disappointed, to hear that this won’t be a blog about the Ska music scene of the late 70s and early 80s. Rather I’m going to be talking about the subject of cars. This isn’t my pitch to be one of the new presenters on The Grand Tour – thankfully there’s no vacancy anyway, given Richard Hammond’s recovery from his latest escapade, but it is directly related to my day job of locksmith. “But how?” you cry, “for cars are not houses..” and I would give an enigmatic smile and direct you to the news story here - http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/thieves-target-high-value-cars-in-doncaster-1-8586423. At which point you’d understand, nod, and ask me to continue. Well, I’ll assume that anyway as otherwise this blog would be ending considerably early.