New laws for holiday lets; Very soon, all holiday let properties are going to be required by law to be keyless exit in case of emergencies. For properties with UPVC or similar doors where the handle needs to be pushed up before locking, the lock changes are straight forward and the existing cylinder just needs to be changed for one that has a thumb turn on the inside rather than a key.
But if you have a wooden door with a mortice (Chubb type) lock, then you will need a complete conversion kit consisting of replacement lock case, thumb turn cylinder and Euro cylinder handles. Most of this is straight forward, but sourcing handles to match your existing ones can be a drain.
If you do not get this work done and your tenants have an emergency, there will be no cover from your insurance should the worst happen due to them not being able to escape.
Here at AC Locksmiths Norfolk, we are happy to work around your changeover days and with your management company to get the locks changed seamlessly without hassle for you or your customers.
Should you require any more information about the new laws for holiday lets – or anything else, please contact me for an informal chat.
It is well known that business properties, especially where the public has access, should have secure fire exit doors, which means that all locked doors should be able to be opened from the inside without a key.
But many people renting out properties for holidays do not realise that these fire exits should have easy escape capabilities. The logic behind this is that if the lock is key operated on the inside, the customers may well lock the door, put the key somewhere safe, and then should the worst happen and a fire break out, in their panic and being away from home, they could well forget where they have put the key and be caught in a tragic accident.
So if your wooden door has a nightlatch (often called a ‘Yale’ lock), and that lock has a British Standard Kite mark, you are fine.
If your wooden door has a mortice (often called a ‘Chubb’ lock), with key operation on both sides, there is a conversion that can be done to use a Euro Cylinder that has a thumb turn on the inside. This means changing the lock and handles but can use the existing space with minimal visible change.
If your door is UPVC or has any mechanism where the handles must be lifted before locking, it is a simple matter of swapping the existing Euro Cylinder for one with a thumb turn on the inside.
This is a key both sides Euro Cylinder: 
And this is a standard thumb turn Euro Cylinder: 
There is a slight worry with installing these fire escape systems, though and that is I have a tool that can go in through letter boxes and turn the thumb turn allowing me access to the property. We have two solutions. Firstly, certain thumb turns on the very best cylinders are designed to be difficult for tools to turn. They might require a push while turning or just plain difficult for the tool to purchase.
Alternatively, you can buy specially designed sloped guards for your letterbox (although even these can be bypassed with ever more clever locksmith tools).
Or better yet a letter catching cage on the back of your door will stop all tools that I know of at time of writing.
If you own or run holiday lets, you might find your public liability insurance does not pay out if you have not taken the correct measures to ensure the safety of your guests.
I am noticing a lot of village halls are also suddenly finding out from fire inspections that they are not up to scratch. Please check the regulations specific to you if you run any property that is not a private home.
Click here for Government guidance on fire doors/fire safety
Should you have any questions regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks for reading.
Here at AC Locksmiths Norfolk, it has always been my aim to provide quality work with fair pricing. We are still the only company in the area to give prices on our website so you can know before you even call what prices are likely to be. Regular customers will know that I have never charged for a second visit if I do not have what you need on board at first contact, and if you call me to do a second job within 6 months, I have been doing these jobs labour free where possible. My other desire was always to keep AC Locksmiths prices the same whether you call me out at 2pm on a Monday, or 2am on Bank Holiday weekend. I have been able to keep this going for twelve years, but unfortunately, to stay in business and to stay competitive, changes have to be made.
My AC Locksmiths prices will always be displayed on the website, so that you the customer, will know I am honest about what I charge. While my profit margin remains low, extra cost of materials leading to increased prices will push me over the VAT threshold and prices displayed will not include the VAT price, so when that is applicable I will make that clear in my pricing list.
While I am no longer able to do second visits for free in all cases, they will still be free if the item I am missing is a basic everyday lock. In all other cases, repeat visits will be charged at a half labour rate, and separate jobs will incur the full labour rate regardless of time in between visits.
Between the hours of 7am and 7pm Mon – Fri, my rates for the new financial year will remain the same as before. But evenings, weekends and bank holidays will see an increase to £95. This is a flat fee for emergency work and will apply if the job takes five minutes or five hours. For non-emergency work, the cost will be £75 for a single lock change/short job, £150 for a half day, and £250 for a full days’ work. All large value jobs will require a 50% deposit.
Despite these changes, I will still continue to help advise my customers on lock and mechanism maintenance to help the locks last longer, I will still tell you if there is a way to do the job yourself when you call me. I will still not charge you if you call me out when you actually need a door fitter instead.
I will still offer a comprehensive range of services, including all below and more:
- Gain entry
- Lock fitting
- Lock upgrades
- Alarm fitting
- Internal CCTV
- Smart locks
- Vehicle entry
- Empty home management (look after your 2nd home/look after home after death of a relative, etc)
- House clearance
- Repeat maintenance
Find our full price list here: https://www.ac-locksmiths-norfolk.co.uk/prices-2024/
Thanks for reading, Alan
Common key & lock mistakes – And How To Avoid Them
It has been a while since I have produced a blog helping you to avoid needing to call out people like me. So here is a short list of common, avoidable mistakes people make that might just help you not make those same mistakes, hopefully saving you time and money.
Safe Keys
Putting override keys inside your battery operated safe: Safes are great, but if you have a key operated safe, the safe is only as good as the place you hide the key. People are quite obvious in hiding places, so digital safes are a lot better then simple key turn safes. The only problem is that digital safes have master key overrides and the safest place for these keys is in the safe itself. But if you only use your safe rarely there is a good chance you will forget about it, It gets placed in a built in cupboard, covered in clothes and out of sight, out of mind. The batteries start to die and because it is covered in clothes, you don’t hear the warning beep and pretty soon, you have a keypad that you cannot use. Thankfully, you have override keys…. But they are inside the safe. At this point, you can call a domestic locksmith who will gain access by destroying your safe and you will have to pay him for the privilege. You then have to buy a new safe. Potentially £100s because you forgot to change the batteries and left the override keys inside the safe. You can try a safe specialist to come and pick the lock, but the cost might still be £100s because safe specialists are rare (the courses and equipment are expensive) and they don’t get many calls compared to standard locksmiths.
How to avoid disaster? Firstly, take those override keys and trust a family member/good friend to look after them for you. If their house gets broken into and a burglar finds your safe keys, they have no idea what safe they open or where it is. But if they find those keys in your house, they can get into your safe. So, get those keys away from your property. Surprisingly, now your keys are not easily accessible in your safe, you will be more likely to check your batteries! But don’t rely on that. Check how long your safe manufacturer says batteries should last and halve it. Write on the calendar when to change the batteries. Use the old batteries for something else, but keep new batteries in your safe. I love Autumn and Spring because we change our clocks and this gives us a great time to do other things like regular battery changes. Have a list of other maintenance things to do like pre-winter gutter cleaning, etc, and put safe battery changes on that list. This will ensure that if you do have to call someone to open your safe, it will be because something has gone wrong rather than having to explain an expensive memory failure.
Car keys on holiday
I wish I had a sum of money for every time someone called me to say they lost their keys on the beach and the spare car key is 400 miles away on the other side of the country… Oh wait, I do! When you drive somewhere on holiday, take your spare key. When you get to your hotel/air B&B/caravan, etc leave your key somewhere safe at your destination. If you lose your car key, it will be a lot cheaper to get a bus/cab back to your holiday base than it will to call an auto locksmith to come and make a new key on the spot for you. A lot quicker too. Even when you go out on a normal day, if you have someone with you, get them to carry the spare key. If you bring the spare out and leave it in the glove box, you are making life difficult for everyone except car thieves.
Letter boxes
Sticking with cars, most cars are stolen from driveways or outside homes using the keys which have been lifted – either because the front door is left unlocked, or the thief has fished the keys through the letter box. Tools for opening locked doors via the letterbox are getting cheaper, easier to use, and ever more sophisticated. Even if you have an angled guard, there is a tool that goes around it. You might think this is a step back to your Grandma’s house, but a letter basket with closing lid, is a great way to foil the letterbox thief. Better still, seal up the letterbox, and have an external box. If you have room, get one that is big enough for parcels, We get so much delivered these days, a lockable parcel box is a great idea. At the same time, door cams record anyone approaching your door and will have images sent to your phone before they can vandalize it. But I digress..
Copy keys
If you are renting out a holiday home or have multiple carers, etc, get a locksmith to install a new lock, with all new, branded additional keys tried and tested before the lock goes in. Almost every time I get called back to job where the lock has failed, the customer shows me a key that has been copied elsewhere on some poor-quality blank. If you get keys copied and they foul up the lock, that is invalidating any guarantee the locksmith gives you, but if you are using additional keys supplied with the lock at time of installation, you are completely covered. But, if you must get copies made, make sure the original keys are the ones that get used most. I.E. let the guests use them. Yes, they might lose them (less likely if you request a deposit), but if they have poor quality keys and the lock fails and they are locked out waiting for a locksmith who destroys the lock getting in, the cost just multiplies. If you need multiple carers, please get a keysafe. It is better than having to collect keys later and ensures better keys are used.
5 lever locks
Know your terminology; there is a difference between a five lever mortice lock and a multipoint locking system. If you have a wooden door the mortice lock, (often called a ‘Chubb’ lock) is the one that should be 5 levers. If you look at the front plate, It will tell you that it is either 2, 3 5 levers and preferably will display a British Standard kite mark that tells you it has been tested against picking, drilling, sawing and most other forms of attack. If you have a door where you lift the handle and various hooks/bolts/mushrooms, etc. move, this is not a five lever lock. This is a multi-point locking system and your insurance is happy with that, which is bizarre because these systems are only as good as the locking barrel you put your key into and insurance companies are yet to wake up to how easy these can be to bypass. Again, digressing, but please talk to your local locksmith about kite-marked barrels. And if your architect/builder/designer tries to tell you these new multi-point doors without handles are a good idea, ignore them. When there is no handle, all the force of opening the door goes through the key. The leverage ratio is tiny compared doors with nice big handles, and at some point, you will snap your key in your lock.
Complacency
My last one for this blog; Just the other day, I fixed a basic lock on the top half of a stable door. It was not insurance compliant. When I challenged the customer regarding this and told him that his insurance company would not pay out if he were burgled, he replied with one I have heard often: ‘This is Norfolk. Although I know someone in the next village got burgled and lost a lot, it’s highly unlikely I will.’ So why pay for insurance at all? If you are paying for insurance, you owe it to yourself to make sure you are compliant. A second house this week is having three locks replaced after one has stopped working. I pointed out the three locks were all 3 lever and not insurance compliant, so the customer in this case, ordered new locks without delay. If you have an older house, don’t just assume the locks are up to spec. Most decent locksmiths do a free security check and, speaking for myself, when I do security checks I will tell you where advice is necessary and where advice is just personal recommendation.
This article about insurance required locks is quite good.
Should you have any questions regarding the above, please get in touch.
Thanks for reading
Smart Locks again
Is now the right time for a smart lock?
Smart speakers, smart cars, smart fridges, smart thermostats, smart light bulbs, the list goes on and on. In that list are a massive number of smart locks. You can find them all over the internet, from the very cheap to the ultra expensive, basic to very flashy.
But the big problem with almost all of them, is that they will compromise your security, or you will need a whole load of other stuff to make them work. If you have smart locks on a standard wooden door in the UK, the chances are it will be a latch lock. The problem here is that UK insurance companies don’t like latch locks because the latch can be ‘slipped,’ an attack method that can silently take seconds to get into your home with the correct, very cheap equipment. British Standard (BS3621) latches are allowed but the springs are much stronger on these making smart conversions a bad idea as there is a good chance of over-burdening the turning motor inside smart locks. There are solutions for wooden doors, but you should really expect to allow a further £200 minimum for the needed conversions, and it would be much better to consult your local locksmith to ensure the end result will meet your insurance company requirements.
If you have a door with a euro cylinder (the type where you normally lift the handles before locking/unlocking), then insurance requirements are not the issue. The issue is the whole lifting handle before your smart locks can do anything smart. For example, on a standard door, you will have to either not fully lock your door when you leave, (only possible if the outer handle is a dummy handle that does not retract the latch) or you lift handles, use your phone to do what the key would have done and leave. Then, when you come back, you use your phone to unlock, physically push the handles down to disengage the bolts, etc, and then use your phone again to open the latch and have the door swing open because that is what you wanted the smart locks for – to have the door open for you when you are carrying lots of stuff. So here, you gain nothing over a straight forward key. I do know of one company that does a complete smart lock/handle, but it is stupidly expensive, only works with the same brand locking system, and the two I have fitted both failed to set up properly.
So my advice is this. Think long and hard about smart locks. First and foremost, is it going to compromise your security? Secondly, is it actually going to make life easier? Is getting out and firing up your smart phone, searching for the app, searching for the right button within the app, turning it all back off again, etc, actually better than just pulling out your key and turning the lock? Thirdly, ask your local locksmith, and if your locksmith suggests an alternative, ask him/her to explain exactly how their solution meets the above requirements.
Thanks for reading
Previous Smart Lock blog here
Property Management for your second home
Do you have a second home in Norfolk? Are you thinking of buying a second home in Norfolk? A second home is a fantastic endeavour and isn’t it lovely to be able to get away from it all for a few days retreat in our lovely county? Let us help you with your property management for your second home.
In all the time I have been a locksmith, I have been meeting people with second homes. They seem to spend as much time running backwards and forwards dealing with this issue or that, meeting traders and contractors at times that only seem to be when annoyingly inconvenient. I get asked to fit a lock upgrade at very specific times because the client is fitting in so many other people in one go and they absolutely must dash back that evening for work. Or, the time that was supposed to be relaxing has suddenly turned into a frenzy of jobs that need doing so that hopefully next time the relaxing can happen.
What can we offer?
Imagine if all that hassle could be taken away from you; you arrive at your second home, find it nice and clean, with fresh sheets, food stocked and the heating on. Someone close by on call to check the alarm that is going off for no reason, or simply just check on the property after a storm. Someone who knew reputable traders so you don’t have to take a chance in an area you don’t know, someone who might be able to get things done a little more quickly. What if you could be guaranteed that bit more relaxation when you get to your second home – which is probably a large part of why you wanted it in the first place?
There are plenty of second home management companies out there. But many just add it to holiday letting businesses. I want to concentrate purely on second homes. Whether you want me to work for you on a pay as you go service, or have the peace of mind of an always on hand contract, I can make sure your second home is a hassle free endeavour.
You can tailor your service to any or all of the following:
- Contact with respected local traders for any works needed
- Manage those traders, meeting them on site
- Collect your shopping for you and stock up your kitchen using click and collect service or meeting a delivery
- Your property cleaned thoroughly on departure and spruced before arrival in cases of long absences.
- Sheets laundered and beds remade while you are gone.
- Unobtrusive cleaning at times to suit you during extended stays
- Property checks while you are away, especially at times of adverse weather.
- Utilities turned off while you are away to save on bills and turned back on before you return, with things like heating being set so property is warm when you arrive in winter.
- On call service for when the unexpected happens.
- Secure keeping of keys and recorded issuing of keys to traders and contractors who may need them.
- Meet and greet for those traders and contractors to ensure strict instructions
- A trusted to person to stay if necessary while works are carried out.
- Management of gardening
- And anything else you might think of
Remember, because I wish to work exclusively with second homes, I am not going to be over burdened with holiday lets that are given over to short bursts of cleaning between customers. A second home is still a home and I intend to look after your home like my own.
If you want to take the hassle out of owning a second home, I am here help. Meet me at your home at a time that is convenient to you. We can discuss your requirements with no obligations. From there, I will provide a quote and the rest will be up to you.
Proof of Public liability insurance and Police checks can be provided upon request. Please see our Customer Testimonials too.
Problems with copy keys
Does your lock require a Knack for getting it open? Does one side open better than the other? Does the lock stick sometimes and need be jiggled to work correctly?
All these are signs you have been using badly cut keys. Look at the key you are using in your lock. If it doesn’t have the same brand name on it as the lock, it is a copy. Key cutting shops use generic brands like JMA because one key will cut for several brands. This makes things easier and cheaper for the key cutter, but the copy brands are often made with cheaper materials, as this means less wear and tear on the cutting blades for the machines. If key cutters used genuine branded blanks all the time, they would go through more cutting blades and instead of throwing away a cheap copy if you bring it back, and it becomes a more expensive throw away if they don’t get the cut right first time. For them to use genuine blanks, prices of key cutting would have to double at least, but more likely triple.
For the person cutting the key, they only have your original to work from, and often people bring in copies to copy from. Ideally, you would take the lock so they can test the keys before you take them, but that is very unlikely to happen.
So, when you are thinking of changing locks, think hard about the number of keys you require. Most locks come with two or three keys as standard, so any more will have to be ordered. Ordering additional keys with the lock ensures you get branded keys that have been tested before the lock even goes anywhere near your door and keeps your guarantee sound. A locksmith fitting your lock can easily claim any failure could be down to poorly cut keys should you have more cut elsewhere after he/she has done the work. And they would more than likely be correct. Only today, I changed a lock for a couple who had six copies made from keys of a lock I fitted about 5 years ago. Some worked inside only, two worked outside only and one had to be pulled back slightly to work on either side. Between them, they were wearing the pins away so that even once the original keys were found, those originals were not quite right. The worst of it was, they didn’t even need that many keys. Remember, there were just the two of them. Three original keys and six extra copies. A keysafe would have been a better option than so many extra keys.
Based in Holt, AC Locksmiths covers a large part of North Norfolk, including the north coast towns of Thornam, Brancaster, and the Burnhams. We go to Hunstanton, Snettisham, Dersingham and Heacham. And not forgetting locksmith services in Docking, the Rudhams, North Creake, South Creake, Walsingham, Little Snoring and Great Snoring.
Thanks for reading
New Smart ways to be secure
No, I’m not talking about locks linked to your smart speaker. As world events make everything more expensive I’m talking about ways to shop smart. I thought this as recently I upgraded the security on a home in a local new build estate. Soon, I had a neighbour asking on recommendation for the same upgrade. That turned into five properties, all occupied by people who knew each other. For me, it was multiple journeys to the same area, multiple measuring visits, multiple ordering from my supplier and multiple deliveries. Had these people clubbed together, I could have done all the work in one day. I would have measured up all the properties on the same day beforehand, thus saving myself costs that I would have passed on to the customer. Those customers could have saved themselves £50 each by clubbing together on the labour charge.
Home security is important, but like everything else, the cost is rising. So if you are thinking of upgrading your locks, putting in some CCTV or an alarm, talk to your friends, If they are local, I will happily split a labour fee between you if it means I save on massive fuel bills. I will visit both your homes (or more) for free security checks, tailor the hardware recommendations personally and then when the work is done, split the labour cost evenly between you.
What about giving security as a gift? We all know a relative that might have outdated locks, don’t we? Well, why not club together with family members and buy them a security upgrade? (It could make a nice change from pants and socks or bathroom smellies.) You would be getting them something they would be using every day for a long time to come. On my rounds, I see so many older folk struggling with doors that have floppy handles or need a ‘knack’ to make the key work. Next time you visit Mum and Dad, plan something worthwhile for their next birthday or Christmas.
And just in case you were wandering how far this locksmith will travel, I am happy to come to you in North Walsham, Aylsham, Fakenham, Cromer, Stalham, and all the places in between. I even venture into Norwich.
My security checks are always free and there is never an obligation to take up my quote. 1st homes or 2nd homes, holiday lets or commercial properties, your security is my business.
Thanks for reading.
Price Increases 2022
Here at AC Locksmiths Norfolk, I have always been proud to offer my customers first rate work at competitive prices. Unlike most locksmiths, I display my prices on my website, I do not raise my prices if you call me out at 3am, at the weekend or on a bank holiday. On top of this, I have also kept under the VAT threshold to ensure the price I quote, is the price you get. Despite Brexit and Covid, I have not changed my labour rates in over four years.
Unfortunately, this now must change. I have looked at adjusting the prices of my products. I have looked at smaller changes to products and labour. But in the end, I think it fairer to all my customers to put the change on labour rates only.
If I need to make a second visit though, I will not charge labour when I come back to you. I will still offer free security checks with no obligation quotes, and if I do a door adjustment on UPVC doors, I will still give you a free recall if your door needs it within the next 6 months. No other locksmith I know of will do that for you.
So as of today 07/03/2022, my labour rates will be going up to £75 for all new business.
Please see my prices page for more information
This announcement supersedes all previous blog references to pricing.
Should you have any queries regarding the above, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me.
Alan 07846 643176
‘Skilled locksmiths are not cheap and cheap locksmiths are not skilled.’ This blog piece is an explanation of costs when you call a locksmith.
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