Bags by the door. A flight at an hour that shouldn’t exist. And somewhere between the car and the curb, that familiar flicker of doubt: did I lock the back door?
Thermostats, packages, and the plants all make it onto the pre-trip list. The locks usually don’t, even though they’re the one thing standing between an empty house and everyone else. A quick walkthrough before you leave takes about five minutes and can save you a lot of second-guessing at 35,000 feet.
The Five-Minute Lock Walkthrough
1. Test every exterior door, not just the front one
Most of us use one or two doors daily and forget the rest exist. Walk to the back door, the side door, the door from the garage into the house, and any patio or balcony door. On each one, turn the deadbolt and watch it. It should slide fully into the frame without you lifting, pushing, or pulling the door into place first. If it only works with some coaxing, that door gets a closer look before you go.
2. Check the hardware for wobble
Grab each handle and knob and give it a firm wiggle. Then look at the strike plate, the metal piece on the frame that the bolt slides into. Loose screws are the usual culprit, and a screwdriver fixes them in a minute. A lock that rattles today can turn into a lock that won’t turn at all halfway through your trip.
3. Do a head count on your keys
Think about everyone who has ever held a key to your home: the neighbor, a former roommate, the contractor from two summers ago, a dog walker you stopped using. If you can’t account for every copy, that’s worth knowing before you leave for a week. Rekeying changes the lock so those old keys no longer work, and you keep the hardware you already have. We cover how to choose in Should You Rekey or Replace Your Locks After Moving?, and our Rekeying & Lock Changes section explains what the service involves.
4. Give sliding doors a second look
A sliding glass door has its own small latch, and it’s rarely as sturdy as a deadbolt. Make sure it engages every time. Many people also lay a snug wooden dowel or bar in the track so the door can’t be forced open sideways. It costs next to nothing and takes ten seconds.
5. Don’t forget the mailbox
If you’re gone for a week or more, mail piles up quickly, and a loose or worn mailbox lock leaves it exposed. Either have the post held or make sure the lock closes firmly. If it doesn’t, here’s a rundown of when mailbox lock replacement makes sense.
6. Skip the hidden key
The fake rock and the spot under the flowerpot are well-known by now. If someone needs to get in while you’re away, hand them a key in person instead of tucking one outside. And keep your travel dates off public social posts until you’re back.
Visitors, Sitters, and Houseguests
Holiday season means extra people coming and going. A house sitter, a cousin staying a few nights, a neighbor watering plants. Each one usually gets a copy of a key, and each copy is something to track down later.
You have a few options. Hand out keys and get them all back. Rekey after everyone has gone home, which resets things cleanly. Or consider a keypad or smart lock that can issue temporary codes, so nobody needs a physical key at all. If that last idea is new to you, our post on whether a smart lock is worth it for your Los Angeles home covers the pros and cons honestly.
What to Do If Something Isn’t Right
Say the walkthrough turns up a sticky deadbolt, a handle that spins freely, or a lock that’s seen better decades. The best time to deal with that is before you leave, not from a hotel room while a neighbor texts you photos of your door. Lock repairs and replacements are covered under Lock Installation and Repair, and everyday homeowner needs fall under our residential locksmith services.
And if the problem shows up in the worst possible way, say you’re locked out on the way to the airport, our emergency locksmith services are there for exactly that.
Mobile Locksmith Service Across Los Angeles
Blacklock Locksmith is a mobile service, so we come to your door rather than asking you to bring the lock to us. That includes neighborhoods such as Santa Monica and Woodland Hills, along with the other communities on our service areas page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a locksmith before every trip?
Not at all. If your walkthrough finds every door locking smoothly and you know who has keys, you’re done. A locksmith becomes useful when something fails the check.
How often should I rekey my locks?
There’s no calendar rule. Think in terms of events: you moved in, a key went missing, a relationship ended, or you simply can’t say who still has a copy. Any of those is a good moment.
Is it okay to leave a spare key with a neighbor?
With someone you trust, yes. Just remember that it’s a copy you’ll need to keep track of, and if the arrangement is long-term, you may want to rekey eventually or move to a code-based lock.
Is hiding a key outside really that risky?
Think of it this way: if you can guess where a hidden key might be, so can everyone else. Giving it to a person is safer than giving it to a flowerpot.
Can a locksmith come to my home before I leave?
Since we’re mobile, we come to you. Give us a call, describe what’s going on, and we’ll talk through what you need and when we can get there.
Pack the Bags, Check the Locks
Take five minutes, walk the house, and fix the one or two things that come up. If you’d like a second set of eyes on a lock that’s giving you doubts, call Blacklock Locksmith at (818) 305-0460 or send a note through our contact page. Then go enjoy the trip.
