PSA – life hacks…key safe…!

So our new place was previously the last abode for a very old couple… It had a keysafe near the front door for carers etc etc.
I was initially going to take it off, but it’s actually VERY useful!

I needn’t worry about taking keys out with me, the infinite times I ‘lock myself out’ are all easily remedied!

In fact – it’s a ruddy brilliant idea!

Just thought I’d share as it’s a really simple thing that makes life for ‘today’s active MTBer’ a lot easier!

DrP

So you have that outside your front door and keep your keys in it? Is it more robust than it looks…?

I have one of these. Never worry about being locked out again ! And dead handy for my cat-feeding person.

I just leave a brick by the kitchen window 😉

Do you also have one of those big grab-rails next to the toilet?

I needn’t worry about taking keys out with me, the infinite times I ‘lock myself out’ are all easily remedied!

The chaotic existance of a circus clown eh? Can’t even remember your keys?

‘s a bloody good job you’re not , like a doctor or something. 😀

Most holiday houses/airbnb’s I’ve seen have them. designed so that you can’t pry the cover off really.

Can I just say “life hack” is one of the most annoying phrases ever coined. If something’s sick, I can get fully pumped and holla at everyone how stoked I am, but “Life Hack” ? **** off. I’m actually shocked that in such a hive or curmudgeonly refusal to adopt new words, this hasn’t come under fire already.

To hack something is to break into or overpower a system, usually for nefarious purposes, ill gotten gain or to illustrate a weakness.

Robbing an armoured car, that’s probably a life hack. Kidnapping some wealthy person and ransoming them for millions, that’s a life hack. Banal tips about recycling old shampoo bottles or elastic bands are tips. Not hacks.

The one I knew about was robust: cast steel, the opening piece sits flush in place. They are quite common.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight

Fitted one to the mother in laws house years back when she started getting dementia and needed to give other people access to the house. Yes they are robust but don’t put them in clear line of sight as the wall / safe might get damaged by scroats trying to break in.

They are really useful but don’t choose obvious numbers as there are unlimited retries to crack the code. When the neighbor fitted one and forgot the code I had to use my amazing skills to open it.

1066 – Fail
1939 – Fail
1945 – Success

Do you write the code on a piece of paper and leave it under the doormat?

we use them quite a lot to get into elderly occupants homes, very handy saves on new doors every time we come calling.

We get the code on our turnout sheet

hit them with a hammer and they pop apart quite quickly.

hit them with a hammer and they pop apart quite quickly.

So do most doors / windows….

About as secure as a combination lock on a bike and bustable by the same technique.
Put tension on unlock lever, gently press buttons, the correct buttons will have play in them in, you’re in.

Think I’ll stick with burying a spare key in a zip-lock bag under a special rock somewhere in the garden.

How do home insurance companies feel about these?

I would trust it more if it was recessed in to the brick work.
Looks like a lump hammer would make short work of that.

Would that not void you home insurance?

designed so that you can’t pry the cover off really.

Because tea-leaves are the delicate caring type who’ll try and get the key without damaging any property? Hammer, wallop, wallop, done.

Having said that, you’d get through the door just as easily with a hammer.

[30 seconds slow damnit]

Don’t we all just want to know what DrP’s code is?

They are really useful but don’t choose obvious numbers as there are unlimited retries to crack the code.

Some also allow you to put the numbers in any order. And no repeats.

That narrows the number of combinations quite a lot.

To be fair a lump hammer would make light work of most doors.

You could lock it in a little cupboard to make it a bit more secure?

😉

Why not just replace your doorlocks with a keypad entry type lock? Same result less faff.

Do you also have one of those big grab-rails next to the toilet?

There was… and a grab rail by the front door!
We gutted the place, built an upstairs (stannah NOT included) and now it’s fresh and ready for my kids to wreck…

DrP

Don’t we all just want to know what DrP’s code is?

Gonna be 999 isn’t it?

Curses…
Goes off to change code to something else. Something less ’emergency’ but still memorable and likely to result in an ambulance….

DrP

Don’t we all just want to know what DrP’s code is?

3771.

If somebody really wanted to get into my house, there are easier ways. It is not at the front door, and would come off the wall before it would smash open.

And even if they did get in, they would be VERY disappointed. Unless they have always wanted some Heybrook HB1s.

If somebody really wanted to get into my house, there are easier ways

This.
Ours in in a small front porch anyway, so wouldn’t be able to swing much in there.

Anyway – If someone wanted to bash their way into our house they’d be able to – if I want to be able to come and go as I please, as well as let the maid, silversmith, and jester in without having to leave the east wing, this is your thing… 😉

DrP

Gonna be 999 isn’t it?

No repeats – so the code would just be “9”. 😯

Something less ’emergency’ but still memorable and likely to result in an ambulance….

So “12” or “91” 😀

You could lock it in a little cupboard to make it a bit more secure?

and move to No 4567 down the road so that way you’d never forget the code

By your front door is a bit daft from a security point of view, but I’d have one somewhere else. Hidden in the garden / on a faraway wall. Unless you have carers (or other people calling when you’re not there), there’s no benefit in having it next to your front door.

Mind you, keeping a key in a plant pot in someone else’s garden is fine as well, providing people don’t see you using it / hiding it.

It’s sort of security by obscurity.

This thread has been very handy – we have one of these from the previous occupants of the house, but we never knew the code.

I shall be hacking into it tonight with the tips above

To hack something is to break into or overpower a system, usually for nefarious purposes, ill gotten gain or to illustrate a weakness.

I don’t want to well, actually but I’m going to have to. “Life hack” uses hack in the nerd sense where it generally means an ingenious solution to the problem at hand.

By your front door is a bit daft from a security point of view

Pretty standard for access for social services etc for elder people. There must be 1000s installed in each town, by the front door, and no epidemic of burglary via them.

Would that not void you home insurance?

Nope.

Pretty standard for access for social services etc for elder people. There must be 1000s installed in each town, by the front door, and no epidemic of burglary via them.

A lot of old people don’t have things that are attractive to thieves – E.g. laptops / tablets / phones / electronics / car keys etc. Besides, if you’ve got such a wayward moral compass that you’re willing to take from elderly people, it’s far easier to con them out of thousands of pounds of proper cash.

It’s a different equation for a young family. There’s probably a fair bit in DrP’s house worth stealing, and no ‘moral’ quandry for would-be burglars.

So our new place was previously the last abode for a very old couple… It had a keysafe near the front door for carers etc etc.

Same here, but we don’t know the code to get into it. So locks have all been changed now and we’re left with a useless little grey box on our wall.

I have a young family and our standard security technique is to leave the house in such a state that any intruder will assume we have already been burgled.

And if that doesn’t fool them then they’ll soon hobble themselves standing on some Lego or a discarded fairy wand.

Same here, but we don’t know the code to get into it.

Try? It’s really not hard using the technique in that video. Only takes a couple of minutes at most.

(I have done this “in the field” when we rented a caravan and they forgot to tell us the code for the key box)

So locks have all been changed now

Probably a good thing to do when moving in to any new house anyway. You never know who has a copy of the keys for the old locks.