To think this is extortionate

[Butterflykissess]

I've lost my house keys, I've searched high and low. I've been looking for at least 2 hours. Even in the wheelie bins. Realistically there is nowhere else for me to look now. I called the council and apparently it is £94 for a locksmith. Aibu in thinking that is ridiculous? How do they justify that. I simply can't afford that amount. I know I should have had a spare (I did silly me gave it to my nephew when he stayed here and he never gave it back, now doesn't know where it is.)

Sorry but that's a fair price. It's someone's time, skill and kit.

Hope you find them OP, I thought I'd lost mine the other week turns out they were where I'd looked about 20 times but just hadn't clocked them if that makes sense, turned the whole house upside down and then there they were in the first place I looked

After having to pay for a locksmith twice - £90 where I am - after I locked my keys in my flat, I learned my lesson. I now have a spare key that I tape to my front door at eye level (inside obviously), so that every time I open the door I see the key and remember to make sure that I have my keys on me. I know that doesn't help you right now, but may be a tip for the future. That way, if you lose/misplace your keys, you will still have one you can use to get in and out .

@Uniquack that's a good idea!

Where I live the council have just put new doors in which we now can't lock ourselves out with (thankfully) but obviously still need a key to get in and lock it so I'm going to go and stick one on the door just in case I can't find mine again :) thankfully they gave us 5 keys

No help but ours did have a thing about flushing things down a toilet for a while!

You may think you have looked everywhere, but you haven't. places where I have found 'lost' things:

• house keys found under the cover of the baby's highchair
• DSs game console found tucked in a large folded bed sheet
• car key found in my glasses case
• matches found in with the dishwasher tablets

Keep looking, they really are somewhere.

If you are a council tenant ask if they will consider recharging you so that the cost will be added to your rent account, and you can pay it off in a few weeks.

Working for various social landlords this is very common, as they realise a lot of tenants may be on a low income.

Thanks for the videos they don't look too hard so may have to just attempt it! Dad hasn't got back to me so I'm assuming he's forgotten!

First of all and don't laugh, this has worked for me many times:

say a prayer to St Anthony the Saint of Lost Things. Ask him to help you find them.

Then sit back and visualise yourself coming into the house last time. Think of your steps. Did you rush to the loo? Did someone need a drink? Were you on the phone? Just stay calm and think logically. Tell us when you find them.

I lost mine once along with my mobile that was on silent..... I'm embarassed to say I walked the dog wearing a different jacket to normal and had hung it back up in the wardrobe I found them again about 3 weeks later after having to had DHs keys all copied and having cancelled my SIM card. I'd spent hours and hours looking everywhere apart from coat pockets......

If you've got kids, check all their pockets/bags, and check they've not been dropped out of a window. And check toy boxes.

If you've not left the house with them then keep looking. They will be there somewhere. Can you secure your house or get someone to house sit for you tomorrow so you can do the school run?

we got quoted 75 in london.

we once lost our keys - looked high and low for them for about two hours. Then asked our 15 month old where they were - part of game, under a blanket.

Dog's bed????

I can't believe that no one has suggested this yet, but if the door is unlocked and you keep the keys near the door then there is every chance that they've been taken- in which case, relocking with a spare will still leave you insecure. If that's possible, then you must get a new lock!

I did wonder, but it's more likely the OP has misplaced them. Tbh if I thought they could be in the bins, I'd dump everything out of them one by one and go through it. In fact, I've done just that looking for things.

I so see what happened this morning? Did you find them or change the lock OP?

*I wonder

I lost my keys once. Ten years later my sister found them in the inside pocket of a jacket I'd given her several years after I lost the keys.

How have you got on OP?

Can't you change it yourself? I did this when I lost my keys. You just need to buy a new lock for inside the door.

I'm going to try the new lock today however my dad is saying he will pay for the lock to be changed but I would feel bad with him doing that so going to try my best to do it myself first!

Good luck!!

It's not too hard to be honest just make sure you have it all lined up right first.

I paid £100 home insurance excess to change my locks a year ago. (it was £300 for all the doors and garage etc otherwise).

However when I last lost my keys I went to the local lock centre and bought new barrells for £7 each and fitted them myself. Just standard PVC doors. 10 minutes each with a screwdriver and youtube :).

Have you looked down sides and backs of chairs. in the fridge, under the sofa, pockets, laundry basket etc. Handbags, dressing gowns, inside toyboxes ... inside shoes.
You will find the keys about 2 minutes after the locksmith leaves.

Take it slow. Keep a YouTube video open and pause it every few seconds/steps. You’ll be fine :)