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.)

And let us know where the keys were when you do eventually find them!
Also, throw them away.

I'm seriously hoping I never find them if I have to pay for a locksmith! Knowing my luck they probably will turn up as soon as I do. But If I do I will update.

Hope I'm not too late, but youtube or no youtube, I would not replace the lock myself.
If you get a lock exactly like the existing one, it will be a doddle to replace. If you don't, you could end up with no lock or a broken door.

I was thinking of calling the locksmith if I can't fix the lock? Would it ruin the whole door? Like I said I'm the worst at diy

Yes it's a real smack in the face to pay that much but we had to last year - the locks are pretty expensive, and the call out charge is the problem. You should be able to claim it back on your house insurance - lots of policies cover locks and keys. Worth checking.

You have a lock that's very straightforward to change. Once you get out the cylinder take it to a locksmith and get one the same. It won't ruin the whole door unless you go at it with a saw or something!

I lost my keys for hours last year. Gave up, flopped on the sofa, looked behind me and .... there they were wedged in a box behind the recycling.

They'll be there.

It’s £250 for the council to do it here so I’d say that was pretty cheap! Can you not call a locksmith direct and ask them for a price?

Calm down and re look. I found in bin and fridge before.............

Can you lock it from the inside then use the back door for the interim?

Offer the kids a reward for whoever finds them, doesn't have to be much, late bedtime, sweets, etc. If one of them had had them they'll soon turn up

You’ve said you think they’re in the bin, you can’t afford £94 but are too precious to empty the bin to check?
Even if I could afford £94 I would still be more than happy to empty a wheelie bin out to check. Just put some rubber gloves on and stop being pathetic.

Is it a Yale lock? If so you can replace only the core and the new core comes with two keys. It's an easy DIY job.
You could take the children to school after closing the door, quickly pick up a new core and have everything sorted by lunchtime.
Good luck.

It's easy to change a lock. Look on you tube.
My son works as a plumber for the council but has in emergencies gone many times to let people in and if necessary change the lock.
He's paid a very average salary .
He is certainly not a locksmith . All the maintenance staff are trained to do locks and have a set of picks.
Looks like the council pockets the rest of the fee.

Omg turns out my mum has a key! So relieved! I just hope it's the right key, she's dropping it by later. Then I will be getting a good few cut! The relief

As a locksmiths was wife , you don't have to change the whole lock, just the cylinder, that's the part the key goes into . Look above or below the latch of the door , that's the thin bit between the outside and inside and it should give you a name eg Yale in or so similar, they'll be what's called a face plate remove that then you should be able to get to the actual cylinder .
Ps to become a master locksmith is very expensive so no the price you was quoted was very reasonable , let's face it you need him/ her not the other way around

Dressing gown pocket? Everything I ever lose before 8 can be found there.

Six years ago I came back from work at 7pm to find my DH had eloped with a woman down the road- actually that discovery came later - and changed the locks, so none of the neighbours who held keys were able to help me. It cost me £200 to get back in and when the locksmith arrived, he demanded documentary evidence that I had a legal right to gain entry to the property. Fortunately my neighbour was a serving police officer and showed the guy his badge and verified for the fact that I had lived at the property for 15 years. It was an unedifying experience, to put it mildly.

Ask your Mum to find yours for you when she gets there! 🤣

i lost mine before, checked up and down the paths to the car, inside the car and out, checked the bins, dh went thru it as well.. turned up inside the front pocket bit of the hoodie i was wearing the whole time.

Honestly, your lock is very easy to change, as people have said. If the key that your mum has is not the right one, get her to help. She can sit with the children whilst you carefully follow the you tube video already posted, take out the cylinder and pop out with it to get a new, identical one. They come with keys and most DIY stores will have them (or send it with mum and the cash whilst you watch the children and house)
Then pop the new cylinder in following the instructions again.
It really is simple if you take it slowly. It's about the same level of difficulty as changing the hoover bag or putting a sim card in a new phone (just involves a few more screws).

After several hours of pure panic and being late for work, I once found my keys in the bin. God knows why.

Glad your mum can help OP.

But as a note, if you have any boots, or basically any shoes at all, then in my experience, anything that is missing, will have been dropped inside a boot or shoe. Especially with the age of your DC .

Check your boots and shoes. And theirs.

Why don’t you just pop to your local hardware store with the lock from your door and buy a new lock

Oh, I wish I could come over! I find everything in my house - it's become a joke that I know where everything is without looking and can find all the lost things :-) Glad your mum has a spare.