Can't figure out front door lock

[LifeboatJoy]

I feel a bit stupid that I can't figure this out, please help with your practical common sense.

I am used to Yale locks which lock from outside if you close them and you can open from inside.

What I have got in my current home is different. A PVC door that you have to lock with a key from inside. If the key is in the lock inside you can't unlock it from outside.

I leave the door unlocked during the day and lock it in the evening.

I'm in the habit of leaving the key in the door overnight because I want to be able to open the door without searching for a key but this meant an unexpected visitor was unintentionally locked out.

I want DS to be able to open the front door in an emergency. At present it's just the two of us.

What is the obvious answer?

Don't leave the key in the door.

You take the key out and always put it in the same spot, nearby, so you can grab it if you need to get out in an emergency if there was a fire or whatever.

Get a key hook or something maybe?

How old is DS? I have a shoe cabinet in the hallway with a drawer in the top where I leave the keys, so they are always to hand without needing to be in the door (older teens can come home at all hours, and I like to lock up before I go to bed).
In our old house we had a knob on the inside of the door - I think technically it’s a disability aid or for old people but it was handy to not need keys to unlock the door from the inside.

Two options as pp have mentioned .

Either change the barrel (the bit the key goes in to) to a thumb turn. Instead of having to use key inside it is a knob you turn that locks the door. If you have young children who will be able to turn it and escape then I wouldn’t do this option. Changing the barrel is very easy to do - many tutorials on you tube. Make sure you get a 3 star security barrel.

secondly put hook on wall to put key once you’ve locked up. It should be close enough to the door to use in the event of a fire but not close or low enough for someone to put anything through the letterbox and grab it.

Yes, I need to have the key handy but not in the lock. Perhaps I can attach something to the door and get DS to practice unlocking.

It's a bit fiddly so if you were panicking in the dark it might be difficult to get the key into the lock.

I will look up the disability friendly know and see if that's a possibility.

Thank you, just what I need to hear.

I really appreciate everyone's help with this. It seems such a simple thing but I could not think it through.

How old is your DS and is there any risk he would leave the house in a way that wasn't ok?
What specific scenario are you worried about - leaving quickly if there's a fire?

I assume it's a double glazed door where you push the handle up to shoot the internal bolts across and then turn the key? We've had doors like that for years and we just take the key out of the lock if anyone is out of the house, put it nearby in a safe space. House secure, but still able to exit quickly.

Yes this exact type. The issue was unexpected arrival of relative whose needed to get in but didn't make themselves heard so I need to make sure door is always openable from outside.

Did the unexpected visitor have a key then? Why didn't they just ring the doorbell like a normal visitor?

DS is not an average kid for his age. As long as he can open the door in an emergency it will be safe.

I am thinking of fire which although very unlikely was the cause of death of a relative many years ago and the worry of 'what if?' would keep me awake . Also, for example, not so long ago an ambulance crew needed letting in.

Does it work if you pull the key out half way? So still in, but not fully in? That way from the inside you just push it straight in, from the outside it might still unlock?

The obvious answer is get a new lock cylinder for the door. There are ones available that can be opened from the outside even if there is a key on the inside. There are also ones available with a thumb turn on the inside so you don’t need a key to lock it, and can always be opened by a key from The outside

Have a look on YouTube for ‘how to change a euro lock cylinder’. Incredibly easy to do yourself, takes only a minute or two and all you need is a screwdriver. You just need to make sure you get the right size by measuring the old lock.

Do you really need to go through all these hoops, in the off chance that another unexpected guest turns up? I always leave the key in the door to allow a quick escape. Even if the keys are kept in the same place all the time, in an emergency, with possibly low visibility, it's not as easy as you would think to find the key, and insert it in the lock.

"Either change the barrel (the bit the key goes in to) to a thumb turn. Instead of having to use key inside it is a knob you turn that locks the door."

Surely this is the easiest answer. Thumb turn on the inside, key on the outside.

Have the key close to the door but not in the lock or easily reached through a letter box - a small hook on the wall ?

Obvious answer is keep the key in a designated area (accessible easily in emergencies) and always keep the key in the same area so that when you need the key you know where it is

Get one of those plastic hooks, that come with double sided tape and stick it on/by the door.

I have these on my doors. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bathroom-Kitchen-Reusable-Plastic-Seamless/dp/B09RV13GDH