Locksmith advice
from the bench, not a brochure
Ten guides written from the jobs we actually attend across Collingwood and the inner north — what to do in a lockout, what a locksmith should cost, and which upgrades are worth the money.
Latest
Emergency · 6 min read
Locked out in Melbourne: what to do in the first ten minutes
The first ten minutes decide whether this is a cheap callout or an expensive door repair. Here is the order we tell people to work through on the phone.
- Check rear and side entries before you touch the front door — never climb.
- Tell the locksmith whether the key turns; it changes which tools come out of the van.
- Get a range on the phone and ask specifically about drilling.
- Have proof of residence ready before the van arrives.
All guides
- Pricing · 7 minWhat a locksmith actually costs in Melbourne (and what changes the price)Nobody publishes a real price list because no two doors are the same. Here is what genuinely moves the number, so you can judge a quote before you accept it.
- Maintenance · 5 minSeven signs your deadlock is about to failLocks rarely die suddenly. They warn you for weeks first, and almost nobody listens until they are standing on the footpath at midnight.
- Security · 5 minRekeying vs changing the locks: which one do you actually need?Two jobs, two very different prices, and most people ask for the wrong one. Here is how to tell them apart in thirty seconds.
- Security · 6 minSecuring a Melbourne terrace without wrecking the heritage lookNarrow stiles, original timber and a heritage overlay rule out most hardware on the shelf. Here is what actually fits.
- Emergency · 6 minApartment lockouts, intercoms and strata keys: how it actually worksApartment lockouts have a second layer of complexity: the door you are locked out of may not be the only door in the way.
- Car keys · 6 minLost your only car key? What happens next (and why the dealer isn't the only option)A mobile auto locksmith can usually cut and program a replacement where the car is parked — no tow truck, no dealer queue.
- Commercial · 7 minThe shopfront security checklist we run for inner-north tradersRetail and hospitality doors get used hundreds of times a day and are secured by hardware chosen for a house. Here is the audit we run.
- Emergency · 6 minAfter a break-in: the order to do things inRepeat burglaries often happen within weeks, through the same entry point. The order you do things in matters.
- Security · 6 minRestricted key systems explained (and who actually needs one)If you cannot say how many copies of your key exist, you do not control your building. That is the problem restricted keys solve.