DIY SOS The Big Build in Barnet – Locked Out!

There has been a bit of a buzz in Barnet over the last week or so surrounding the DIY SOS TV programme renovating a house in East Barnet.

I have watched quite a few DIY SOS TV episodes so I was interested but didn’t think there would be an opportunity for me to get involved. I knew of a few other trades people who were involved and it sounded like a really exciting project.

It was about 8am last Thursday morning that I got a call from one of the DIY SOS team looking for an emergency locksmith in Barnet. A very nice Northern Irish lady explained she and her team were working on one of the DIY SOS The Big Build episodes and that someone had walked off with the keys and they needed to access the property URGENTLY!

I’m not sure how they found my number. I can only assume they Googled something like locked out in East Barnet and found IKS Locksmiths that way. We do pride ourselves on our quick response, non-destructive entry and problem solving skills to get access to a property as quickly and efficiently as possible. You can count on me in an emergency if you are locked out in North London!

I said I would be there in 25 minutes and asked her to text me the address. I arrived at the property in East Barnet. It was a house on a cul de sac just around the corner from Marie’s Shoes on East Barnet Road (where we buy all our kids shoes, so familiar territory).

As soon as I arrived I could sense that there was a great urgency to access the property. It was explained to me that they needed access to both the back and front doors of the property and quick! The owner was due to arrive home for the first time for the big reveal.

So I set about the task in hand! I have to say having the entire DIY SOS programme team watching and waiting for me to open the locks was a pretty high pressure situation. The lock on the back door was a high security lock which was bound to be challenging to open.

Luckily someone managed to track down a key to the front door but the back door still needed to be opened. The garden was absolutely stunning and a presenter of DIY SOS The Big Build explained to me that they really needed to take the owner into the now amazing garden and then into the kitchen through the backdoor. Really both doors had to be open.

I set about opening the back door. I tried a number of methods and finally I had success! It took me about 20 mins and there was great relief all round when the door was open.

It is moments like these that make my job as a locksmith so rewarding. I really appreciate the opportunity to get involved and was really touched by the story of the owner of the house, PC Kris Aves and his family. He was severely injured in the terrorist attack in Westminster detailed in this article by the Barnet Times. I feel honoured to have been involved in some small way.

What really struck me about the DIY SOS presenters and crew was the sheer amount of enthusiasm and passion they had for the project. I could see how genuine they were and that it is certainly not just for the cameras. I also saw how the presenters are really hands on with the project and even saw Nick Knowles cleaning bits of paint off the floor with his own hands. It was a real case of all hands on deck and a real team effort. It was a pleasure to witness.

I do feel for the person that had the house key but these things happen so often. It is just one of those things and there is always a way round these types of problems.

Of course I went home later and googled DIYSOS and I will now be tuned in to watch the show. I’m not sure what date the show will be aired but I will let you know when I find out. Hats off to the traders and builders involved in this fantastic project. What an amazing job you have done. I hope that the family will enjoy their new home and wish them all the very best for the future.

Image courtesy of Iosprey

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});