Bugsy from Keywise, Hythe, Southampton
Two jobs, one morning. Started in Southampton, finished back over the water in Marchwood, and both of them the sort nobody writes about. No drama, no drilling, no big bill. Which is sort of the point.
The first one: a bathroom window that wouldn’t budge
A gentleman rang me first thing, over in Southampton itself. His bathroom window was jammed shut and he’d got himself ready for bad news. That’s usually how these calls start. People have already decided it’s going to be a new window.
So I went out and had a proper look at it before saying anything.
And here’s the thing: the mechanism was fine. Nothing wrong with it at all. The problem was the handle. So I replaced the handle with a locking one, cut him a key for it, and that was the job done.
He was over the moon with the price. I’ll be honest with you: that’s not because I’m cheap. It’s because he’d braced himself for a window and got a handle.
That happens more than you’d think. A window or a door that won’t work isn’t automatically a big job, and you don’t know which it is until somebody who knows what they’re looking at has looked at it. That’s why I’d always rather come and check than quote you a horror story down the phone.
If you’ve got a window doing the same thing, that’s a window handle replacement or at most a window lock repair, not a new window.
The second one: Pococks in Marchwood
Then I had a call from Pococks the estate agents over in Marchwood. They had a tenant with a problem on the front door handles.
Now, these handles are everywhere at the moment. They’re on thousands of doors. And they use very small screws.
Which is where people come unstuck. If you go at it with an oversize screw, it fouls the lock metal inside, and now you’ve got a bigger problem than the one you started with. It’s not a daft mistake to make; it just needs somebody who’s met these handles before.
I’ve fitted a lot of them. So the handles went on solid, the covers went on properly, and the tenant was happy.
She also told me she follows me on Facebook. That’s always a good sign. It means somebody local knows who’s turning up before he knocks. In this trade that counts for a lot.
If your handles have gone floppy or the covers won’t sit right, that’s a door handle replacement, usually a small job done properly, not a new door.
Why I like agent work
That second job is the sort I’d happily do all week.
It’s daytime. It’s booked in. Nobody’s standing in the cold. The agent knows the price before I go, the tenant gets sorted, and everybody gets on with their day. No 2am, no panic, no drama.
If you manage properties around Southampton, Marchwood or the Waterside and you’re fed up ringing round for someone who’ll actually turn up when they say, that’s what I do for agents and landlords. Fixed prices agreed up front, one bloke you can put a name to, and an invoice that matches the quote.
What both jobs have in common
Neither of them needed drilling. Neither of them needed a new door or a new window. Both of them got fixed for less than the customer expected.
That’s not me being a hero. It’s just what happens when whoever turns up gets paid for fixing the thing rather than for replacing it. It’s also why I’m so pointed about how to spot a call-centre outfit from a real local locksmith. If the bloke on your doorstep only gets paid when something gets replaced, you can guess what he’s about to find.
My prices are written down here so nobody has to wonder. No call-out fee, ever. No VAT to add. And if I can’t fix it, you don’t pay me.
One last thing.
If something at yours has stopped working and you’ve already decided it’s going to be expensive, ring me before you decide that. Half the time it isn’t.
07453 327708. That’s my mobile, and I answer it myself.
Working across Southampton, Marchwood, Hythe and the Waterside.
Common questions
Does a jammed window always mean a new window?
No, and that’s the point of the first job above. Very often it’s the handle or the lock, not the mechanism, and that’s a small job. Get someone to look before you budget for a window.
Do you work for letting agents and landlords?
Yes, and it’s some of my favourite work. Fixed prices agreed up front, booked in daylight, and an invoice that matches the quote. Here’s how that works.
Is there a call-out fee?
No call-out fee, ever, and no VAT to add. The price I say on the phone is the price you pay.
Bugsy, KeyWise, Southampton Locksmith.
Be wise, phone Keywise.
Photos and write-up put together with my son Lewie at Edwards WebWorks.
