Why Should You Change Your Locks After Moving In?
Most people really don’t bother changing locks when they move into a new house. If you are one of those then perhaps I need to tell you a true incident that occurred with my friend to help you change your thoughts about getting the locks changed.
My friend and his family recently moved into this new place in a comfortable neighborhood. One night on returning late from a family get together, the family discovered they had misplaced their set of keys. To their dismay, the only spare was inside and there wasn’t even a window opened to get in and retrieve it. Breaking the lock would have meant no security in the middle of the night. So my friend rang his neighbor to enquire if he had the number of an emergency locksmith. Rather than suggest the number, the neighbor (an old and very close friend of the previous owner) asked whether my friend had changed the locks or not. When my friend replied in the negative, the neighbor stated that he an old spare that might work for him. And luckily or rather unluckily it did. Although it got them in for the night, the first thing my friend did the next morning was to get his locks changed. He wasn’t sure who else had a spare key to what was now his home.
So yes, this explains why it is absolutely necessary to get your locks changed or rekeyed once you move into a new place. This is a fatal mistake that you could be making. And it could jeopardize the security of your home and safety of your loved ones. Make sure you get your locks changed or rekeyed to be sure that only you are in charge of all the entry points for your house. You never know if the previous owners had duplicated keys and who might have a spare to your place. Changing or getting your locks rekeyed guarantee security at least.
It is entirely up to you whether you want to change the entire lock system or get the old locks rekeyed. Rekeying is a rather affordable option because you don’t have to pay for any additional hardware purchased and the cost is only for the services offered by the locksmith. You can rekey the locks yourself but its rather risky and best left to the professionals.
Changing your locks becomes necessary when the old ones are either too old to be rekeyed or if they have become damaged. Also if you have antique locks you might want to look into changing the systems to those locks which offer better security. Also remember that locksmiths charge an arm and a leg to repair or rekey antique locks. And their parts are hard to find as well.
So yes, be careful. When you move into a new place, whether you purchase it or shift as a tenant, it is important that you get the locks changed. Your safety should be your first priority.