Be Safe. Consider Your New Home’s Locks
When you move into a new home, you have so much to think about, like where the living room furniture will be placed, who will get what bedroom, and how you will decorate your brand new spaces.
However, there is something important you most likely haven’t thought about: moving means making your new home in a residence that once belonged to someone else.
You have no real idea of who has keys to it and how many have been handed out, lost, or misplaced. While this may not have even occurred to you as a safety risk, it could be. You have to consider the locks on your home and think about either getting them rekeyed or replaced.
The Evaluation
After the movers have left, take the time to go through the house and take inventory of the different locks used in the home. Keep places like these in mind:
- The front door
- The back door
- Doors leading into the garage
- Decorative doors (French or sliding)
- Doors on utility buildings or sheds
This evaluation period is a good chance to determine whether you feel comfortable with the locks already used in the home or you want to make some replacements. If you don’t feel like you need to actually change out anything, then you can make a quick call to a locksmith and ask them to rekey the locks already in place. This service will cost different amounts based on where you live and how many locks you need altered.
Changing Locks
If you would like to change locks altogether or you want different types of safety systems, then you have some research to do. Before you even start unpacking after you have finished moving, try to determine what types of locks you would like to add to your new home. Some of your options include the following:
- Spring Latch. Also called slip bolt locks, these work with the doorknob and lock it into place. They are considered to be the most minimal of security but are usually included on front and back doors.
- Deadbolt. This lock bolts the door to the frame and has to be manually opened either by a key on the outside or a knob on the inside. They can be placed horizontally along the doorframe or vertically at the top.
- Double Cylinder Deadbolt. This type of deadbolt works in the same way as the one above, but requires a key to unlock from the inside or out. This is ideal if your door has glass panes since it will deter thieves from simply breaking the glass and reaching inside to turn the bolt.
As far as outdoor buildings, you should consider replacing locks only if you have to store expensive equipment in them. Most people don’t even think of locking their tool shed or utility building, and if you don’t plan to, then there is certainly no reason to change the locks.
When you are moving into a new home, there is certainly a lot to think about, including safety. Think about any changes you want to make to the locks throughout your home for security purposes.