Moving into a new house is one of the most exciting moments in an individual’s life. It brings a great deal of happiness, joy, and a whole new dimension of newness in one’s life. However, with great pleasure comes much greater responsibility, and with a new house in the picture, the responsibilities are manifold. Many times, while completing other important work and checking the major checklists, people tend to forget the smallest yet most important details. Yes, it is changing the locks.
While people may never know how many sets of keys were made by the previous owner or the property agent, it is always a safer option to change the locks once they move in. This can be a simple procedure and can be done by the new inhabitants themselves, but it is always preferred to leave the important work to the professionals. If you are planning to move into your dream home, you should consider getting the lockset changed of the entire residence. These days with the advancement of technology, it is very easy to find quality and trustworthy locksmiths who provide all the solutions online or within a single visit. You can find some here.
However, if you plan on doing the changes yourself or with the help of family and friends, given below is a list of things and procedures that you would like to check and might come in handy before doing such important work.
Consider your options
When changing the locks on the doors of their new homes, people have the option to rekey or replace them altogether. Each has different advantages depending on how secure they want their new home to be.
Rekeying is the process of changing locks on the doors, windows, and even garage doors, affecting the level of security people have and need. Rekeying the home means having a locksmith adjust and change the interior tumblers of the locks, preventing old keys from working without having to strip the knobs from the door. A rekey has two major benefits: security and convenience.
The major advantage of a rekey is security. Doing a simple rekey will make any of the old keys useless. It removes access to anyone who has had access before. It will be enough to prohibit anyone from entering the new property, be it unwanted family members, former housemates, or even old tenants.
This process enables people the convenience of using a single key for all of their doors. This process is great if someone is renting out their property. Also, if someone has a housemate who needs shared access, a rekey can be considered a better choice.
Be informed
While this might sound a little too basic, people need to be informed about the process, tools and parts required, the local locksmith, etc., before getting the locks changed. This way, it not only saves time and money but also prevents unnecessary shopping of parts and tools.
Before planning a visit from the locksmith, the owners should decide which locks are to be changed or the kind of new locks they want if they are planning on replacing the old ones. The locksmith might help them in making such decisions.
Plan a budget
Having a budget to follow whilst doing anything is always a good plan. This way, people not only cut costs but also save up money. Following a budget while getting the locks changed or replaced would help the owners. The type of locks to be installed, the charges of the locksmith, installation charges, etc., are to be considered before planning a change in the lock system of the house.
Making a cost comparison also helps, as it lets the owners know what is best for their homes. While replacing the old locks with the new ones is comparatively more expensive than rekeying them, it will also increase the safety and security of the house. However, rekeying the locks would require professional help, and the cost would definitely go up.
Calling a locksmith
People can do some DIYs and change the locks themselves, but there are a few situations where they might need some assistance, and it is always a good option to seek professional help, just in case things do not go the way they were planned.
Book an appointment with a reliable and trustworthy locksmith early as it might save up some money.
Prioritize security
Usually, people wait for a mishap to happen before working on the right things. Many owners switch to more secured locks after a break-in or a series of burglaries in the area. Door locks available these days offer cutting-edge technology that both improves and simplifies home security.
Many locks available today in the market feature a keypad with keys and a code instead of an old-fashioned key to unlock the door. The keypad can be programmed to accept a numeric digit or an alphanumeric digit code that can easily be reset to a new code, if necessary. Technology has developed even deeper into home security, providing it with smart locks, which can be synced to a phone, tablet, or PC, allowing owners to lock and unlock the door remotely. Smart locks now also send an alert to their devices if the door is unlocked in the absence of the owner.
Conclusion
There is hardly anyone who has not had the dream of buying a house, but not everyone is lucky enough to have it fulfilled. So if you are one of the lucky ones, it is highly recommended that you put yourself and your family’s security as the topmost priority. Getting the locks replaced, fixed, and changed in a few years is a good option that adds on to the security of the house, and thus, the inhabitants. This is just about changing the locks. There are many things to be done once you move in or are planning to do so.
