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Should I Change or Rekey My Locks When Moving To A New Home?

Posted by on Feb 17, 2016

Should I Change or Rekey My Locks When Moving To A New Home?

Moving to a new home is as exciting as it is challenging and often there are so many things to do that you might overlook the most important ones like security. As a first time home owner, the excitement of meeting new neighbors, unpacking, organizing mortgage payments and finding new schools for your kids can get you occupied to an extend that your home security gets clearly forgotten.

This should not be the case. If having a secure home with complete privacy is one of your concerns, then you should consider re keying your home or changing the locks as soon as possible. Your landlord or Realtor might not mention who the previous occupants were, and whether they handed over their keys before moving out. Apart from the previous occupants, there are contractors, the neighbors, the plumbers or even other family members who might have been given a copy of the key to your home by the previous owners. All these people are a potential threat to your security and privacy, unless you make an effort to change the locks or re key your locks.

One might argue that my home is a brand new home, hence there is no record of previous owners with copies of the keys thus there is no need to rekey or change the locks. Well, true as that might be, it is important to keep in mind that the contractors or developers keep a master key that can open several homes. Unless you change yours, then it is easy for such developers to get access to your home using the master key. Another possible argument with new homes is that since the locks were installed immediately before you moved in, there is no need to change them. This could be true, but can you trust whoever is telling you there are no copies of the keys? Just because someone says so, doesn’t necessarily mean it is true.
Resources:
Find Good Movers
lowes.com
homedepot.com

To change or re-key the locks

After deciding to make this change, what is the best way forward? Re keying the lock implies that the pins and springs are removed and replaced with new pins thus making it possible to open the lock with a different set of keys while the previous keys are invalidated. Re keying can involve alteration of the tumbler; change of water configuration or even for a key exchange. This is normally done by a professional locksmith and can be performed on any lock unless the lock is malfunctioning or if you want a totally different style.

rekey4The main purpose of re keying is to have control and accountability over all the keys that can access your home. After re keying, you can decide how many copies of the new keys you want and who should have the copies. In case the contractor had a master key to your home, there is a possibility of some master pins being left in your locks. These master pins are known to double the number of keys which can operate the lock thus a single lock can be operated by up to 16 different locks. Re keying the locks removes these master pins, thus invalidating the master key or any other copies.

Re keying can also make it possible to examine and correct the errors made during installation of the lock. These problems when corrected make the lock operate more efficiently. During re keying, the locksmith examines the condition of the lock and determines whether or not a replacement is required thus saving you money and time.
Replacing the locks is a more expensive, invasive and a complicated option and should only be chosen if the locks condition can’t allow re keying, if the current locks don’t seem reliable or there is need to upgrade to more strong and efficient locks. Although it is an expensive investment, it is worthy if you think of the people and property that need your protection.

lock replaceReplacing the lock can also allow more convenience for instance if you want to accommodate the needs of persons living with disabilities in your home. Lever handle locks for instance are easier and more attractive to operate as compared to a knob. Deadbolts are also available. One advantage with deadbolts is the ability to use the interior thumb to operate without grasping. Electronic locks on the other hand can be picked if greater convenience is required. Thus, there are several options to choose from while changing the locks which can make your home more flexible and convenient for persons with differing needs.

Thus, to answer the question Should I Change or Re key My Locks When Moving To A New Home? The answer is simple, if the locks can allow, rekey since it is more cost effective in terms of time and money. However, if the lock’s condition can’t allow for instance due to wear and tear, then changing the locks might be the best option. If you want to keep your home secure and private, purpose to do either of this at least as soon as possible after moving in.

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