Should You Change The Locks On A New Home?

October 20, 2014

Written by Jeff Seymour

Image of Jeff Seymour at Seymour Locksmiths

Over Half Of New Home Owners Never Think About Changing The Locks On Their New Property

When you move there’s a hundred and one things to think about. One of the things that gets missed or forgotten about is changing the front and rear door locks despite the fact that third parties could still have keys to your new property.

Taking Basic Precaution

Ask any homeowner how important securing their property is and most will say that it is very important but only about 30% will actually change their locks.

A study carried out by Ocean Finance has found that most young people will have the locks changed and yet older people tend not to do so. The study also showed that whilst city folk are likely to change the locks upon moving in, people in rural areas are far less likely to take the very basic precaution.

Here at Seymour Locksmiths we are lucky to be able to cover both built up urban areas along the coast as well as rural areas in the South Downs. Compare the quantity of lock changes in Hove compared with that of more a rural area like Henfield.

Taking Reasonable Care

If you have a break in and items are stolen from your property your insurer will no doubt ask for evidence of a forced entry before paying out any claims. If a third party has keys to your locks, your insurance claim may well be void if there is no evidence of forced entry.

The crime statistics for Shoreham By Sea for August 2014 show eleven household burglaries in August 2014, can you afford to take the risk and not have your locks changed?

Cost Can Vary

Your options vary from locks to full burglar alarm systems, the choice you make will have a large effect on the cost.

We at Seymour Locksmiths can give you a quote over the phone or meet at the property to discuss your individual requirements. You’ll find that having those locks changed is a small cost compared to worrying about who might have keys to your home. If you need a locksmith get in touch at 07710 408 414.

Any locks that are changed should meet the British Standard 3621, your household insurer may make this a requirement for your cover and you may also be due some deduction in your insurance premium.

About Tenants

If you’re a tenant and you’re moving into newly rented accommodation you should be able to have those locks changed if you’re worried about previous tenants still holding keys, just search for a locksmith near you. It helps if you include the name of your town in the search to help you find a truly local locksmith. For instance “locksmith local to hove“. When you visit the website make sure to check for proper accreditation, real photos and good reviews, our Worthing Locksmith location page is a perfect example.

Research carried out by Direct Line Insurance showed that 90% of landlords do not have the locks changed on property they rent out between tenancies. Seymour Locksmiths advise to check your tenancy agreement and see who is responsible for the locks. It may be the case that the landlord will pay for the locks to be replaced.

 

 

 

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