8 Reasons to Change Your Locks

Changing all the locks on your home or business can seem a major undertaking, especially when you have multiple key holders or a considerable number of entry points. However, there are times when this is a sensible thing to do, and other occasions when it is vital to your security and protection!

This article answers the question, when should you change your locks by calling a local locksmith?

Staying secure after keys are lost

Let’s start with the most obvious reason to change your locks. If you lose the keys to your home or business – and all your spares are inside – you may find yourself unable to get entry to your property! A trustworthy emergency locksmith can help you get in.

However, depending on how many keys were on your keyring, it is recommended that you replace one or more of your locking mechanisms. To be blunt, your lost keys could be an opportunity for someone to burgle your home or business.

Security when moving to a new property

This is another common reason to change all the locks on your home or business. No matter how many assurances you receive from the former owner, you may not have all the existing keys in your possession. It can bring you great peace of mind (as well as improved security) if you put new locks on all the doors and windows. Then you know exactly who holds the keys.

Outbuilding and garage issues

Thefts from garages and outbuildings are shockingly frequent. It could be time to review your security arrangements outdoors, especially if you have recently bought valuable vehicles, bikes, or garden equipment. Having new and improved locks on your outdoor storage is an investment in keeping predatory intruders out.

Outdated property security

As home and business premises change over time, including renovations, extensions and repairs, you can end up with a mixture of types of locks. Including some which are older and less secure mechanisms. It makes sense to have a thorough review and get all your locks brought up to date.

When locks start to fail

Cheaper or older locking mechanisms can start to let you down too. This can appear as stiffness for example, or a key ‘sticking’. Do you need to lift the door or wiggle the key to get a proper connection?

This could lead to being locked out, having a lock jammed open or leaving entry points vulnerable to intruders. Act promptly to tackle less reliable locks and get them replaced by quality versions you can trust.

After a break-in

Hopefully, your home or commercial security measures will prevent this. However, from 2019 to 2020 there were over 402,000 burglaries in England and Wales.

(source: www.statista.com)

If this does happen to you, then you need to find a local locksmith to change all your locks as quickly as possible. The same applies if you believe someone tried to break in.

Keys in someone’s possession

There are times when you need to give someone the keys to your home or property, such as a partner, tenant or employee.

If you struggle to get those keys back, particularly if there was some form of conflict, it is important to take steps to change your locks. This applies if there is a chance they copied a key too!

Security made simple

Another good reason to change all your locks is to make life easier!

This is especially true if your property has multiple entry points, with all sorts of shapes and sizes of keys, and keeping track of everything is problematic.

Finding a reliable locksmith can help smooth all this out. They can advise you on modern security options for your doorways and windows, providing you with greater peace of mind and a much simpler set of keys!