One of the most difficult life events that a person can go through is the end of a relationship. When that relationship ends badly, you might find yourself in a position in which you are fearful and unsure of yourself and your security in your life as well as in your own house.
There are numerous steps that you can and should take when you have anxiety and fear following a bad breakup. Get to know some of those steps and be sure to start taking them as soon as possible. Then, you can begin feel better, heal from your breakup, and be safer in your home.
Gather Up All Spare Keys
Most people have spare keys to their home hidden throughout their house or apartment, in their car, or in special hidden places around the exterior of their home (i.e. under a doormat or in a fake rock). The first step that you will want to take is to go around and gather up all the spare keys you have to your home.
This will help you figure out if any of your spare keys are missing. It will also make you feel better knowing your former significant other will not be able to find any of the keys and get into your home.
Have Your Locks Rekeyed
Of course, there is always a chance that your ex still has a key to your home, which could cause you a great deal of worry and anxiety. This is completely understandable and a reasonable fear. Luckily, there is a simple and inexpensive solution to the problem.
Contact a locksmith service and have all of the locks to your home rekeyed. Rekeying locks is a cheaper and easier process than having your locks completely replaced, saving you time and money. This process involves having the locksmith partially disassemble your lock to change the configuration of the cylinder.
The adjustment to the cylinder will alter the shape of the inside of the lock, which renders all of your old keys completely useless. Your locksmith will then make new keys for your newly rekeyed locks and you will be in full control of who has access to your home at all times.
Install Deadbolts
Depending on how bad the breakup was for you and whether your former partner has a history of dangerous behavior, you may want to go even further in your efforts to secure your home. In this case, you should install deadbolts to add another layer of security to the doors in your home.
Deadbolt locks are heavy-duty door locks that add strength and durability to your door. And by installing a separate deadbolt on each of your doors, you will make it even more difficult to break into your home. This is because the deadbolt locks take different keys than the standard locks, which will slow down a would-be intruder as they would have to try to pick two completely different locks.
There are also digital or electronic deadbolt locks you could have installed. Rather than using a key, these locks use a numerical pin or code that you enter to lock and unlock the deadbolt. Such a lock would deter your ex or anyone else from trying to break into your home as the time required to crack the code would be lengthy and would increase their chances of being caught in the act.
While the only thing that will help you to feel completely comfortable after a bad breakup is time and distance, taking these important steps will help you to begin the process of making your home feel safer in the wake of your breakup.
