When you are planning to move into a new home in the near future, one of the factors that you may be considering in the process is whether or not you will be safe and secure in your new home. While you can control a lot of things about your new house, the actions of other people who may try to enter your house are not among them.
However, you can take steps to make sure your house safe as you start to get settled in. Get to know some of the steps you can take to make your new house as secure as possible so you can start making the necessary adjustments as soon as possible.
Rekey the Locks
One of the first steps you should take when you have moved into a home in a new home is to have the locks rekeyed. Many people assume that they need to have their locks completely changed when they move into a new house to keep previous key-holders out.
However, this does not have to be the case. The entire lock can be expensive to replace because of the labor to do the work and the purchasing of a new lock. The alternative is rekeying your existing locks. This requires you to change the configuration of the cylinder of your lock.
Each lock has a specific sequence and shape in the lock cylinder. The keys to that lock are cut to match the cylinder configuration so that only those keys will work in the lock. Rekeying your locks, therefore, will make the original keys useless in the lock.
Rekeying is a relatively quick and inexpensive process that a locksmith
can take care of for you in a few hours (assuming you have multiple doors that need to be rekeyed). Then, you will have the only keys to your locks, and no old spares will work to open your doors.
Add Access Control Features to Your Doors
If you are still worried about a former owner or an intruder getting into your new home by picking the locks or somehow obtaining copies of your new keys, you can use other ways to make your doors more secure. One way is through access control features.
Access control is a means of physical security that uses key codes, biometrics, or keycards to open a door lock. To feel safe and secure in your home, you may want to have a keypad installed that you can enter a personal code into to enter your home. Only you will know that key sequence and it will make it extremely difficult for anyone else to access your home.
If you combine such access control with rekeyed traditional locks, you will be even further enhancing your security. Combining different locks will deter a person that would break into your home because it is more difficult and time-consuming to do so.
Install a Safe
When you are still nervous about your home's security and your valuable possessions after a move to a new home, you may also want to install a safe. While this will not do much to protect you
if someone breaks into your home while you are there, a safe will help to protect your things when you are not around.
Put your most valued items and paperwork in the safe when you are going to be out of the house for any extended period of time. You will feel more peace of mind while you are gone than you would be if you hid items away throughout the house or you just left them out.
When you take advantage of some of these options, you can be sure that you are protecting your safety and security after you have moved into a new home. Don't hesitate to contact a locksmith for help making sure your new home is safe.
