Have you recently moved house?
First of all, congratulations – we’re sure you can’t wait to get settled in and
make it your own!
Assuming that you’ve invested
a considerable about of money into the property, and moved your furniture,
possessions and family in, the last thing you want to happen is for someone to
let themselves in through the front door and to help themselves to whatever
they want. That’s why one of the first things you should do when you move house
is change the locks.
Here our Master Locksmiths
Association (MLA) locksmiths in
Newcastle
explain why it’s
important that you change your locks:
1.
You never know who has a key to your home
Do you know how many previous
occupants the property has had? Has it ever been rented out to tenants?
According to a survey, over
58% of Brits give away a spare key to their house – either to a family member,
friend or neighbour. And unless you knew the tenants who had the house before
you, it’s unlikely that you will know how many sets of keys were cut and are in
circulation. Therefore, the safest thing to do is to take advantage of our locksmith
services
and have new locks fitted right away. This way you
can be confident who has a key and who doesn’t.
2. Not
changing the locks can invalidate your insurance
When someone breaks into your
home, you’ve every right to make an insurance claim for the damage and any
possessions that have been stolen. However, if you’re burgled by a previous
occupier or someone who has a set of keys, then your claim could be thrown out.
Why? Well, most insurers want
to see evidence of forced entry before they payout on a claim. And not
replacing the locks when you move in will mean that someone with a key can get
into your home without forcing an entry.
3.
Your
locks must conform to British Standard 3621:2004
Of course, you want to be
confident that your door locks are of a high-quality and protect your property,
possessions and loved ones. But did you know that most insurance policies
stipulate that your locks must meet BS 3621:2004?
Though this is particularly
relevant for older properties, if you aren’t 100% sure as to whether your locks
conform to such standards, it’s worth contacting our Newcastle locksmiths
and asking us to change them for new ones.
4.
Your
locks could be compromised or damaged
Not replacing your locks and
checking that all points of access around the house are secure could put you
and your loved ones at risk. Insurance companies these days will argue that, if
you haven’t changed the locks since you moved in, you haven’t done enough to
secure your property from the off.
Although it may seem like an
arduous task, changing your locks is straightforward. See our blog ‘ How to change a lock’
for
details. And remember, if DIY isn’t really your thing, you can get in touch and
we’ll send one of our locksmiths in Newcastle
to supply and fit new
locks to put your mind at ease.
Get in touch
These are just a few of the
reasons why you must change your locks when you move house. If you would like
to know more about why it’s crucial that your locks are changed once you get
the keys to your new home, please don’t hesitate to call 0191 238 6000. Alternatively,
you can contact us via our online enquiry form
,
and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
