Just completed - should I change locks?

Ulfar

Always change the locks.

Sellers of my current house tried to let themselves in with a copy of the keys the day after I moved in.

They were most perturbed, the front door is by the lounge window so myself and friends could hear every word they said while we were having a cup of tea. They seemed surprised that someone would have changed the locks.

I went to the front door after a couple of minutes of them fumbling about with the lock and demanded to know what the hell they thought they were playing at, their excuse was they didn't think I would be moving in for a week and they were expecting some important post.

I was quite cross and set them straight, since then I have returned all post to sender marked moved away.

timmyt

Enigma80 wrote: »

Hi all, after a slightly drawn out farce, we just completed our first purchase! :j

I just wondered how many of you change the locks when you move into a new home? I've considered changing the locks but I don't know how pricey it will be considering that the front and rear doors are upvc double glazed with multipoint locks and all that.

Would it be a simple barrel change that can be done by any lock smith or would I need to call out the company who put the doors in?

Thanks

Nas

lawyers never recommend as a rule at the end of conveyancing - not that they need to - but yes, I think people should start doing that, as you have no idea who has a key from the previous owners. a yale barrel is £15 and you can do it yourself easily.

no real reason against doing it, just an extra cost, but best to be safe. when we bought, we immediately got new UPVC so no problem there, and our previous house to that had a yale lock so we just went to Homebase and gt a new one. many locks you can do yourself.

Hopejack

I recently got three door locks (mortice) and a garage lock changed on my let property and they charged me £146 ish. I too never changed locks on the houses I've bought (and lived in) in the past, but having rented a house out for the last 8 years, and come across all sorts of people!, I've come to realise that it is the first thing you should do. You really don't know who has had copies of your keys over the years. And if you have a break in and can't see a 'break and enter' point, what's to say your insurance company would pay up? They may say you didn't secure the property properly etc. Really, the cost in the grand scheme of things is negligible.

Next time I move house, it's the first thing on my list!

PS - Whomever on here said they had a repo - do it asap! A repo has come about because the ex owner has ended up in debt - big style! They won't just have owed their mortgage company money - they probably owe/d a lot of creditors - as a result, people/bailiffs could come looking, you can of course let them know you are not the person etc if you are there. Not saying they'd break into your home, but locks changed are a must in this situation imo.

Ickle-toots

When we moved in to our new house we swapped the front door locks/barrels with the patio doors from the back garden (no-one can get into our back garden) so if anyone was to try the lock for the front door they're not going to be able to get in....or you could also swap them with a family member maybe if they have the same type of lock ??

secla

just out of interest, im about to move into a rented property. am i entitled to change the locks aslong as i keep the originals and swap back when i move? if i do this should i inform the landlord ? obviously with it being rented there could be countless sets of keys floating around

Sharon87

At uni I moved in to a house my friends were already in and for a few months little things started going missing, nothing big though. Also the door was occasionally unlocked, we thought people kept leaving it unlocked.

My brother came to stay, he had my room and I had the couch, was about to go sleep when someone (I thought it was my housemate) was coming through the door in the livingroom. I assumed it was housemate going toilet, but then they backed out of the door. Didn't think anything of it - it was dark, was thinking she sleep walked, as she's told us stories about her sleep walking.

A week or so later my ipod went missing and the door was unlocked again. We all discussed it and thought someone must have a key, phoned our landlady and she got someone straight over to change the locks, cost her a lot of money - it was 11pm at night lol.

The thing is I was always paranoid as I used to think I could hear doors opening (we had big fire doors), but assumed it was next door as they use to come in late. Thing is if my room was the one by the front door I would've known sooner as I went bed later than everyone else.

Just a little story to convince people to change their locks!

redlady_1

The previous owner of my house is now dead so I think I am ok. Regarding the repo, the repo company automatically change the locks when the house is repossessed to prevent the previous occupants moving in and squatting there. Mind you it was an EA that told me that so I wouldnt take it as gospel!

Ditto

redlady_1 wrote: »

The previous owner of my house is now dead so I think I am ok. Regarding the repo, the repo company automatically change the locks when the house is repossessed to prevent the previous occupants moving in and squatting there. Mind you it was an EA that told me that so I wouldnt take it as gospel!

The dead don't need keys to enter a house;)

redlady_1

Dont tell me that ditto! I was doing ok actually until I met the neighbours and they promptly told me she had snuffed it in the house and the police had to break the door down to get in. Yes, I was suitably freaked for a while but I doubt she was the first considering how old the house is!

RobertoMoir

Enigma80 wrote: »

Hi all, after a slightly drawn out farce, we just completed our first purchase! :j

I just wondered how many of you change the locks when you move into a new home? I've considered changing the locks but I don't know how pricey it will be considering that the front and rear doors are upvc double glazed with multipoint locks and all that.

Would it be a simple barrel change that can be done by any lock smith or would I need to call out the company who put the doors in?

Thanks

Nas

However expensive a lock change turns out to be, do you think it will be more or less expensive than being burgled by someone who the previous owner gave a key to 6 years ago and forgot about, and then you have trouble getting insurance to pay out for your lost goods and any damage because there's no sign of forced entry?

Only one answer to that and that's your answer right there, basically.