Do you Change The Locks?

walwyn1978

Bonniepurple wrote: »

I didn't see the point in our first house (repossession) as the bank held the only sets. My Mum was worried that the previous owners would turn up, and didn't seem to realise that the point of a repossession is to stop the owners getting in! Our current house I want to get done, but tbh it's been low down on the list of priorities of a broken central heating system, a warped garage door and damp outbuildings. In fairness, there is usually someone around during the day, we have a dog and the neighbours know who we are and who the previous owners are.
Those of you who change locks, do you change all (front, back, side, garage, main garage door, shed) or just the "main" door?

We changed front, back, code for the garage (coded electric door) and put an extra bolt on the shed with a padlock rather than swapping the lock in the door.

BlessedNotStressed

No, I didn't change the locks. One day, a strange man walked into my house......ha ha ha

Mr.Generous

Yes change them. Who else has keys? Are you planning to leave anything of value in the house? All external doors changed, sometimes we can swap a barrel from a house we did a while ago, but one way or another they get changed.

hazyjo

Absolutely advise anyone to, of course.

Shamefully have never done so myself in 7 moves though...

phoebe1989seb

Seven moves here too and never done it either

Current house has four external doors plus a pair of French windows on the ground floor and another external door - to a balcony - on the first floor. These are all at the back of the property. There is also a detached garage some way from the house.

It's a strange set up with an additional external gate/door from the lane at the front which the PO used to leave unlocked - in fact it only had a latch - allowing the postie (for example) to wander in to access the actual main door. Anyone that wasn't familiar with the house would assume that it leads into the building - it doesn't!

As we have dogs, the first thing we did was to have a lock fitted to that gate/door Mail now goes into a post box beside the gate. So I guess we kind of did here, lol!

seashore22

No. Never.

The first I heard of it was on here a few years ago. I've never come across it in all the moves I've done, both moves we've made and when helping others.. If it was such a common thing to do I'm sure I would have heard of it outside of this website.

Fosterdog

I've never changed them but the first place I rented had a problem with the lock on the day I moved in so landlord had the front one changed, back door remained the same. The last place I was in before buying had a new front door fitted just before I moved in so it had a new lock anyway, again back door not changed.

My current house, didn't really see the point in changing as the vendor hasn't lived in the area for a number of years and the only tenant to have lived here between landlord moving out and us buying moved to a different part of the country and had no family ties to the area so will be unlikely to ever come back. The risk seems so slim we just didn't bother. We are thinking of a new front door in the near future so will have new locks then.

moneyistooshorttomention

Bonniepurple wrote: »

Those of you who change locks, do you change all (front, back, side, garage, main garage door, shed) or just the "main" door?

I've always changed locks - back since the first (rented) "grotty bedsit" I lived in in my 20s (40 years ago). No I didnt even think to inform the landlord on either of the two bedsits - I needed security - I just did so.

Last house - two locks and I changed both

Current house - three locks and I changed them all (though one isnt into the house itself).

As a matter of interest - I'm wondering why someone who doesnt change locks holds that position? Could anyone who hasnt changed their locks explain why they havent - as its puzzling me?

It's no big deal. I'm so cackhanded that I basically don't do DIY - so had to pay a locksmith to do so. But it really isnt a big deal:
- google for locksmiths
- even in a small place there will probably be several to choose from
- ring one of them and ask the price over the phone
- arrange for them to come in and do it (even though I'm now in an area where workmen are often unreliable about turning up - the locksmith duly turned up bang on time as arranged).
- within the hour of them arriving = job done
- pay them. My 3 locks cost less than £100 to have them changed for me by a locksmith

It's so little effort and so little money that I am struggling to understand why anyone doesn't do so:huh::huh::huh:

phoebe1989seb

To answer your question, Money

We've never bothered for the following reasons -

First couple of properties purchased we were naive, in our early twenties and no-one - not even my very practical dad - suggested it. It never entered our thoughts that a PO would let themselves back in once the place was ours.

Next house was sold to us by an elderly (in her nineties) lady who had owned it forever and was buying a flat in a different part of town. I guess she was unlikely to return - unless in the case of dementia, but it was a long way from her new home.

The next one I guess we should have as it had been four flats up till the point we purchased. Two of the tenants left under very acrimonious circumstances (bailiffs etc) and one trashed his flat before being evicted. If anyone bore a grudge and was likely to come back to exact vengeance, it was him. Again, despite all of the above and having a young child, we didn't consider changing the locks as necessary We never saw that tenant again, although the other evictee - actually a nice bloke who worked with disadvantaged kids - came by a couple of times to ask if we had any mail for him. The only people that came in uninvited were some women from the council who mistook our house for a nearby childrens' home and came through the open door while our sparky was there!

Next house the vendors were moving overseas.

Next two - including the current one - the vendors had already bought elsewhere and moved out.

So basically, apart from that one property where we probably should have done it, it has never felt necessary.

As a student I did once live - alone - in a basement flat with offices above. I was at my parents' for the weekend and the flat was burgled. The perpetrator gained access through an interconnecting door to the offices above.......which I'd never thought to lock :eek:

Out,_Vile_Jelly

After renting for 12 years, when the LL, half-witted letting agents and their various tradies, and any former tenant could all potentially enter my home , yes changing the lock was almost the first thing I did on buying my own place. Also I bought the house in a probate sale from an elderly lady who had a key safe for various carers. It seemed like the obvious thing to do, genuinely surprised that others don't bother.