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Changing the locks....

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Comments

  • Small_Yeti
    Small_Yeti Posts: 52 Forumite
    Between buying our house and moving in we had to do a fair bit of work (no kitchen/bad electrics and plumbing/boiler was going to kill us etc.) It was a nightmare and the whole process resembled film The Money Pit. For one month we had lovely workmen coming in and out. And the previous owner :eek:. He would arrive in the middle of the night and have a snoop around to see what we had been doing. We discovered it was happening but couldn't prove it. One of the neighbours even saw him in the house moving stuff out late in the day when we completed (at 9am) when we allegedly had all the keys.


    We had already booked the locksmith to change the locks for our last day of workmen, who all cheered when it was done. They had noticed things like the biscuits we had stocked up for them were disappearing overnight, a couple of cups went missing and so did some towels we left so they could wash their hands (when the owner showed us round he had slung a towel over his shoulder after he's washed his hands - I guess he did the same with ours and realised later).



    I have seen him lurking around since so it is very nice to know the locks are safe now!
  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    I don't think anyone has mentioned the insurance implications, should the worst happen. Claims tend to depend on proof of forced entry, as far as I know. Just puttin' that out there.
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    That was my impression too Smodlet - so, even if one hadnt managed to stop them in their tracks, then there would still be upset - but at least there wouldnt be financial loss.
  • Nasqueron
    Nasqueron Posts: 8,797 Forumite
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    Davesnave wrote: »
    Some of us live in places where doors are rarely locked. Sadly, I think that's probably changing.

    There was one house burglary in our village last year; the first for many years, but it was opportunists from outside the area, which meant they were recognised as suspicious by locals. Lurk here, and you'll be noticed and quite probably spoken to. These guys cleared off after only one theft, but it was one too many.

    A good pair of neighbour's eyes + a brain that cares enough is still a useful addition to whatever security devices people have.

    My other half's mum lives in a tiny village (about 200 people) in the middle of Yorkshire where everyone knows each other. She still locks the door when she goes out, it's just common sense because people can still pass through for whatever reason and strangers or not, could still get an opportunist burglar who was out to scout the farms for stuff to pinch
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    edited 13 July 2018 at 2:31PM
    Nasqueron wrote: »
    My other half's mum lives in a tiny village (about 200 people) in the middle of Yorkshire where everyone knows each other. She still locks the door when she goes out, it's just common sense because people can still pass through for whatever reason and strangers or not, could still get an opportunist burglar who was out to scout the farms for stuff to pinch
    That's exactly what my post implied, but the chance of having the house burgled here is still slim; it's much more likely to be an outhouse or barn. We keep chain saws in the house and we lock our doors.

    And despite there being a residential centre for troubled young people here, only one vehicle has gone missing in my time here, but even that was only 'borrowed' to get to Exeter.

    The biggest theft in my time, never solved, was the rustling of 39 sheep in broad daylight, when no one saw anything!
  • scottishblondie
    scottishblondie Posts: 2,485 Forumite
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    There was a thread on here, last year maybe, where a couple came downstairs to find the ex-partner of the woman they had bought the house from. He was still under the impression that he owned the house, and was rather put out that they were there. I would say definitely change the locks!! We will be when we move to our new house.
  • the_quick
    the_quick Posts: 75 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Yes, we did it in first 24h. Prices ranging from low £20 to high £40 - all depends of quality of the lock. I think you can justify that amount of money, to secure you possession , in case someone has a spare old key.
  • StumpyPumpy
    StumpyPumpy Posts: 1,458 Forumite
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    Davesnave wrote: »
    The biggest theft in my time, never solved, was the rustling of 39 sheep in broad daylight, when no one saw anything!
    No one might have seen anything but surely, if they were rustled someone must have heard them.:p

    SP
    Come on people, it's not difficult: lose means to be unable to find, loose means not being fixed in place. So if you have a hole in your pocket you might lose your loose change.
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    edited 13 July 2018 at 6:33PM
    Actually Dave - even in those smaller/more remote areas where "no-one locks their door still" - I spent some time trying to warn a friend that they MUST lock their door or they were asking for trouble.

    Logically too - surely no burglar in their right senses would have tried to get in their downright tatty/one of the cheaper houses there by far type house. I never did manage to persuade them - until the time they came face-to-face with a would-be burglar inside their house....:cool:

    I resisted the temptation to say "Told you so" to them...

    But I'd also spent time trying to persuade them to eat a healthier diet/be more careful with their money/give up smoking/generally take more care of their health. I was wasting my breath on the lot and it's the first time it's struck me - but I guess NOT changing the locks on one's doors is one of the things that also comes with being in "Self Destructive Mode" as I call it.

    Thinking of someone else I know that hasnt had a burglary yet - but is clearly "asking" for it with their lack of security precautions. They are also a self-destructive type of person in a variety of ways.
  • phoebe1989seb
    phoebe1989seb Posts: 4,452 Forumite
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    We've never changed the locks on any of the nine homes we've lived in (one rented, eight owned).

    We have had two burglaries - and one attempted, while we were in the property - over the years. All in city locations. None remotely connected to previous inhabitants. The attempted break in and one of the successful burglaries were in the flat I rented as a student.

    Current (rural) property was purchased as a repossession, but we still didn't bother - our thinking was that the locks had already been changed by the bank in possession and it was unlikely they would return to break in.

    Naive perhaps, but we feel very safe here. Oh, and we have two scary dogs, lol!
    Mortgage-free for fourteen years!

    Over £40,000 mis-sold PPI reclaimed
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