Moving House

Moving home can be one of the most stressful experiences in life and what you shouldn’t need to worry about is your new home security. Which is why changing your locks when you move to a new home is one of the most important things you can do, however a shocking 74% of homeowners admitted to not changing their locks after their last move! As you don’t know how many people might have a spare key, you could be leaving yourself vulnerable to break-ins, as well as possibly invalidating your home insurance.

We offer a range of moving home services to ensure that your new home is as safe as possible so you can just focus on getting the WIFI set up!

 

 

Lock Changing

We here at Keytek® Locksmiths are industry experts and offer an efficient lock changing service, our fully stocked vans ensure that where possible all your locks are changed within a single visit!

When you move house, if nothing else, we strongly suggest getting your locks changed as soon as you can. You’ll never know what spare keys might be floating around and who might have them, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry and change the locks.

If you are interested in our lock changing services and want to know more about pricing, please visit our Locksmith Pricing Guide.

 

Should I Change My Locks after Moving House?

Yes, you should always change the locks when you move to a new property to ensure it stays safe. You’ll often find yourself giving a spare key to the neighbour, a family member, or your friends so it’s safe to assume that the person who lived in your home before you as done this as well.

 

Top Reasons for Changing the Locks on a New House

• You never know who might have a spare key to your new home
• You don’t know if any keys have previously been lost and who might have them
• The security on your new home might not be the same as your old home.
• You don’t know how old the locks are, if they are working as well as they could be and if they have ever been damaged before.
• Not changing the locks can have an impact on your home insurance policy.

 

How Much Does it Cost to Change the Locks on My New House?

You can expect to pay upwards of £350 to change all of the locks on a property but this will vary significantly depending on how many door and window locks you want changed and what they are replaced with.

For more information on prices, visit our Locksmith Pricing Page.

 

Can I Change the Locks if I’m Renting?

Yes, unless the tenancy agreement states otherwise. Whenever moving to a new property, rented, or owned we would suggest getting the locks changed, but this can be more difficult if you’re renting as your tenancy agreement might state that you are not allowed to or there are very specific guidelines that you must meet, such as minimal security requirements or that your landlord must have a copy. If you are looking to get your locks changed on a rented property, it’s always best to consult your tenancy agreement and your landlord first!

For more security tips for rented properties visit our Ultimate Guide to Rented Home Security.

 

 

Lock Upgrading

When you’re moving to a new house it’s the perfect time to consider upgrading the locks so your new home is as secure as possible! Of course, we strongly suggest at the very least changing your locks like for like but Keytek Locksmiths arrive to site with a wide range of security options that you can choose from to make your new home even more secure!

We here at Keytek® are committed to ensuring that our local Locksmiths are able to provide the best high quality and security products which is why we are able to supply and fit Avocet high security locks and British Standard models, so you can make sure that your home is fitted with only the best locks.

Not only does upgrading your locks mean that your home is better protected but it can also help to ensure that you meet your home insurance policy security requirements and can even lower your policy premium.

 

Check through your Home Insurance Requirements

If the worst were to happen and you needed to make a claim, are you confident that your home security would meet the requirements set by your home insurance? If you are broken into and there are no clear sign of forced entry, and you have not changed the locks, there is a chance your insurance will not pay out.

Insurance policies will usually have a minimum requirement of security needed on the property or when you set up your policy you would have specified what security your locks at the time had. When moving home your locks might now not meet the requirements of your policy or might have changed, so you might need to get them changed anyway and update your insurance provider.

Insurance requirements aside, you could be putting you and your family in danger by not changing the locks. You don’t know who is walking around with your house key or who could let themselves in at any point. For your own peace of mind, you should get your locks changed, that way you know for sure that you are secure.

We have more advice on home insurance requirements on both our British Standard page and Keytek’s Guide to Insurance. 

 

Always Use a Trained Locksmith

Unless you are a trained Locksmith, it’s best to leave the work up to the professionals. Changing your locks DIY can also affect your home insurance, as they might require the work to be carried out by a Locksmith who is accredited by an awarding body. If you do the work yourself, you also run the risk that you might not have completed the work properly and an insecure door that doesn’t lock properly is a would be burglar’s best friend. This is why we recommend you call a credible local Locksmith such as Keytek® Locksmiths.

As part of our unmatched services our Keytek® Locksmiths can provide a free security check whilst on site and give unique and tailored security suggestions to improve the overall security of your new home.

 

 

Locksmiths Insurance

All Keytek® Locksmiths have insurance or as it’s better known as public liability insurance. As industry experts, all our Locksmiths are highly trained and complete their work to the highest standards but if an accident were to occur you can rest assured knowing our Locksmiths have the appropriate insurance to cover any accidental damages.

 

Planning your Locksmith Visit

When you’ve moved into your new home and you’re looking to get a local Locksmith out to get your locks changed, there are a few considerations you should keep in mind.

 

Schedule the Visit in Advance

With all the stress that comes around moving house we suggest arranging your appointment ahead of time to elevate the stress of trying to organise it on the day and you can then rest easy knowing that it’s sorted within plenty of time.

 

Book for the Day After Closing

Of course, getting your locks changed as soon as possible when you move house is always best practise, and whilst we all hope for smooth closings some things can crop up which can drag it out. Therefore, we suggest booking your Locksmith to come out the day after closing so you have time for everything to finalise and don’t have to worry about trying to move around your Locksmith appointment.

 

Have all your Information to Hand

There are a few bits of information that are handy to have to hand when booking in your visit from a Locksmith that will help to ensure your given an accurate quote upon booking in and that it’s a service the Locksmith can do!

 

We suggest knowing:

• How many locks do you need to get replaced?
• The types of window and doors you have, are they uPVC, wooden or aluminium?
• What types of locks do you have?
• What are your insurance policy requirements?

 

If you need help identifying what your locks might be, have a look at the Keytek® Guide to Locks.

 

Moving Home Security Tips

When moving into a new home, your home security may be at the back of your mind as you become inundated with unpacking and exciting home décor thoughts. Home movers and new home owners therefore may become targeted by burglars, especially if the locks have yet to be changed on your doors. As well as changing the locks we have created our Ultimate Guide to Home Security so you make sure your new home is secured!

If you need more advice on moving home, view our Moving Home Checklist.