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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What to do

16 replies

Mufasa1118 · 22/01/2022 10:46

I've just bought and moved into my first house in Ireland. The previous owner had moved to Wales.

On the day I moved in, a woman came up to me on the Street and said that she was the previous owners cousin. She said that she had a key to my house and that she would drop the key down to me later in the week. I think she was taking care of the house.

She walked off, and the moving van people distracted me, before I could find out where she lived.

The estate agent came round to my house later that day, and I asked him to get the key off her, but he said he didn't know who she was.

It's been a week and a half, and she still hasn't brought the key to me. I feel like I can't relax, or go out, in case I miss her coming. I also feel like I can't relax when I go out, knowing someone else has a key to my house.

I've texted the estate agent today saying can he please call the owner and tell him to tell his cousin to bring the key around. He hasn't replied yet.

I feel like I can't relax till I get the key. Has this happened to anyone else? What did you do?

OP posts:
DiddyHeck · 22/01/2022 10:48

I did what I assume most people do anyway when they buy a house, and that's change the locks. You have no idea how many people have spare keys.

NuffSaidSam · 22/01/2022 10:49

Change the locks?

This must be the case in almost every house sale surely! People give put spare keys 🤷‍♀️

BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 22/01/2022 10:50

Just change the lock barrel. We did this when we moved into a new build because we didn't know which construction workers had keys.

JessieOh · 22/01/2022 10:50

Change the locks. Quick simple solution. Depending on the type of lock you have you might be able to do it yourself.
Regardless of the cousin in your situation, I've always changed the locks when I buy a new house, because you never know who has a key.

ProudThrilledHappy · 22/01/2022 10:51

Change the locks anyway!

Mufasa1118 · 22/01/2022 10:52

It just annoyed me that she came up to me on the street and said "I have a key I'll drop it down to you".

Why tell me that at all, if she wasn't going to! I've been sitting in waiting for her all week. She made the moving in process stressful for me.

Yes if she doesn't appear, I'll have to change the locks. I wonder how much that costs.

OP posts:
Georgeskitchen · 22/01/2022 10:53

Yes definitely change the locks. The previous owner should have called any spares In before they moved and handed them to the estate agent

MsAgnesDiPesto · 22/01/2022 10:53

Yes, always change locks as soon as you move in, for this very reason. It’s standard practice now.

An elderly lady lived here before us, and various neighbours helped out different ways. We had six spare keys retuned to us I’ve the course of three months after we moved in! But we’d changed the locks on the first day, so it wa s ever a concern.

NuffSaidSam · 22/01/2022 10:53

@Mufasa1118

It just annoyed me that she came up to me on the street and said "I have a key I'll drop it down to you".

Why tell me that at all, if she wasn't going to! I've been sitting in waiting for her all week. She made the moving in process stressful for me.

Yes if she doesn't appear, I'll have to change the locks. I wonder how much that costs.

Maybe she forgot? Maybe she realised she lost the key? Maybe she has covid and is isolating?

You should change the locks anyway so don't worry about her and her key specifically.

Mufasa1118 · 22/01/2022 10:57

Thanks for the advice! How much did it cost you guys to change the locks?

OP posts:
Hankunamatata · 22/01/2022 10:58

We often just changed the barrel of the lock on upvc doors ourselves.

Chely · 22/01/2022 11:25

Always change the locks on a new house.

Mufasa1118 · 22/01/2022 11:33

Thanks! It's my first ever house, so I'm learning!

OP posts:
TheAverageUser · 22/01/2022 11:37

I moved from UK large town to rural Ireland and the estate agent had a key, the farmer next to us and some lady in town who used to clean for him. If you're rural it's just the way it can be.

Saying that just change the locks if it's freaking you out. Used to worry me that somehow everyone also knows where you live. You go in a shop you've never gone into and they'll say oh you live at blah blah, that used to be my aunt's house...then 30 minutes of local gossip. Ha it's actually so lovely but takes some getting used to

Floralnomad · 22/01/2022 11:38

Always change the locks , the previous owner may have had carers , cleaners , dog walkers , 10 children or given keys to god knows how many people over the years .

3scape · 22/01/2022 11:49

You only need to go to a DIY shop and change the lock part (if it's Yale) you can probably do it yourself. You tube videos are really helpful for these jobs

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