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Property/DIY

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Did you change the locks when you bought your house?

91 replies

AreWeHavingFunYet · 28/05/2012 14:56

We have just bought a new house.

A few people have suggested to me that we should change the locks as it is impossible to tell who has extra keys that haven't been passed on.

However it is another expense and I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Is it normal to change the locks when you move?

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MrsBucketxx · 29/05/2012 07:53

maybe but what is the likely hood of this happening. most burglarys are opportunistic seeing Xmas presents under the tree to tempt them a window open or ajar, old doors and Windows get targeted too with many theifs picking the same style door over and over again if they can gain entry once and get away with it.

single pane glass panels on doors are a target. i have yet to hear of a break in where they used keys

my home has only ever had me in it as it was brand new at christmas.

PanicMode · 29/05/2012 09:15

Two houses down from us is a new build pair of semis - both sides were burgled about 3 months after the purchasers moved in. Turned out one of the contractors had copied the keys......

We usually have changed the locks but that's because I am a bit paranoid!

Mrskbpw · 29/05/2012 09:20

I read about this when we bought our house (probably on mumsnet!) but I asked my friend, who's an inspector in the police (and married to police officer), and she laughed at the idea and said she'd never done it. So we didn't.

ShatnersBassoon · 29/05/2012 09:26

I said we'd change the ugly doors immediately when we moved in. Here I am a decade later still with the same doors, and the same locks.

My cunning security plan has involved believing that any would-be thief would realise that someone with such hideous doors has very little to spend on anything worth flogging in the pub Grin.

LoveGigi · 29/05/2012 12:25

We just bought, the property had been let out and we didn't know who would have keys. I called up an online lock shop and talked to them about the Chubb style lock I had, it was a Union brand, they sent me the exact same lock so I just unscrewed the brass plate and inserted the new lock. Took me 10 mins tops and cost about £20-25 top. No drilling or locksmith required. All I needed was a screwdriver.

PigletJohn · 29/05/2012 12:26

I love a happy ending Grin

notcitrus · 29/05/2012 12:54

We didn't, as the house had been empty for a few years and no-one had squatted it. Did put a new bolt and lock on the side gate though.

And then there was the day the postman shoved a letter vigorously through the letterbox and the door flew open and he landed on top of me bfing ds...
We got a new lock that afternoon. Postie and I don't mention it.

fluffydressinggown · 29/05/2012 13:18

Yes we did. Well I have to be honest it did not occour to me to do it but DH did!

MrsBucketxx · 29/05/2012 15:37

citrus im sure posties and deliverymen get flashed (accidentally) all the time. i have flashed the ups guy full frontal the once. i went bright red Blush

AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 15:40

MrsBucketxx But what did the UPS man do? Grin

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Emandlu · 29/05/2012 15:46

We always change the locks when we move house. It's one of the things I or Dh do on moving day. It wouldn't occur to me not to.

MrsBucketxx · 29/05/2012 16:00

i had a dressing down on and as the door opened the wind blew it open. he just smiled waited for me to sort myself out then handed me the package and pad thing to sign. whats funnier is later that day i had to sign for a package at work and it was the same ups man. i got flustered again and had to spill the beans at work as it looked like i was up to something .

AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 16:12

Blush at the same UPS man arriving at your work. Grin

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PigletJohn · 29/05/2012 16:13

Last time I moved house, I brought the (rather fancy) lock with me, as I had quite a number of additional keys, and fitted a new one for the buyer.

LifeBeginsShortly · 29/05/2012 16:16

I do.

My old flatmate moved to a new rented flat, got burgled after a week, no forced entry, and insurance wouldn't pay up.

Doesn't cost much just to change barrel of lock on a rim lock.

chocoroo · 29/05/2012 16:19

Someone suggested to us that we simply switch the barrels on the front and back doors. Likely to confuse someone enough to send them packing if they're trying to get in with ill intent.

Obv, only works if both locks are the same type.

PigletJohn · 29/05/2012 16:32

A Yale nightlatch isn't much of a lock, but a replacement cylinder is cheap and easy to fit

if you have a wooden door, a BS mortice deadlock is a lot better.

AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 17:17

Is replacing the cylinder rather than the whole lock what is meant by re-keying?

I would ideally like a lock that I can deadlock when I go out. Are they good or are you better fitting a second lock further down the door?

I never knew there was so much to locks Confused

OP posts:
AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 17:20

Oh just went to your second link PigletJohn

So best not to get a latch lock at all. I suppose it is more difficult to lock yourself out with a deadlock too.

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PigletJohn · 29/05/2012 18:18

It's best to have the deadlock one-third up from the bottom of the door (kick height) and a nightlatch one-third down from the top (shoulder height). That way you have the strength spead, and not concentrated in a single point.

Many homeowners fall into the lazy trap of only ever using the nightlatch, except perhaps when they go on holiday. Unless everyone in your house is immune to that, you need a BS nightlatch; which is of similar size, but much stronger and heavier, and is also more expensive than a useless lower-priced traditional Yale. A nightlatch should be well away from the letterbox and any glass since it can easily be opened otherwise (but BS nightlatches have the facility to deadlock the internal knob, if you remember to use it).

If you ever watch a cop show on the TV and someone forces open a door with his shoulder, it will usually be a traditional yale-type lock that gives way.

Ideally you would have both a BS deadlock and a BS nightlatch. Some locksmiths recommend two deadlocks and a nightlatch; but my opinion is that most homeowners won't bother to lock them all.

If you can only afford one BS lock, have the mortice deadlock. It is cheaper and stronger than the nightlatch. The Union J-2134E was a Which Best Buy.

People with plastic doors will have to use some kind of multi-point locking, usually with a Eurocylinder. They are almost certain not to meet the British Standard, but hey, some people like plastic doors.

Locks with a notched cylinder key (like a Yale or most Eurocylinders) can be attacked in a couple of low-skill ways that 5-lever locks can't, but burglars usually won't bother. It is usually easier to get in through a window or back door, especially if poorly protected or left unlocked.

mrswee · 29/05/2012 19:09

What we did is swap the yale barrel with my mum's yale barrel and swapped keys. They are universal, It's a free way of changing your locks!

We are moving but renting my flat out so I will do the same and againg swap the yale barrels.

AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 19:34

Thanks for the advice PigletJohn

I am going shopping on Thursday so will have a look then. I'm really glad I asked because I had no idea how many possible locks there were.

I know years ago when my sister was burgled she had a cheap yale lock and the police said they probably got in with a credit card or similar.

I have had a look online and the decent quality ones don't look too expensive so I think we'll just get it done properly and then it's done. Much better than regretting not doing it later if someone did get in.

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AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 19:35

mrswee That's a great money saving tip Grin

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ZuzuBailey · 29/05/2012 19:39

Yes. And I changed the toilet seats.

What a good idea mrswee - I would never have thought of doing that.

PigletJohn · 29/05/2012 20:01

an enormous advantage of the mortice deadlock, is that if you lock it when going out, and don't leave a spare key lying around, any intruder who gets in through a window or something, will not be able to carry suitcases full of your possessions out of the front door, he will have to climb out through the window again, making his job more difficult. If the downstairs windows are all locked and keys hidden, he may have to climb out through broken glass, even better.