Change locks

[CountAdhemar]

We'll be completing on a new château for myself, the countess and DD next month.

I hear of lots of people changing the locks when they get a new house. I can see why you would, but what if you cba - is it that big of a risk?

Let me know your thoughts, householders of Mumsnet.

Regards

CA

I didn’t bother. We’ve never had anyone try to get in as far as known. It was a very old door and didn’t want to damage it by forcing out the mortice lock.

I guess risk is low - likelihood of a previous key holder trying to get in must be slim.

But it's not just the seller - you don't know who else has keys. I have keys to various random people on my street and members of my family. We've lent spare keys to visitors who've just forgotten to return them. Changing the locks, at least the cylinder, is very easy and costs less than twenty quid.

We’ve done it, you never know how many people got the key and what can get into their heads.

Most of the time I don't bother. I only did my current house as it was tenanted, though empty for some months before I bought it.

I've always changed the locks.

Gives peace of mind and ensures locks comply with any insurance conditions.

Very much depends on the seller. Someone a bit sketchy, dodgy area or someone who has let the place out, I’d change the locks. Anyone else I wouldn’t bother. Most houses the door can be kicked in or someone can cut a pane of glass out of the window if they really want to break in. If anyone was really worried I’d suggest getting a bolt/ security chain on the inside or an alarm (as that would work as a deterrent against opportunistic theft too).

Thanks for the feedback.

Non-sketchy area, non-sketchy sellers, so I think we will be fine.

However £20 is really not a biggie. As long as the locksmith isn't sketchy!!

I was advised to change the locks when we moved into our new palace.
Not because the previous owner might still have a key, but because the locks were really old & could have been easily broken from the outside for someone gaining access.
To change the locks on a PVC / Composite door is really easy. Look it up on youtube & just do it yourself. The most difficult part is making sure you get the correct size lock.

When I said twenty quid I meant on a DIY basis! Locksmith will charge you considerably more for what is a very easy ten-minute job with a screwdriver and a YouTube video.

Thanks for clarifying.

I’ve moved 6 times and never bothered.

Course I’ve been burgled 6 times a month or so after moving in but 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s a good opportunity to get matching keys for all the locks.

We swapped the back for the front lock to bamboozle them (and save money buying locks).

Nice, very baffling

I'm not sure what your post is contributing here, Twiglets

Sorry about that Count

We moved into a rental house where the previous tenants had been evicted and they continued to use the address to take out credit. They would wait for us to all leave the house and use their own key to get in to our home and pick up their post. I suspected that stuff was being moved around while I was out but wasn't sure....until I came back unexpectedly one morning to find the ex tenant sat on my sofa watching tv with a cup of tea (in my mug!) waiting for the postman to arrive while her kids played with my DC's toys. Locks were changed the same day and we now routinely change the locks of every house we've moved to since but we change them back when we end the tenancy.

We did as the seller was chaotic and we thought he'd kept a key back - must have locked house when he left, hadn't put key through door or given it to estate agent or a neighbour. So where was it?! We didn't trust him not to try and get back in, especially as he'd left half his possessions there!

We seized the opportunity to upgrade the locks so they were much more secure too.

As others have said, you don't know who else has a key.
If your house is burgled and there is no sign of forced entry, it is unlikely that your insurance company will pay out.

I changed the locks on my house because it had been owned by an elderly couple who had needed all sorts of help in the house. They had a key safe outside but I couldn't be sure how many keys they had given to other people over the preceding years.

Some years ago my friend was at home during working hours a few weeks after moving and the former owner let himself in, presumably not expecting her to be around. He quickly made excuses and left - she thinks he was just being nosy but we have changed locks when moving since then.

The CF !!! One of the most Cheeky Fucker posts I've read ! . Please start a new CF Thread with your post . ( Love Cheeky Fucker threads ) 😂

@BurntCoconut
Honestly, she couldn't understand why I was so furious 😆
We then had an ever increasing number of debt collection agents looking for her and her DP but they covered their tracks well and they couldn't be found. us
Then we had a piece of good luck. They didn't update DVLA of their whereabouts and the car tax reminder came to our address. By that point we were opening the debt letters and popping in a note to explain that they had moved on to an unknown address and then would RTS them. DP remembered the car reg number and was sat in the car at our village traffic lights when they drove past him. DP followed them to house only half a mile from us and made a note of the address - he did check the house and car at the address for a week and being satisfied that they were living there we changed the note that we put in the RTS letters. At that point we were getting about 5 debt letters a day so we changed the note to include the new address and after about 10 weeks most of the letters stopped.

We heard later that they did another moonlight flit and moved on yet again and it was a fairly regular thing for them to do once the debt companies caught up with them.
Bizarrely, we now live round the corner from her (at yet another new address) but every time she sees us she looks embarrassed so a CF does sometimes get what they deserve 😂

You can do the lock yourself to be honest without having to get a locksmith.

On the house we’re in now, we didn’t change it straight away but we replaced the door about a year after we moved in. We’re moving again shortly and will be changing the locks - as you say, you don’t know who could have a key.

I’ve changed the locks on all my BTL properties when I brought them (to comply with insurance purposes) and also when I’ve had a rogue tenant..

Peace of mind for the sake of £20 from Screwfix and a YouTube video…… I’d do it…. Even if you ‘trust’ the vendors - you don’t know who else has one!