Buying a home is a major investment in comfort and quality of life, but moving in your furniture and starting a new life isn't the end of your housing concern. Before continuing maintenance, paying down your mortgage, or even remodeling, you need to make sure that your new investment is safe and secure. Here are a few security checkpoints to walk through whether you're still in the buying phase or getting settled after your triumphant move-in date.
Changing Locks Means More Than Hardware Store Trips
The act of changing a lock is simple enough for anyone handy enough to use a screwdriver. If you haven't done it before, here's a basic overview of what happens:
- Go to a hardware store selling doorknobs and locks.
- Purchase a style you like that fits your door type.
- Remove the old doorknobs and locks with a screwdriver.
- Put in the new doorknobs and locks with a screwdriver.
While simple, this may not do a lot for your security. It does cover some vital dangers that are very easy to avoid, because you can't truly know what a different set of homeowners may have planned as far as coming back and trying their old keys. It might not even be the previous homeowners, since any friend or relative or a thief who had a lot of time to plan may still have keys for the old lock.
Still, if you're spending the money to cover those basic security risks, why not cover the other risks? Store-bought locks are still a risk because it's simple for a thief to purchase the same type of lock and practice lockpicking if they don't already have the specific skills. Instead, a custom lock made by a residential locksmith should be on your checklist.
There are a lot of different techniques and modern security features that come from a residential locksmith's skillsets, but the easiest benefit is getting a lock that isn't so common that stores carry them. Thieves will have to work harder to get through the lock, and you can invest in greater lock security.
Protecting Other Entry Points
The door isn't the only entry point. In addition to door locks, a residential locksmith can perform a security walkdown to figure out other common entry points that need additional security. Here are a few basic entry points that many homes will have:
- Windows
- Air conditioning vents
- Attic vents
- Basement access panels
- Storage room walls
Each area may benefit from additional locks to prevent entry. Since some of the features are also available for safety, anything that doesn't need a lock or blocking device can be protected with a home security detection system.
Contact a residential locksmith to get the lock and key part of your home security handled, and ask about other home security features that could help.
