Have you recently moved into a new home? If so, one of the first things you should do is change the locks on your new home’s doors.

Surprisingly, many new, Australian homeowners don’t bother to change the locks on their new properties. Since you can’t possibly know everything about a house’s history, keeping the same locks could be a big mistake.If you have just purchased a new home, you should consider changing its locks for the following reasons.

1. Your Home May Have Had Multiple Owners

Homeowners in Australia own their homes for around 10.5 years before selling them. As a result, your home may have had more than one previous owner. If the previous homeowners have not changed the locks in all that time, potentially, someone else could have at least one key or set of keys to your home.

And more importantly, you have no way of knowing what occurred in the house before you purchased it. For instance, did a disgruntled ex keep a key to the house so that they could come back later? To be safe, you would be wise to change the locks on your doors.

2. Anybody Could Have a Set of Keys

You can ensure that the previous owners hand overall original keys upon the sale of the home. But what if someone has already copied those keys? You would have no way of finding out no matter how much of a detective you are.

Maintenance people, carers and dog walkers who have worked for the previous owners may also still be carrying keys. Unless you change your home’s locks then, you face the risk of somebody entering your home when you are not there or when you are sleeping.

3. Your Home May Have Been Targeted Previously

If your home was previously targeted by burglars, those burglars may one day come back to attempt another burglary. This means that they will likely know the layout of your home and may already have a favourite entrance into your home, such as through your front door.

From 2016 to 2017 just 44% of homeowners whose home was the target of an attempted break-in by burglars reported the incident to the police. As a result, burglars could have been targeting your home for years, but you might never realize it – until they come back with the spare key!

4. You Might not Qualify for Insurance

Whatever home insurance package you decide to opt for, you need to make sure that you will qualify should anything happen to your home, such as an attempted break-in.

If the home you just bought only has a single-cylinder deadbolt, you’ll need to upgrade the lock. If you don’t change your locks and something happens to your home in the future, you might be in for a nasty shock.

A Locksmith Can Also Re-key Your Locks

If you are short on time or cash, an alternative option to replacing your locks would be to re-key your locks. This measure would still prevent anyone with a copy of your key from using it to gain access to your home and can be a much more affordable option.

Are you thinking of changing the locks on your new property? Look for an experienced and inexpensive locksmith, such as Adelaide Home Security Locksmiths, to ensure that your new home is safe and sound.