Deciding On A Lock

It's no secret that most burglars will try to break into a property by using the front door. If you have a habit of leaving the front door unlocked, or if your locks are faulty, you'll be making it too easy for burglars to sneak into your property and make away with some of your valuables.

Of course, you don't want that, so having a well-functioning door lock system is an absolute necessity. The following are four surefire signs that you need to call your residential locksmith to replace your locks. 

1. Your Keys Are Lost or Stolen

If you cannot find your keys and are unsure whether they're lost or stolen, it may be time to replace your locks. That's because they may fall into the hands of criminals, who will not hesitate to try to break into your home. 

Also, if you're constantly losing your keys, perhaps it's time to upgrade to smart locks. With smart locks, you can use biometric or numerical codes to open your locks instead of physical keys. Your residential locksmith will remove your current locks and install the modern systems so you don't have to worry about losing your keys.

2. Someone Has Your Spare Key 

Maybe you gave your spare key to your neighbor to watch your house and pets while on vacation. Or perhaps your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend still has the spare key you gave them when you were still together. 

Irrespective of whether they have returned the key or not, it may be advisable to replace the locks. That's because there's no way to tell whether they had already made several copies of the key or not. And you can't just trust an ex to always have your best interests at heart. By replacing your locks, you can be sure that no unwanted persons can get into your home.  

3. You Have Moved into a New Home

Replacing your locks after moving into a new home is a smart move. Even though the previous owner has given you all the keys to the property, you don't know whether there are copies they have forgotten about. 

If the property was on the market, it's likely there was a lockbox with a key inside on the front door. Anyone from contractors to real estate agents may have accessed the key and made copies. Even for newly-constructed properties, there's a chance that one of the plumbers or contractors had a spare key during the construction period. A simple lock replacement by a residential locksmith prevents all potential break-ins. 

4. Your Home Was Recently Broken Into

If you have had a recent break-in, chances are the burglars tampered with your locks. Since most criminals aren't highly skilled in lock picking, they may even have permanently damaged the locks.

But, even if there's no sign of lock damage, maintaining the same locks puts you at risk of repeat burglary as they already know the kind of locks they're dealing with. By hiring a residential locksmith service, you can upgrade to a more secure lock system for heightened protection of your home.