Do you change the door locks ?

toyboy3 - 2021-01-30 13:45:00

I never have.

cinderellagowns - 2021-01-30 13:48:00

If only one set of keys come with it, I'd consider it.

smallwoods - 2021-01-30 13:49:00

smallwoods wrote:

If only one set of keys come with it, I'd consider it.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to get some more keys cut....?

sparkychap - 2021-01-30 13:59:00

i would (and have done so).

simple problem is its easy for previous owners/tenants or anyone who has a copy of the keys to gain entry. especially so if the person sold at a loss or due to marriage split up etc.
i have heard of cases where someone went back and trashed the house.

the cost is stuff all. easy enough to do, just need the right replacement locks. if its an odd ball or expensive lock then a locksmith to repin the locks.

tweake - 2021-01-30 14:08:00

I was half awake at 2am one night and I heard a car slow down and turn around outside. In my CCTV camera I could see it parked on no-stopping lines outside a house along the road. I photographed it, then a couple of guys came racing out of the house carrying a computer and other stuff and drove off.
It turns out that they used to rent that house, and they still had a key and had gone into a bedroom where people were asleep and had stolen a laptop. The occupants had woken up and were on the phone to the cops when I knocked on their door and asked them if they had been robbed!
My description and photo of the car enabled Matrix to catch them (I don't know how Matrix could hear what I was saying to the cops.)

So, change the locks. If you are a cheapskate like me, just swap some tumblers around in the locks and file the keys a bit. I have lots of spare tumblers.

trade4us2 - 2021-01-30 14:41:00

Depends. If it was previously a rental, then yes. If I am, say, the second owner occupier, then no.

thumbs647 - 2021-01-30 17:28:00

sparkychap wrote:

Wouldn't-
it be cheaper to get some more keys cut....?

It would be, but were have all the other keys gone?

smallwoods - 2021-01-30 17:43:00

we did..you never know who has copies of the key... if it has been a rental how many previous tenants has it had before you took possesion

cathi - 2021-01-30 17:48:00

smallwoods wrote:

It would be, but were have all the other keys gone?

Who knows, but when you get three sets back, where's the fourth?

sparkychap - 2021-01-30 18:13:00

No.
New people went to Hamilton and never changed their mail address either. I gave up sending their mail back and dumped it after 4 years of it.

lythande1 - 2021-01-30 18:20:00

Yup always do after renting a place the neighbors had keys and were using my place and stuff when I went to work. I thought i was going mad.

aoc1 - 2021-01-30 18:33:00

Yep, it's relatively cheap & really you have no idea who else has any keys to it.

I have found this out several times. Even if you don't think that others have keys, it's ' peace of mind's that others haven't.

marte - 2021-01-30 19:47:00

absolutely

fromnature - 2021-01-30 21:18:00

sparkychap wrote:

Who knows, but when you get three sets back, where's the fourth?

Not to much of a worry if a 3 bedroom house!

smallwoods - 2021-01-30 22:32:00

Yes.
Had a keypad installed in one property which was really good, the next one it wouldn’t have worked on the joinery so we had the locks changed and master keyed.
In the olden days we never bothered but it was different back then, we never locked our doors ...

lovelurking - 2021-01-30 22:39:00

smallwoods wrote:

Not to much of a worry if a 3 bedroom house!

but it only has two doors. ????

sparkychap - 2021-01-30 22:43:00

Tell the agent changing the locks would make a lovely gift!

superdave0_13 - 2021-01-31 08:01:00

sparkychap wrote:

but it only has two doors. ????

We just bought a 2 bedroom with 3 doors?

smallwoods - 2021-01-31 10:10:00

If it’s been a rental.
Do it .
If something happens you’re insurance company might say no.

rodeorunch - 2021-01-31 11:14:00

smallwoods wrote:

We just bought a 2 bedroom with 3 doors?

You don't seem sure. Do you need someone to help you count them?

sparkychap - 2021-01-31 12:17:00

One big black dog. With sharp teeth.
Don't need no keys.

pcle - 2021-02-01 10:20:00

You actually don't need to buy new locks. Take the barrel out and a locksmith can change the keying and supply new keys

omamari - 2021-02-01 10:50:00

omamari wrote:

You actually don't need to buy new locks. Take the barrel out and a locksmith can change the keying and supply new keys

Cheaper and practical option but would replace to get good quality deadbolt locks.

amasser - 2021-02-01 11:00:00

Always.

masturbidder - 2021-02-01 13:06:00

amasser wrote:

Cheaper and practical option but would replace to get good quality deadbolt locks.

Deadbolts are only as good as a pane of glass, although may need a mate to pass the TV out rather than give it the bounce test

toyboy3 - 2021-02-02 17:36:00

toyboy3 wrote:

Deadbolts are only as good as a pane of glass, although may need a mate to pass the TV out rather than give it the bounce test

My dad told me when I was little that locks only keep honest people out.
He was right but nowadays insurance companies require the owner take all reasonable measures to secure their property.

lovelurking - 2021-02-02 17:55:00

Id swap them out for key pads, theyre so much easier to use and cheaper than you would think.

articferrit - 2021-02-02 20:03:00

articferrit wrote:

Id swap them out for key pads, theyre so much easier to use and cheaper than you would think.

i suggest watching utube video's of people picking different locks.
some of the fancy key pad locks are very very easy to open.

tweake - 2021-02-02 20:19:00

100% yes, due to not knowing who still has keys. As a security thing as stated above some of the key pads have been shown to be very easy to open. End of the day if someone is going to break in keypad or lock won't stop them.

I would go lock over keypad any day and so would husband who is a builder

llessur.46 - 2021-02-03 06:57:00

llessur.46 wrote:

100% yes, due to not knowing who still has keys. As a security thing as stated above some of the key pads have been shown to be very easy to open. End of the day if someone is going to break in keypad or lock won't stop them.

I would go lock over keypad any day and so would husband who is a builder

Our builder friend has just moved into his new home which has a very sophisticated keypad system. It’s amazing and even lets them know when the sliding doors going on to the balconies are opened.
I’d have them if I was doing a new build, I’d also install a security camera system.

lovelurking - 2021-02-03 10:01:00

lovelurking wrote:

Our builder friend has just moved into his new home which has a very sophisticated keypad system. It’s amazing and even lets them know when the sliding doors going on to the balconies are opened.
I’d have them if I was doing a new build, I’d also install a security camera system.

My sister has done a new build also and has what sounds like the same thing installed.It looks very impressive and functions amazingly. I was talking more about just a basic key pad one

llessur.46 - 2021-02-03 12:15:00

We don't change locks normally, but with our current house we found the old owner had given everybody sets of keys.

Was quite funny with the real estate agent handing over a bunch of keys, then the old owners brother and sister both turned up seperately to have a nosey and drop off keys. Then two of the neighbours came over to hand back there keys.

Was a mess of different keys so was a good investment to get a locksmith out who changed all the locks so that one key opened the front door, side entrance and backdoor. Got one set of keys cut and we knew who had them.

I should also make a recommendation for a product I also installed recently; a 'Ring' doorbell on our front door after original 1970s doorbell died. Loving the Ring, as it was only about $150, easy to install, but works nicely as we can see couriers and others coming and going and pick up people ringing the doorbell even when away on holiday. Crystal clear even at night

gblack - 2021-02-06 08:17:00

gblack wrote:

I should also make a recommendation for a product I also installed recently; a 'Ring' doorbell on our front door after original 1970s doorbell died. Loving the Ring, as it was only about $150, easy to install, but works nicely as we can see couriers and others coming and going and pick up people ringing the doorbell even when away on holiday. Crystal clear even at night

Maybe...

https://nordvpn.com/blog/ring-doorbell-hack/

tony9 - 2021-02-28 16:00:00

We changes the locks in out first home. One year later we found a spear key in the garden so happy that we got it done.

krystu - 2021-02-28 16:46:00

tony9 wrote:

Maybe...

https://nordvpn.com/blog/ring-doorbell-hack/

I wouldn't touch these or any of the other cheap smart doorbells on the market.

Invest a bit more and opt for local/non-cloud based CCTV.

sooperdoopa - 2021-02-28 23:09:00

When we bought a house recently, we had to call the locksmith because some of the doors were difficult to lock or unlock. It was a new house.

committed - 2021-03-01 06:55:00

pcle wrote:

One big black dog. With sharp teeth.
Don't need no keys.

best option

kittylittle - 2021-03-02 20:13:00

pcle wrote:

One big black dog. With sharp teeth.
Don't need no keys.

Dogs love steak

catwoman1974 - 2021-03-08 00:29:00