You have the keys, the boxes are in, and the kettle is on. But you have no idea how many other keys to your front door are still out there. Changing the locks on a new home is one of the cheapest bits of security you can buy, and this guide explains when it matters, what it involves and what to expect to pay around Burnley.
When you complete on a house, you get whatever keys the seller chose to give you. What you do not get is a record of every copy ever cut. Previous owners, their ex partners, cleaners, dog walkers, tradespeople, tenants, letting agents and neighbours who held a spare all may still have a working key. Most of them are perfectly honest, but you have no way of knowing.
This applies just as much to rented flats and ex rental houses in areas like Rosegrove, Padiham and Harle Syke, where a property may have changed hands several times with the same locks throughout. It is also worth remembering that a key found in a drawer or on a hook at a previous address can be traced back if it has an old fob or label on it.
On most homes you do not need to replace whole locks or doors. Modern uPVC and composite doors use a euro cylinder, the barrel you put the key into, which slides out with one screw and takes around 10 to 15 minutes to swap. Wooden doors usually have a mortice deadlock and a nightlatch, both of which are straightforward to replace with matching or better grade units.
Do a quick audit before you call anyone. Count every external door including back doors, side gates with locks, garages, outbuildings and any patio or French doors. Sheds and garages are often forgotten yet frequently hold bikes and tools worth more than what is inside the house. Window locks generally do not need changing unless keys are missing, since window keys are largely standardised.
One useful option is keyed alike cylinders, so a single key opens the front, back and side doors. It costs little extra and saves carrying a bunch of keys.
If you are changing locks anyway, it is the ideal moment to upgrade. A large proportion of uPVC doors in Lancashire still have basic cylinders that can be snapped in under a minute, a method burglars in the North West have used for years. Look for a cylinder marked TS007 3 star, or a 1 star cylinder fitted with 2 star security handles. Both have passed independent snap testing.
For timber doors, insurers typically expect a British Standard BS3621 mortice deadlock. Check your policy wording before choosing, because fitting the wrong grade can cause problems with a claim later. If the previous owner has a very old two lever deadlock, replacing it with a five lever BS3621 unit is a worthwhile step up in security for a modest cost.
Prices depend on the number of doors, the grade of lock you choose and whether the work is done at a normal time or as an emergency call out. As a rough guide, a standard euro cylinder replacement including fitting tends to fall in the region of 60 to 110 pounds per door, and an anti snap 3 star cylinder fitted from around 90 to 150 pounds. A BS3621 mortice deadlock fitted usually sits somewhere between 100 and 180 pounds depending on the door and whether the existing cut out fits.
Doing a whole house of three or four doors in one visit is generally cheaper than doing them one at a time, since you only pay one call out. Be cautious of any quote that sounds unrealistically low, as it often turns into a much bigger bill once the locksmith is at the door. A reputable locksmith should be able to give you a clear price range over the phone once they know what doors you have.
Ideally you change the locks within the first few days of moving in, before you have unpacked valuables. If that is not practical, at least change the main entry door straight away and do the rest when you can. Many people combine this with a general security check: testing that the multipoint mechanism on uPVC doors engages fully, checking window handles lock properly, and confirming any alarm or key safe code has been reset from the previous owner's setting.
If your new home has a key safe outside, change the code immediately or remove it altogether. The same applies to garage door remotes and any smart lock that may still be paired to a previous owner's phone.
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Phone is fastest for an emergency. The form is fine for a quote on lock upgrades, landlord arrangements or non-urgent maintenance.