One less-fun aspect to owning a home is addressing security concerns. It’s still crucial, however, and while changing locks is common practice when moving into a pre-existing home, it’s not as common when moving into a new-construction home. But should you change your locks if moving into a new-construction home?

Let’s discuss how the construction process impacts this precaution, why there are risks associated with new-construction locks and the benefits of changing your locks.

Understanding the Construction Process

First, it’s important to understand how the typical construction process impacts a home’s security. Building a home involves numerous subcontractors and workers, from framers and electricians to plumbers, painters and more. That’s a lot of people you don’t know. Throughout the construction process, these workers need access to the home and they are usually provided with a master key or a construction key system to do so.

This means multiple contractors access the home. While the main key is secure for the future homeowner, the systems contractors use may pose a security risk if not properly handled. Ideally, once construction is complete, the homeowner’s key will permanently lock out the construction key(s), preventing further access. But the system isn’t foolproof.

It’s always possible that the construction keys might not be fully deactivated, or the locks themselves may not have been properly rekeyed or reset. Additionally, contractors could always make copies of the key that are not accounted for. Considering all of these factors, it’s easy to see why relying solely on original locks might not be the best strategy for securing your new home.

Risks of New-Construction Locks

There are other risks when it comes to new homes and locks beyond the unknown number of people who may have had access to your property. While builders generally have protocols in place to ensure access is limited, there’s no guarantee that every key was returned or every lock was properly managed.

Even with the best intentions, human error can occur. A key could be lost, duplicated or even accidentally left in the hands of someone who no longer needs access. If any of these scenarios play out, it can compromise your home’s security (and the safety of your family) from day one. 

Furthermore, some builders use low-quality locks as a cost-saving measure. These locks, while functional, may not be as durable or protective as you’d like. Upgrading to high-quality locks from the get-go can provide peace of mind that your home is as secure as possible. At the very least, consider consulting with a professional residential locksmith to get the opinion of a third party and whether you need to make any changes.

Benefits of Changing Your Locks

If you do decide to change the locks on your new-construction home, there are several advantages you’ll enjoy that enhance its security level, such as:

• Eliminated uncertainties: When you change your locks, you remove uncertainty about who might have access to your home. You gain confidence that you, and only you (and those you trust) have keys, reducing the risk of unauthorized entry.
• Upgraded security: Basic locks meet minimum standards, but don’t offer advanced security features. Choosing high-security locks with advanced features, however, provides additional protection and convenience.
• Improved access control: Changing locks lets you distribute keys as needed and have more control about who can access your home. This is especially important if you need to let family members, housekeepers or service providers regularly access your home.
• Better peace of mind: At the end of the day, moving into a new home is a significant life event and the last thing you want to worry about is security. By taking this fairly easy and proactive step, you can focus on settling into your new space without concerns about potential security vulnerabilities. 

When to Change Your Locks

The only question is, when do you change locks on a new-construction home? The best time is before you move in, or immediately afterward. This ensures your home is secure from the moment you take possession. If possible, coordinate with a locksmith to have the locks changed on the day you receive keys from the builder. This way, you can be certain no one else has access to your home from the outset. If you want to take it even further, have a locksmith evaluate your property to ensure the quality of other existing or potential security features, like entry doors, deadbolts, smart locks, windows and/or security cameras.

Moving into a new-construction home is an exciting experience. To ensure yours stays that way and you preserve the happy memories associated with it, don’t overlook the security of your new home. Builder locks may seem sufficient, but changing them is a top priority. To get recommendations or browse our lock options, stop by an A-1 Locksmith location today.

Of course, once the purchase is complete, the homeowner may still be left with one question regarding future safety: should I re-key my locks? In fact, a homeowner is never legally obligated to change the locks on his or her house once the home-buying process is finished. Doing so, however, may be one of the simplest actions you can take to protect yourself and your new home.

Why it is Necessary to Re-Key the Locks to Your New Home

Have you recently purchased a new home? If so, it is imperative that you re-key the locks as soon as possible.

Why is it so important that you re-key the locks on your home quickly? Consider, for a moment, who retained the keys to your current home before you took possession. The same structure could have passed through multiple hands over the past years, belonging at one point to individuals of all walks of life. As such, numerous individuals, as well as their trusted friends and family members, likely have had direct access to your new home through the possession of a key to the front door.

If you fail to re-key the locks on the doors, then, you are effectively allowing any number of people to retain access to the inside of your house. Access could be granted to only the last owner, or, in some cases, to a long line of owners beforehand. Either way, though, it puts your safety at risk, as well as the safety of your new home and everything within. It is impossible to know who possesses a key to your home, how many duplicates exist, and whether or not any of these unknown individuals can be trusted to stay away.

The Easiest Way to Protect Yourself

With this information in mind, consider re-keying the locks in your recently-purchased home. And you can do this in one of two ways.

The simplest way of changing the locks is through re-keying. The process of re-keying allows you to keep the same locks but change the pins within; upon completion, the lock will remain intact but will only provide access to those with the new key. This process, as you very well may know, is known as re-keying.

However, if the lock is too worn from years of use, you may need to replace it altogether. Doing so provides you with a new lock and a new set of keys entirely.

Are you unsure of which option is best for your situation? If you need to re-key the locks to your new house, contact the professionals at A-1 Locksmith today. We’ll help you decide on the best course of action and let you settle comfortably and safely into your new home.

If you find yourself facing this question, then, how can you decide whether to re-key or replace your locks? To understand the benefits and drawbacks of both options, read through the following guide, and consider speaking to a professional for help.

Cost Considerations

When facing the choice of either re-keying or replacing the locks in your home or business, one of the most important factors to consider is the cost of the project. And here, in nearly every situation, you will find that it is less expensive, perhaps significant, to choose to re-key. By choosing to re-key, you will only need to make slight modifications to the existing locks on your structure; choosing to replace the locks entirely, however, requires the purchase of new equipment, which can be costly.

Simplicity of Re-Keying

In addition to allowing you to save money, re-keying also happens to be a much simpler process, as well, potentially one that you can facilitate at home with the help of professional instructions. To be sure, an individual in need of re-keying a lock may be able to do this at home; however, when in doubt, it is always a smart choice to contact a professional locksmith in the area who can provide assistance.

Of course, you may also be able to replace your locks yourself, yet doing so requires a significant larger investment of time, and is, again, best left to a professional who can ensure the locks are installed properly.

When is it Necessary to Replace the Locks?

There are, undoubtedly, very clear benefits to re-keying a set of locks over replacing them, including the cost and simplicity of the process. When, then, should an individual consider replacing the locks altogether?

Ultimately, you should opt to replace a set of locks entirely if the lock has sustained damage, has become worn over time, or is not working properly for some other reason. In this case, re-keying the lock may not provide a solution to the problem, and you may instead be required to replace the set.

In turn, this begs an additional question: how can you tell if a faulty lock can be re-keyed, or if it needs to be replaced? To find the answer to this question, you should consult a locksmith at A-1 Locksmith in Dallas. By speaking with a professional locksmith you can find answers to this and any other questions you may have, and pursue the best option for your specific circumstances.