Moving Home and Lock Changing

Whether you already own a house or are buying your first property, security is always a high priority. As a homeowner do you know how many different keys you have had cut and handed out to friends, families, and neighbours over the years. Can you account for them all? Probably not. This is the same for most homeowners across the country, which is why when you move into a new home, you need to get the locks changed as you don’t know who might have a key to your new home.

Moving is stressful time for anyone which can mean important jobs like changing the locks can get forgotten about or pushed back. However, getting your locks changed after you move is one of the most important things you can do and as security experts, we can’t stress the importance of this enough.

Why is changing the locks so important?

Alongside the lack of security that can come from having unknown people carrying around keys, not changing the locks on your new home poses a risk of invalidating your home insurance. Unfortunately, a condition of most insurance policies is that you are not covered if there is no forced entry, this means that should someone enter your home with a key or through an open door/window it can invalidate your insurance leaving you unprotected.

Always read your insurance requirements

Before you look at changing the locks, it’s important to check what type of locks are required by your home insurance provider. If you have a lock installed that does not meet the insurance requirements, you may invalidate your insurance. It’s essential that you always read the terms and conditions of your insurance policy to understand what may invalidate it.

For example, for an external wooden door it is a requirement of most insurance policies to have British standard locks installed. For a lock to be classed as ‘British Standard’ they must have gone through some rigorous testing. These tests check for, strength, durability and security. They are then re-tested and re-assessed to ensure the complete reliability of the lock. When it comes to identifying a British Standard lock, you need to look out for the Kitemark. This is used to indicate certification by the British Standard Institution.

Installing high security locks

If you are looking for a high security lock, then you may want to consider an ‘anti-snap lock’. These euro cylinders are for uPVC doors and protect your home from a common method of forced entry, lock snapping. It can take a burglar a matter of seconds, using the right tools, to snap your lock and gain entry into your house. The Anti-Snap locks are designed to ‘snap’ in a certain place when tampered with, meaning that if a burglar does manage to snap your lock, they are still unable to gain entry into your home.

Most Locksmiths will have good knowledge surrounding insurance standards and requirements, but it is always worth consulting your policy prior to a lock change to ensure that requirements are met. Our expert NGCL Locksmiths are able to talk you through high security options and the benefits of these, offering specifically tailored security solutions.

How much does it cost?

The cost of having your locks changed can vary due to several different factors, with the type of lock and the amount of locks that need changing playing an important role in how much it can cost. Usually, Locksmiths will charge by the hour so a factor in the price will be how long it will take a Locksmith to complete the job plus any parts that are required, which themselves hold different price ranges.

The security that a lock holds will also have different price ranges due to the benefits that they hold, for example you can expect to pay more for a British Standard lock than for a generic untested lock. The type of door you have may also affect the price, as a door that needs specialist parts may mean an increase in price. However, a Locksmith should always be clear and upfront about what is required for your door/window and what the pricing may be, although an exact pricing can not be given over the phone, they should be transparent about their pricings from the get-go.

Locksmith Prices 2021

Understanding Lock Prices

Overall, it may take time and cost a bit of money, but you can’t put a price on your family’s security. To gain a better understanding of what you can expect to pay for a lock change, we would always suggest calling a reputable company and asking them to go over the charges with you. An expert Locksmith company should be able to provide you a guide for costings which will then help you better understand the cost.