First of all, congrats on your new home if you are reading this. That is a big step nowadays. There are a few items Id recommend doing to your new home when it comes to safety and security. A couple of simple tips may be the difference between someone looking to break in or not break in. Some of these just add a deterrent while some improve the security of the home.
Rekey The Locks: Rekeying the locks is one of the main things that any realtor should recommend upon handing over your new keys. This just simply removes access of any old keys that could have been copied, lost and found, a sketchy contractor, a key left in a lockbox, etc. The rekeying process mainly just removes the pins within the lock, and installs new pins in accordance with the new key you’d like to use. Most of the time, the locksmith will rekey and provide these new keys. They are generally just a completely random key. At the conclusion of this procedure, any old keys will not operated the locks any more.
Reset Garage Door Opener: This is step often overlooked but a garage remote is just as good a key in a lot of situations. Most openers can be reset fairly easily which erases any current remotes or keypads that were trained to it. At this point, those same remotes and keypad can be programmed back to the opener. This is a good idea because you never know how many remotes are programmed or who has the keypad code to enter. Some locksmiths will charge for this while others will do it as an added bonus for the rekey service.
Window Locks: I can’t say this enough. But as a locksmith, you’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen unlocked windows. This could be partly that windows get rarely opened here in the desert due to the heat, or the lock doesn’t work. No need to give someone an easy way in. Do a walkthrough of the home and check each window for security and operation. If window locks aren’t sufficient, inexpensive window locks can be purchased and generally on the same aisle as the locks.
Gate Locks: Depending on the gate, this can be an easy solution to just a add as simple lock to the man gate, RV gate, etc. With so many pool and ground maintenance services, keeping your gate secure can be challenging. Only reason its brought up on this list as its a deterrent. Most crooks don’t want to jump a fence or don’t have the ability to jump the fence.
Alarm System: A good alarm will surely give you a piece of mind when you have to leave your home. There are quite a few options available. You may even get some in person solicitation for alarm services. How do you choose. The one I like and use in my own home is offered by Simply Safe. The main difference with them as you buy all equipment ahead of time. Its yours upfront. No commitments. Most companies will want you to sign a 2 or 3 year agreement with them. You can install this system yourself and it guides you through the setup. Check them out here: https://simplisafe.com/
Camera System: To compliment the alarm, a good camera system will round out the security measures and give you a look of your overall security no matter where you are. Once again, cameras are more of a deterrent. It won’t stop anyone, but most are aware of them and will move on to the next house without a camera or alarm system if they are looking for a target.
