Did you change the locks after you moved home?

Surprisingly many of us fail to change the locks after moving home and are subsequently unaware of the fact we are potentially leaving our new home vulnerable to a break-in by anyone who may have obtained a house key during the previous ownership.

In 2013 we carried out a survey and found that 74% of homeowners in Britain didn’t call a local locksmith to change the locks when they moved into a new property. All participants in the study were asked whether they had changed the locks to their new home within a fortnight of moving in. The study found that people located in the south of the UK were more security conscious than those living in the North and Scotland, 35% of Southerners said they did get their locks changed, compared to just 20% of people located in the North of England and Scotland.

The majority of insurance companies will encourage you to change the locks on your new home as a basic home security measure as many policies will not pay out if an intruder lets themselves in with a key, usually a policy will specify there must be clear signs that a break-in has occurred. Therefore by not getting your locks changed after moving home you could run the risk of invalidating your home insurance policy.

Changing your locks after you have moved house is easy!

Simply call a local locksmith on 0800 035 0451 and pre-book a locksmith to change the locks on your new home.

Three quarters of Britons do not change their locks after moving house

A survey conducted by Keytek™ has revealed that 74% of homeowners do not call a locksmith to change the locks when they move into a new property, potentially leaving them vulnerable to break-ins by someone who obtained a key during the previous ownership.

Participants in the study were asked if they had the locks changed within a fortnight of moving in to their current home. This basic security measure is recommended by leading home insurance providers, as most insurance claims are valid only if there are clear signs of breaking and entering, so the insurer will not pay out if the intruder was able to let themselves in with a key. (source: Churchill - http://www.churchill.com/home-insurance/tips/moving-house.htm).
The number of recorded burglaries has been gradually falling year on year for the last decade (source: ONS - http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-300972), but there are worries that this positive trend can only be sustained if homeowners remain vigilant and don’t take unnecessary risks with their home security. British Crime Survey stats show that people who have been living in their home for less than a year are twice as likely to be burgled as the average (source: The Crime Prevention Website - http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/home-security-assessment/680/moving-home-and-security/).
Regional and Demographic Results

The participants were from right across the UK, with people in the South found to be the most security-conscious. The results showed that 35% of Southerners said they did get their locks changed, compared to just 20% of people in the North and Scotland.

The age group most likely to get their locks changed was those aged between 35-54, while the over 55s were found to be least likely to do so.
For more information please visit www.keytek.co.uk