Your house key represents your ownership of the residential property and also the security of your near and dear ones and your belongings. In our day-to-day lives, we need to share our house key with others, like family members, friends, or service personnel.

When multiple copies of the house key come into the picture, several important life situations necessitate rekeying your home to bolster its security. An extremely safe and inexpensive option, rekeying is simply taking off the old lock from a door followed by replacing the existing pins as well as springs with a newly configured set, and then restoring the lock into the door. 

Here are 7 important reasons to rekey your home:

  • You’ve just bought a house - Whether brand-new or previously owned by others, while buying a house, rekeying it ought to be foremost in your mind. So, make sure to note this task as “critical and urgent” immediately after moving into the property. While your new home is under construction, you’ll most likely have to hand keys to various contractors. In fact, at some point in time, you won’t even know who has your house keys! Similarly, if you’re purchasing an older or previously-owned house, it’s obvious that the previous residents would have several copies of the house key. Even if all the contractors and previous residents are honest folks, there’s every possibility of their losing these keys. Then, what if the wrong people acquire them? Without a doubt, your house would be far from secure!
  • Somebody has not returned your spare key - Don’t you have numerous valuable people coming to and leaving your house? For instance, a neighbor, a friend, a relative, a babysitter. Sometimes, it only makes sense to lend them your spare house key. However, if one of them loses the key, you must consider rekeying your house. Rekeying is also a good idea if you hire a new babysitter or a house-cleaner, and the previous service person has forgotten to return the spare key and relocated to another, far-away place. This also holds good if your acquaintance like a friend or neighbor has moved far away, accidentally taking the spare key along
  • You’ve just had a divorce - A recent change in your relationship status, rather, if you’ve recently divorced, makes rekeying your house absolutely essential. Notwithstanding your feelings for your ex-spouse previously, you must rekey your house for safeguarding your belongings.
How annoying would it be, returning home and finding that it’s not in the same condition as before, because of your ex-spouse? In some cases, divorce turns ugly, so, by inhibiting your ex-spouse’s entry to your residence, you’re sure to feel more confident as you leave for work or stay inside during the night.


Having said that, even if you’ve separated amicably and your ex-spouse has returned the key, you still ought to rekey your house. 
  • You’ve misplaced or lost your keys - If you lose your house key, you’re inviting deep trouble! If the wrong person acquires it, he or she could very likely break through your main entrance. Also, losing your house key and not having a spare key can worsen your problems.Even if somebody ends up returning your key, you’ll have no idea about that person’s intentions. For instance, if somebody having bad intentions returns your key, you’d never know if he or she has already made one or several copies of it, thus severely reducing your home’s security.
  • Somebody has burgled your house - Rekeying your home becomes imperative if you’ve just had a theft there. In such a situation having a DIY rekeying kit helps greatly, as you can instantly replace the pins and springs, resecuring your house in the process. However, if you don’t have a rekeying kit readily available, have a professional locksmith visit your house at the earliest to examine your locks and rekey it appropriately.
Once a burglar or thief invades your home with a duplicate of your house key that you once lost, such a lawbreaker could keep entering the house unless you rekey it. For that matter, even a burglar forcefully entering through your window could obtain your spare key lying somewhere in the house without your knowledge. 

Who on earth would want to experience this trauma again? So, by rekeying your house immediately after it’s broken into, you’ll surely have a good night’s sleep again.
  • You’d prefer standardizing all the locks - Aren’t you tired of having to carry a key ring holding a bunch of keys for opening and closing each of your home’s lock? It’s certainly challenging to remember every lock’s matching key, leave alone the fully packed keyring’s annoying weight! What’s more, at times, you’d even have to search for the right key in darkness, or when you’re in a great hurry to enter or leave your house. Don’t worry, rekeying your house will help to standardize all its locks, whether it's the front or the back door or any other door. This way you can open and close every lock with the same key. Isn’t it a huge relief, locking and unlocking all areas of your house with one and only one, unified key?
  • Your locks have stopped working properly - This is as much a matter of security as a convenience. Old, worn-out locks or just broken ones certainly cause tremendous headaches, making you anxious every time your door is not getting locked securely. Moreover, the longer you’ll use defective locks, the sooner they will degrade to a point that they won’t function at all.
Waste no time, simply proceed to replace the faulty locks. Once again, rekeying comes to your aid. While rekeying your house and removing the malfunctioning locks from the doors, let a contractor examine the locks’ cylinders for wear and tear. This way you’ll be able to open and lock your house easily, feeling confident about its security as well as integrity.


Conclusion

So, now you know when it’s absolutely essential to rekey your home. With such an effective and inexpensive way to boost your home’s security, be sure to have tons of peace in your daily life!

Emma is a passionate writer & guest blogger. Writing helps her to improve her knowledge, skills & understanding about the specific industry. She loves writing & sharing her knowledge mostly in the home & lifestyle vertical. She is passionate about spreading her knowledge & tips across the world. Currently, she is working with Elite Locksmith who is known for providing the best Locksmiths.