If you are thinking of buying a house, one of the most important factors you need to consider is the security you will get from it. This is particularly so when you are buying an old home. In such cases, it would be wise to get new locks, doors and windows for the home, since the ones that are there might be very old. However, the fact that this process can be a bit expensive depending on the number of locks you want to replace might deter people from doing it. However, as long as you follow a structured way of addressing the issue, you should be able to get the project done with minimal wastage of money. The processes that you need to carry out include:
Assessing the threat levels in the neighborhood
If you are thinking of or have just bought a home in a particular neighborhood, the first step to securing it would be to find out how much threat you will be dealing with. For instance, is it a well-guarded neighborhood? What is the frequency of crime in that particular area? What are the types of crimes that people tend to perpetrate? What weapons are commonly used?
All this information will come in very handy in helping you pick the right safety solutions. For instance, if it turns out that the crimes that are normally perpetrated in that area involve the use of guns and forced entry, it would be wise for you to get high quality locks and doors that will offer resistance to this.
There are several ways of getting this information, including talking to the neighbors and doing online research.
Assessing the quality of the current locks
If you are worried about the cost of replacing the locks, you could avoid replacing all of them altogether by first assessing their quality. This way, you can then identify the locks that are in very bad shape, and then replace them as soon as you can. This is a process that is best carried out by a professional locksmith, since it often needs a lot of experience and a keen eye to do it correctly.
Once they do the assessment, they will furnish you with their findings. This includes reports on which locks are beyond repair and need replacement, which ones can be repaired and which ones are in good condition. This helps you prioritize the process of repair so as to avoid wasting money unnecessarily.
Doing research regarding locks
Suppose it turns out that you will need to replace most of the locks in the house in order to make it secure. Which locks will you go for? What are the qualities you will be looking for in the locks when choosing them? This is a problem that can only be resolved by having enough background information. This can be done by doing some research on current lock design. This gives you an idea of which type to buy, and which manufacturer to buy from. You could also get this information by consulting your locksmith if they are of high quality.
Don’t forget to check the doors
You could spend a lot of money replacing the locks on your doors, but then find that the doors themselves are weak. In such cases, this would be wasted effort, since it would still be possible for intruders to get in the house. After you have bought an old home, always make an effort to have an inspector check each of the doors for any areas of weakness. You can use their report as the basis to replace them if need be. Replacing them prior to changing the locks is most ideal. Placing the locks on low quality doors will only complicate the whole process since you will still need to replace the doors at some point.
Consider using this as a negotiation point
If you are in the process of looking for a home to buy and come across an old one, the fact that it will cost you some money to make it safer could be used as a negotiation point. You could ask the seller to sell the house at a discount that is equivalent to the amount of money it will cost you to replace the doors and locks. This way, you will have reduced the overall cost of making the changes. If you are very good at negotiation, you might even end up getting a discount that will cover the cost of lock replacement and have some change left over.
In summary, security should always be a priority particularly if you are buying an old home. It’s important to keep the above issues in mind when considering this, so that you don’t spend more than you should on lock and door replacement.