Door locks for your new South Yorkshire home

Precautions and steps that should be taken when moving house

Well it’s a rum old time at the moment. My thoughts are with all those touched by conflict right now, and whilst all of us have to cope with our own anxieties about the situation, especially regarding further escalation, it’s also true that life goes on. World-changing events may be occurring overseas, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still need to do the washing, get the shopping, and have a moan about our energy bills.

One aspect of life going on as normal that I’ve noticed is many of my customers moving house. The surge in people wanting to move after lockdown hasn’t seemed to slow down, and despite the rise in house prices, many are wanting to move on, whether this be upsizing or downsizing. Given this anecdotal evidence, I thought I’d talk once more about precautions and steps that should be taken when moving house – whether as a renter or an owner-occupier.

Home security must be one of your priorities

Moving house is always listed as one of the most stressful of life’s events, after divorce, death and forgetting to put out the right bin. There are all sorts of tasks to be getting on with, involving solicitors, banks, estate agents, removal companies, utility providers and the like, so although I should feel kind of bad about adding to this, home security must still be one of your priorities, so I make no apologies about giving this reminder.

Building insurance

First up, insurance, and this is a biggie. It can often be forgotten amongst all the other paperwork, but forgetting it could, in the worst-case scenario, cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Get building insurance sorted from the date of exchange, not completion. I’ll say that again – from the date of exchange. If anything happens between exchange and completion, the buyer is responsible. I’m not even focussed on security here, but dealing with the aftermath of fire or water leak or any other disaster will be your responsibility as the buyer. Let’s face it, a house is likely to be the biggest investment anyone makes, so do you really want to take the risk of leaving it uninsured, even if only for a few days?

Buy high security door locks for new home

The other major task is to buy door locks for your new home and get the door locks changed. Yes, it’s a pain, and will cause a bit of additional expense, but you have no way of knowing how many people have copies of the keys to your house. It’s all well and good having the best locks and doors, but if someone else has got a copy of the key and can just walk straight in, it’s all for nothing. Keys are all meant to be handed over on completion but in reality, this is rarely the case – not necessarily deliberately, but keys may have been given to neighbours, friends, perhaps even a cleaner or tradesman, and the previous occupants haven’t managed to get them all back. Most people are honest, but unfortunately you can’t just assume that all those who have a key will fall into this category. Better safe than sorry – get the locks to all exterior doors changed as soon as possible after you move in. Whilst you’re at it, change the code on any burglar alarm that’s installed – this won’t cost you anything and is a precaution well worth taking.

Check the security arrangements of your new property

Right, so insurance is sorted and the locks are going to be changed. Before fully moving in, don’t miss out on a great opportunity to check the security arrangements of your new property. Is there a working burglar alarm or do you need to get one installed? Are the windows secure and fitted with locks? Are the doors strong enough to withstand any break in attempt? Whilst you’re at it, check the smoke alarms and that any carbon monoxide alarms are in working order. Then when you get all your belongings in, you’ll have greater peace of mind on your first night in your new home.

It’s always a good idea to introduce yourself to your neighbours soon after moving in. Social interaction isn’t always easy for some people, but by establishing a sense of community, this will in itself increase security as you can keep an eye on each other’s houses when you’re away, and they’ll know you’re not a burglar yourself, but a new resident.

Don’t just concentrate on the house itself. Make a note on your task list to look around the exterior of the property for any security worries. This is especially relevant after all the recent storms, check for any broken fence panels or gates which may need replacing. Test any security lights that might be installed, and get them replaced or fixed if they aren’t working properly.

I hope these tips will have been useful to someone reading this, especially if you are considering a move of house. All that’s left is to say I hope we all can keep safe in these strange times.