You just moved into a new house or apartment, the last thing you need to worry about is the locks, right? Wrong. Most home builders use construction type locks. These are padlocks that have two combinations. The first combination is used when the house is under construction, keys are given to all subcontractors so that they can enter the house. When closing, someone will insert the user key into the locks. This is supposed to render the first combination useless and make the second combination, your combination, operational.
In a perfect world with perfect locks, this can work. Any lock with more than one combination is, by design, less secure. Therefore, my recommendation is that a professional locksmith change the key of the locks or have them replaced. If you choose to replace them, you can go to a Bog Box store for medium security padlocks or call someone like Locking Systems International for high security padlocks.
Electronic locks have come down in price and have additional features; how to integrate with your home automation system, alarm system or both. Electronic locks have come a long way in the last year. They can communicate via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular. Its best feature is access control. You control who has access to your home. Save check-in and check-out information with date and time, this tells you the exact time your daughter returns from a date.
Make sure all exterior doors, including your garage door, have a deadbolt lock installed. Some builders make this an option, if they can. Once your locks are taken care of, it is time to consider an alarm system. These are available from full-service alarm dealers, department stores, and do-it-yourself alarm companies (found online).
Some new homes have Wi-Fi systems and repeater modules already installed. If so, make sure to protect them with the latest security protocols and don’t forget to change the default password. Use a strong one. While you’re on the topic of Wi-Fi, make sure all your Wi-Fi devices are protected with new passwords. Did you know that refrigerators, washers and dryers, air conditioning units, and baby monitors have Wi-Fi installed? If yours has Wi-Fi and you are not going to use it, it would be advisable to disable it.
As with all security, it is best to be proactive and think about these things before moving in.