One of the first things to think about after a burglary is how to make your home secure again. This may involve having your locks rekeyed or changed, depending on how intruders got in to your home in the first place and what they may have picked up in there. What are the options you need to think about?
Have Any Locks Been Damaged?
In the process of breaking into your home, burglars may end up damaging a door lock. If this happens, then you need to have the lock fixed or replaced to restore the door's security as soon as you can. If you can't handle a repair or replacement yourself or prefer the added comfort of having a professional take care of the job, then it's worth calling out an emergency or mobile locksmith to sort the problem out as quickly as possible.
Does the Burglar Have Keys?
If you left a set of keys in your home, then an opportunistic burglar may well pocket them with the idea that they may be useful later. Think about any spare keys you usually keep in your home and check if they are all still there. If any are missing, then you are going to need to change the corresponding locks to prevent the old keys from being used in the future.
Tip: Don't just think about your main entrance door keys here. Think about all the keys you may have had lying around, including car, garage door, window, shed and external gate keys.
If the lock itself wasn't damaged during the break-in, you can get a locksmith to rekey the lock rather than fit a new one. During a rekey, a locksmith changes the workings inside the lock so that the lock only works with a new set of keys that the locksmith gives you once the job is done. Your original keys (and any a burglar may have picked up) won't work on the lock after a rekey.
Was the Lock Itself the Problem?
Some locks are easier for burglars to open than others. For example, intruders can open some basic locks with just a credit card or piece of plastic. If a burglar broke in to your home via a less secure lock, then now is the time to have the lock upgraded. Your locksmith can give you specific advice on choosing a more secure lock for this door and may also have general ideas on how to make your home more burglar proof for the future.
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