Keeping your home secure depends on your house keys, locks, and alarms, but it also depends on you. Your choices and habits can protect the home or leave it vulnerable to intrusion. Avoid the pitfalls below to improve a home’s safety and protect your belongings.

What Habits Decrease a House’s Security?

1. Keeping the Old Lock

When you move into a new home, you should change all of the locks immediately. The old owners might have given a house key to many different people and not retrieved them before moving. Also, many standard locks that come with a home aren’t as secure, as builders may use cheap varieties to cut costs. Choose a new one with a steel barrel to make it harder to drill, and ask your locksmith to install the strike plate with four-inch screws to make it harder to break free from the frame.

2. Leaving Spare Keys Accessible

Hiding a house key somewhere near your door is common because it provides access if you forget or misplace your primary key. However, intruders know this and can find your key, even if you believe it is well-hidden. If you need to keep one by the door, invest in an electronic lockbox with a combination. This way, you have access during an emergency, and can still protect the home.

3. Giving Away House Keys

Leaving a spare key with a family member or close friend allows them to enter the house during an emergency or let you in. However, don’t hand a key to anyone you don’t trust. If your neighbor or a maintenance company needs access, let them in yourself. This way, you won’t have to worry about them using keys in unintended ways. If you need to give people access, get an electronic lock from a locksmith. This type of lock uses a code instead of a house key, and you can change it whenever necessary.

For help upgrading your home security or replacing house keys, contact Northstar Locksmith. Serving the Anchorage, AK, area, they have over 30 years of experience and are licensed, insured, and bonded. They’re a full-service locksmith, offering installations, lockout service, rekeying, repairs, and safe opening for business owners. They use the latest equipment and industry-leading products and are available in emergencies. Call (907) 279-2154 to schedule a consultation. Visit them online for more information about their services.