Old homes with all their antique charms are all the rage now. Moving into an older home doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the level of your home security.

Sometimes old is good. But when it comes to locks and the security of your home, this might not be the case. Over the years, it's become popular for young couples and families to move into older neighborhoods in order to have access to downtown areas. It’s the new pedestrian lifestyle people seek as neighborhoods change. So moving into an older home in an upscale neighborhood has become the norm.

Moving Into an Older Home?

The trend of mixing the old and new also means that many of the older homes you walk into these days have a mixture of antiques, along with computers, big-screen TVs and modern sound systems. Moving into an older home often means you will end up needing to update your home's security. Here are some security steps to take when moving into a refurbished home or a home you’ve chosen as a fixer-upper:

• Check all of the exterior doors to make sure the locks are updated and work properly. Different locks may have been installed over the years, so make sure one key works with all of the locks.
• Check windows to see if they have at least some simple lock system.
• Take a look at the old garage or shed out back, for their security, too. Sometimes a simple padlock isn’t enough to secure things like bicycles, golf clubs, a lawnmower, etc.
• Assess the value of your belongings, and secure your home accordingly.

A Perfect Fit for the Antique Look

When you’re making the security assessment, the main thing to consider is the security of your exterior doors - front door, back door and patio door. These doors should ideally be fitted with a dead-bolt lock along with a door-knob lock. If you want the locks that you’re installing to fit in with the character of your home, and not look out of place, rather than the normal separately mounted locks you see on most doors, you can choose from a number of modern lock sets that have a more traditional look. These locks are not difficult to locate when you know where to look. They vary in price and come with some of the highest security ratings on the market.

Wondering what type of lock to get for your home? As long as the lock you are choosing is durable and has a good rating by The American National Standards Institute, you’re in good shape. A very popular choice in home locks for older homes are handle sets for your front door which can offer an antique look while still providing your home with top-of-the-line security. A handle set incorporates both the dead-bolt and latch into a single mechanism. This combination lock set allows you to open both types of locks in one simple motion. When considering locks for interior doors, many old homes have traditional mortise locks that open with a skeleton key. If you want to keep that look, there are plenty of new versions available on the market to meet your needs. Moving into an older home or refurbishing one can be a massive undertaking. Letting a professional local locksmith help you with the security end of things can help ease the stress.