Too many homeowners assume that their locks will keep their home secure with little to no attention over the years. Unfortunately, it's all too easy for borrowed keys and former residents to weaken the security of the structure unless you upgrade your locks. Choose professional rekeying from a locksmith instead of trying to swap out all the deadbolts and doorknobs to take advantage of these five benefits.

Keep Older Fixtures

Are you living in an older or historic home that still features the original knobs and deadbolts? Rekeying allows you to keep using those beautiful aged bronze or copper pieces without having to sacrifice the security that only modern locks offer. It may take the locksmith a little work to fit new lock cylinders into older door fixtures, but it's well worth the effort if you want to maintain the look that made you fall in love with the house in the first place.

Disguise the Changes

Sometimes you don't want to make it obvious that you're trying to make your home more secure. If you're afraid that a stalker or abusive former spouse may act out when they notice you making changes to your home, rekeying is the best way to secretly improve your safety. Check the laws in your state regarding lock changing if you're still married to the person who is worrying you.

While most areas allow abuse victims to rekey or change their locks immediately after filing for an order of protection, some require you to go through the process of divorce before trying to keep your partner out of the house. You don't want to end up with the police forcing you to let your stalker or abuser in because you accidentally violated state laws on exclusive occupation and possession of shared property.

Save Money

Trying to ramp up security without spending hundreds of dollars on locks and door knobs alone? Stretch your budget by using rekeying, which costs less than replacement because it usually takes less time and work. Aside from the base fee for visiting your home, a locksmith will likely charge between $5 and $25 to change the tumblers so new keys can be used. Compare that to a minimum of $20 or $30 per changed lock, and that fee only covers swapping similar models. If the locksmith has to change the cut out in the door to install a different model of lock or add a deadbolt, the price will rise significantly.

Improve Home Security

You try to only give your spare keys to friends and family members you can trust, but it's all too easy for the babysitter or housekeeper to lose their key and let it slip into the wrong hands. Even your own key ring can lead to break ins if someone makes a secret copy while you're getting back ups of your home keys. Other security gaps that you can solve with rekeying include

• Worn out lock cylinders with loose tumblers that are easy to jimmy open with a hair pin or piece of wire
• Missing copies of keys you were keeping outside the home in case you locked yourself out
• Old keys kept by previous tenants or homeowners, which also easily fall into the wrong hands when tossed in the trash.

Use A Single Key

Tired of carrying around a key chain weighed down with half a dozen different keys for the various doors on your home? If you've replaced your own locks over the years as they break or jam, you've likely ended up with a whole set of mismatched keys. Getting every lock on your home rekeyed to the same key saves a lot of time when you're trying to get in the door with an armload of groceries. A locksmith can even include your outdoor sheds and other structures in the process.

Click here for info on how long the process might take and how much you should expect to pay for this service.