I have just installed some new locks for a couple who recently moved into their new home. When I say recently, I mean six months ago. The couple, both non-smokers, bought the property from a smoker and said it took ages to get rid of the smell, but just recently, when they have come home on add occasions they have smelled cigarettes. Not the old stale lingering smell they worked so hard to eradicate, but the fresh smell of a smoker having been in their home. Smokers reading this might not understand, but non-smokers will. Someone who smokes leaves a definite smell in the air, long after they are gone and it is different to the smell of carpets, or wallpaper that have been subjected to years of a smoking environment.

So knowing we have a fresh smell of tobacco in a non-smokers house can give us four possible options.

1. The smell is coming from outside through vents – highly unlikely as the property is detached with a good amount of all round garden and driveway. Once maybe, but not multiple times.

2. A tobacco smoking ghost – highly unlikely.

3. Someone breaking in – highly unlikely as no signs of damage and most house breakers will take stuff and only go in once.

4. The previous owner gaining entry – unusual but it does happen. Nothing can be proven but you can never be sure a previous owner has given you all the keys.

So the moral of the story is quite simple. When you move house, change the locks. There could be any number of keys out there. Some people have an army of carers (I knew a case of over 30 keys being distributed) and when that person passes, many of the keys do not get returned. Contractors are also very good at losing keys, so if the new property has had work done, there is a chance, some workman is going about his daily business with a key to your door floating around in his van. Would you feel safe knowing someone else has a key to your door? Kids are also great at losing keys, potentially with address information attached. Often, trusted neighbours or nearby relatives hold keys as well and in many instances, these are not returned. The potential for someone else to have a key to your new home is really quite large. Therefore, as a matter of standard home security, get your locks changed at the earliest opportunity.

Just a final note as a reminder, please do not hang your keys anywhere within 2 metres of your doors, and even better, use a small hanging key box rather than a line of hooks. It is amazing how easy it is to hook keys through the letter box, even around corners. I should know – I have hooked keys for owners on many occasions! As an extra precaution, invest in a letter box guard. For more information, please talk to me via any of the means on the contacts page.

Thanks for reading.