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One of the rights of passage when you buy a home, especially your first home, is the handing over of the keys at closing. The question Your Home poses this week is, should your first order of business then be to change the locks on your new house? According to our resident locksmith, the answer is yes.

Security Consultant Nicholas Mangione said, "I would say it's probably one of the first things you should do. You don't who's got keys out there. You don't know if a maid had it. A nanny or babysitter. I always recommend at least the exterior doors first. That way, when I hand you the keys, you know those are the only ones in existence."

And to make that process even easier and more cost effective, Mangione suggests an easy solution. Simply have the existing hardware re-keyed.

Mangione said, "If you look at where the key goes, that's called the cylinder. We take that apart and we'll basically change out all the internal components; the springs, the tumblers and it will effectively lock out any old keys. That's cost effective, you know. A handle set like this you may have to spend two or three hundred dollars to replace. You can spend under thirty dollars to re-key it."

Alright now let's say your parents, your in-laws, a babysitter, the dog walker, somebody that comes to your house frequently. They don't have a key. The last place Mangoine says you should keep it is in the mailbox or under the mat of your front door. Rather, Mangoine suggests a box that slides open with a key code inside that you can hide a key or a couple of keys in here. Much more convenient and safer.

Mangione said, "Never leave it under a mat. Never leave it in a mailbox. They always look there. Master, who's known for their padlocks, makes mountable, small key boxes that you can put next to the door. It has a combination and you can house the key inside that. You give your mother the combination, she gets the key and puts it back. I think that's a better option."

And if you're looking for a little enhanced protection for your home or business, there are always high security locks and keys available. Keys that cannot be duplicated and locks that can't be picked or "bumped."