Just had to change out the lock set on a rental property.  Thought I would post some information for everybody in case you find yourself with an urge to change a lock set in the near future.

Why do people do it?  Well, a couple reasons.  Maybe you have recently purchased the property, like in my case, and you don't want to have any of the previous owners or persons that might have keys be able to gain access to the property.  With a new lock set you are starting over from scratch and you are the only one who has the keys.  Another reason is that you want to change the materials on your own home or style.

Any things to be aware of?  Yes, I have bulleted out the main items to be aware of:

• Door to Door Jam contact.  In the area where the door lock hits across the door frame you will find the striker plate.  This striker plate has a rectangular cut out that allows the door to actually stay shut when closed.  When installing a new lock set you will want to take extra pre-caution and be sure that the new lock set matches up appropriatly with the striker plate. In some cases you will need to adjust the striker plate up or down and also may need to use a small screw driver and remove some of the door framing material (wood) so that the lock fits appropriately.
• Right Tools - make sure you have them. Simple stuff, flashlight, phillips screw driver, hammer, screw driver.
• Costs - locks sets range from high end to affordable.  A typical 2 piece lock set with dead bolt and standard lock will run you around $30.

Good luck on your next install!