Giveaway: Embrace Home Security and A Prettier Entryway with Kwikset

This week, I enthusiastically present you with the opportunity to win a handleset from Kwikset’s newest Austin™ line, a stylish collection that was launched in late summer. (Entry details below.)

In May of 2009, I drove my novice-DIY-self to the hardware store and bought four new sets of deadbolts and doorknobs. It was an investment at the time, an expense which required me to scrape together whatever was left in my savings account after closing on my house, but a small price to pay to know that no one else out there would have a spare key and might challenge entry without invite. Buying short sale and foreclosed homes can be frightening for that reason. As I was told by my lawyer, realtor, and lender, the homeowners and their families aren’t always happy with the circumstances and you need to do what you can to protect yourself in your new home. New knobs and locks did that for me.

Buying the Kwikset handlesets that I did was a simple and unsponsored decision. Products with Kwikset’s SmartKey® Re-key Technology are cited as being easy to install and easy to program, and the main benefit for me was that I could have a single key to operate every exterior door in my home. No more weighted down keychain, no futzing with trying to figure out which key went to which door, just simple and easy mechanics. Because of my years of first-hand experience in my own home, when Kwikset approached me to host a giveaway on their behalf, I accepted happily, and then did a happy cheer around my house thinking that you too would be so excited to have an awesome Kwikset product.

The thing about the Austin handleset that’s up for grabs is that it would work uniquely in both modern homes, and traditional homes. It has a rustic appeal too – just consider it the chameleon of cool handlesets. With two finishes and clean lines, it’s charming and sophisticated. The winner of this product will reap other perks too:

• It includes SmartKey® Re-key Technology, so you can fit the new lock to your existing Kwikset handleset (or buy additional handlesets which correspond to this new design).
• The winner can choose between a single-cylinder and double-cylinder deadbolt (double is when you use the key to lock both from the outside and the inside – check your local codes first).
• The winner can also has a choice between two finishes: Venetian Bronze and Satin Nickel. Both so pretty!
• BumpGuard™ technology provides superior protection against lock bumping.
• The Austin products come with a lifetime warranty.
• Best of all, you will totally be able to install this product yourself with some simple tools.

This time around, I’m offering multiple ways to enter. Enter all three for three chances to win!

• Leave a comment on this post.
• Tweet at us: “Upgrade me, @kwikset and @merrypad! I want one of the new Austin handlesets!”
• Instagram us a picture of your current door handle with the message “Upgrade me, @kwikset and @merrypad! I want an Austin handleset!”

The winner will be selected at random at 11:59 p.m. on Friday 11/2/2012. Exciting Friday night for me.
I was not given product in exchange for doing this survey, although Kwikset did offer to send me one of their interior Abbey bed/bath knobs to help out on my mission to upgrade my house. I happily accepted and can review that product at a later date.