New homeowners & rekeying

Just bought a house? The first-week lock checklist

Closing day is a blur of signatures and a ring of keys somebody hands you in a parking lot. Here is the short list we walk new owners through, in the order it actually matters.

By Timmy Creighton, founder and licensed locksmith · Major Key Locksmith · October 2026

1 · Assume every key is still out there

You have no way of knowing how many copies of your new keys exist. The previous owners had a set, and so did their kids, their parents, the cleaner, the dog walker and the contractor who redid the kitchen. During the sale a key sat in a lockbox that every agent showing the house could open. None of that is anyone doing anything wrong. It is simply how a house changes hands.

So the first job is not to count the keys. It is to make every one of them useless.

2 · Rekey every exterior door to one key

Rekeying changes the pins inside the lock so the old keys stop working, and it keeps the hardware you already have. It is the cheapest way to get to a clean slate, and it is usually done in under two hours.

Locksmiths count cylinders, not doors. A front door with a deadbolt and a handleset is two cylinders. Add a back door and the door in from the garage and a typical house has about six. Our mobile service charge is $250, charged once for the visit, and each cylinder with a working key is $55, so a typical three-door house comes to $580. Our new homeowner packages start at $695 all-in and add the keys and an alignment check on every deadbolt.

Everything can be keyed alike at no extra charge, as long as the locks share a keyway. If one lock is a brand that cannot take the same key, it needs a new cylinder or lock, and we tell you that price before we start.

3 · Do not forget the doors that are not doors

• The garage. Remotes left in the old owner’s car still open it. Most openers can erase every paired remote from the learn button on the motor unit; check your opener’s manual, clear them, then re-pair your own. Change the outside keypad code too.
• The door from the garage into the house. It is often the weakest lock on the property and the one nobody thinks about, because it is “inside”. It is not inside if the garage is open.
• The mailbox. If it has a lock, it has keys you have never seen.
• Smart locks and codes. A keypad or app lock left behind still has the old codes and users in it. Reset it or delete every user, then set your own.

4 · Check that the deadbolts actually lock

A deadbolt only works if the bolt goes all the way into the frame. With the door open, throw the bolt and watch it extend fully. Then close the door and do it again. If you have to push, pull or lift the door to get it to turn, the strike is out of line and the bolt is probably not seating. That is a small adjustment now and a forced door later.

5 · Decide on upgrades while someone is already there

The visit is the expensive part of any locksmith job. If you have ever thought about a keypad on the front door, a high-security deadbolt, or a keypad on the garage, the cheapest time to do it is on the same visit as the rekey, because you only pay to get us there once.

What can wait

Interior privacy knobs, closet locks and the shed can all wait. Strangers do not have keys to your bathroom. Start at the perimeter and work in.

Questions people ask

How soon after closing should I rekey?

Before your belongings go in, ideally the day you get the keys. Book it for closing day or the day after so the house is never sitting full of your things with someone else’s keys still working.

Is rekeying as secure as buying new locks?

Against old keys, yes. Once a lock is rekeyed the old key will not turn it. Rekeying does not make a basic lock stronger, though. If a lock is worn, sticking or very low quality, replacing it is the better money.

Can I rekey the locks myself?

Some lock brands let the owner re-learn a lock to a new key using the existing working key, and that does change the key on those locks. It only works on that brand, it needs a working key, and it will not key the house alike across mixed brands.

Do I need to be home while you do it?

Someone needs to let us in and try the new keys before we leave. It does not have to be you, but it does need to be an adult who can say yes on the day.

Keep reading

Any price mentioned here is the one published on our pricing page as of October 2026. The final price is always confirmed with you before any work begins. More answers from the blog →