Change the locks
One-time · any month works
Why it matters
Every key to your house that existed before closing day is still out there. Sellers hand over the copies they remember; nobody hands over the ones they don't. This isn't about fearing your neighborhood — it's about starting your ownership knowing exactly how many keys exist and whose pockets they're in: yours.
Don't stop at the front door. Clear the keypad code, reset it fresh, and wipe and re-pair the opener remotes (the manual for your opener model shows the erase procedure — it's usually one button held for ten seconds).
What skipping it costs
$0–$5,000
You have no idea how many copies of your key exist — the sellers' dog walker, their contractor, the neighbor who watered the plants, the agent's lockbox era. Most of those people are lovely. The cost of not knowing is everything in your house, and the fix is an hour and a rekey kit.
Two ways to get it done
Do it yourself
You'll need: Phillips screwdriver, Rekey kit matched to your lock brand (~$15–$25) or new deadbolts (~$25–$60 each).
- Count every exterior door — front, back, garage service door, basement walkout. All of them, one keying.
- Rekey (recommended): buy a rekey kit for your lock brand (it's stamped on the cylinder face — Kwikset and Schlage cover most of America). Follow the kit steps; it's 15 minutes a lock after the first one teaches you.
- Some brands make it trivial: Kwikset SmartKey rekeys with just the old key and a tool in about 30 seconds. Check for the small oval slot next to the keyway.
- Replace only where hardware is actually failing — loose handles, sticky latches, rust. Match the backset (2-3/8" or 2-3/4") and you're done with a screwdriver.
- Smart lock? Fine — but treat it honestly: it's a convenience upgrade, not a security one, and it still has a keyway that should be rekeyed like the rest.
- Reset the garage keypad code and erase/re-pair opener remotes per your opener manual.
Hire it out
$100–$250National fair range — local labor moves this number.
A locksmith rekeys a whole house to one key for $100–$250 — often same-day, and they'll smooth out any sticky latches while they're at it. That's the honest price band; the trip fee is usually baked in, so confirm the all-in number on the phone.
Rekeying is the answer unless the hardware itself is failing. A locksmith who spends more time selling you hardware than rekeying your locks is selling, not locksmithing.
Ask the tech
- Can you rekey everything to one key instead of replacing the hardware?
- How many keys come with it, and what's each extra copy?
- While you're here — do any of these latches or strike plates need adjusting?
Red flags you're being upsold
- 'This hardware is all junk, you need new locks throughout' on hardware that works fine. Rekeying reuses your existing locks for a third of the price.
- High-security lock upsells on day one. Standard deadbolts, properly installed, are what actually protects most homes — the door frame fails before the cylinder does.
- A locksmith who quotes one price on the phone and doubles it at the door. Get the total, with trip fee, before they roll.
The call
Do it your first week. Rekey, don't replace — it's cheaper and your hardware is probably fine.