New Home Rekey: Your First-Week Lock Guide

Why a new home rekey matters: who may still have a key?

Think about everyone who got into the house before you. For example:

• The seller and their family. Spare keys go to neighbors, kids, and friends.
• Past tenants. If the home was rented, tenants may have made copies.
• The lockbox. The agent’s lockbox comes off. But the key inside may have been copied before.
• Contractors and cleaners. Painters, inspectors, stagers, and cleaners often get a key or a code.
• Smart-lock apps. The seller may still be an admin in the lock’s app. Old user codes may still work.
• Garage remotes and keypads. Old remotes, car buttons, and keypad codes may still open the garage.
• Hidden spare keys. Look under mats, in fake rocks, above the door frame, and in the meter box.

You can’t know where every old key is. So the simple answer is: make the old keys stop working.

Lock rekey or change locks? Both are honest choices.

Rekey

A rekey changes the inside of the lock so it works with a new key. The lock stays on the door. Old keys stop working. New keys work.

Rekey makes sense when:

• The locks work well and you like how they look
• You want one key for all exterior doors
• You want the lower-cost option

Replace

Replace means a new lock. New lock, new keys.

Replace makes sense when:

• The lock is worn, loose, or hard to turn even after the door is adjusted
• The lock is cheap or damaged
• You want a different style, a smart lock, or a stronger deadbolt
• Parts for that lock are hard to find

My honest view: most new homes only need a rekey. Don’t let anyone sell you new locks you don’t need.

A door sticks or won’t latch? Don’t worry.

Most of the time, it’s the door, not the lock. A few quick things to know:

• A loose hinge screw can make the door drop. Tightening it often helps.
• If the latch misses the hole in the metal plate on the frame, the door just needs a small adjustment.
• Wood doors swell in Atlanta’s humid summer. A door that sticks in July may be fine in January.
• If the deadbolt turns easily with the door open but not with it closed, the door and the lock are not lined up.

Or just call me, and I’ll handle it.

A few things to leave alone

Some jobs can make things worse. Please don’t:

• Drill out a lock that works. A rekey is easier.
• Drill into a smart lock or its keypad.
• Cut the door frame to make a latch fit.
• Spray just any product into the keyhole.

Not sure? Take a photo and send it to me. Or just call me, and I’ll handle it.

What I take care of, so you don’t have to

This is the same work I do on a closing-day rekey for real estate agents. In one appointment, I handle:

• Who still has a key. I rekey or replace the exterior locks so every old key stops working: front, back, side, and the door from the garage into the house.
• One key, if you want it. I can set your exterior doors to work with the same key.
• Deadbolts. I check that each one turns easily with the door closed, and I tell you if one is worn and should be replaced.
• The door from the garage into the house. It should always have a deadbolt. Garages are easy to get into in several ways. Once someone is inside, a doorknob or handle opens with a slight kick or a credit card. Without a deadbolt, it’s like leaving your door open 24/7. I can add that deadbolt and handle all of it.
• Latches and strike plates. I adjust the door and strike so the door closes and locks without a push.
• Smart locks. Some smart locks can’t be reset if the previous owner changed the admin code. I can set up a new smart lock for you, or change it to a regular deadbolt if you’d rather go classic.
• New keys. I test every new key in every lock before I leave.

No old keys? That’s okay. I can rekey your locks without them.

I explain what I did and why, and I tell you the cost before I start. Call for pricing.

If you like to do some of this yourself, that’s fine. You don’t have to.

Your first-week checklist

Short and simple:

• ☐ Ask the seller for all keys, remotes, and codes
• ☐ Make the old keys stop working (rekey or replace the outside locks)
• ☐ Make sure the door from the garage into the house has a deadbolt
• ☐ Check that each door closes and locks without a push

I can do all of this in one visit. Just call me, and I’ll handle it.

“Dalia is the best locksmith I’ve worked with. I’ve used her numerous times to change all the locks on houses, and she is always there, always on time, creative in her approach to problem solving and will stay there until the job is completely done. I highly recommend Dalia and Aegis Locksmith Services.”

— Tim Bailey, Google review, 5 stars

4.9 stars on Google from 52 reviews. Read all 52 reviews on Google