Changing Locks After Moving
When you move into a new home, you inherit every key copy the previous owners ever made - and no list of who holds them. Changing or rekeying the locks is the one move-in task that resets key control to zero. This guide explains how to decide between rekeying and replacing, which locks people forget, and what a locksmith actually does at the door.
Call Now: (916) 913-5080Who Still Has a Key to Your New Home?
Before closing day, a typical house has passed keys to relatives, neighbors, cleaners, pet sitters, and contractors. During the sale itself, a lockbox on the door may have given agents and inspectors access for weeks. Nobody is required to hand those copies back.
That is why the locks belong at the top of the move-in list, ideally handled the day you take possession and before valuables arrive. The goal is simple: make every old key stop working and know exactly how many working keys exist from day one.
Rekey or Replace? How to Decide
Most residential door locks are pin tumbler locks. Inside the cylinder, spring-loaded pin stacks must line up at the shear line before the plug can turn. Rekeying means a locksmith removes the plug and swaps the bottom pins for a new set matched to a fresh key. Old keys no longer lift the pins to the shear line, so they stop working instantly.
Rekeying is the usual choice when the hardware itself is in good shape. Replacement makes more sense when:
- Locks are worn, sticking, or corroded
- You want a stronger deadbolt or a keypad or smart lock upgrade
- Exterior doors carry mismatched brands and keyways that cannot share one key
When the brands and keyways match, ask about keying the locks alike so a single new key opens every exterior door.
The Locks People Forget After Moving
The front door usually gets attention. These often do not:
- Side and back doors - every keyed exterior door needs the same rekey or replacement, or the weakest one becomes the way in.
- Garage doors - erase the opener's remote memory and set a new wireless keypad code, since old remotes may still be sitting in someone's glovebox.
- Smart locks and keypads - delete every stored user code, factory reset the lock, and pair it to your own app account.
- Sliding patio doors - the factory latch is often weak; an auxiliary foot bolt or loop lock adds real resistance.
- Interior keyed doors - garage-entry and basement doors often share the house key and get skipped.
What a Locksmith Does at the Door
A locksmith starts by checking each door: cylinder condition, whether the deadbolt throws a full one-inch bolt into the frame, and whether the strike plate is anchored with long screws that reach the wall framing rather than short screws in the trim. Residential deadbolts also carry ANSI/BHMA grades - Grade 1 is the strongest, Grade 3 the most basic - which helps you compare replacement hardware honestly. Hardware and labor vary with lock type, brand, and how many doors are involved, so an accurate plan starts with a conversation. Call (916) 913-5080, describe the locks on your new place, and confirm whether the service can help before any technician is scheduled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is rekeying as secure as replacing the locks after I move in?
For key control, yes. A rekeyed pin tumbler cylinder with fresh pins resists picking and old keys exactly as well as the same lock did when new - security comes from the hardware grade, not the pinning. Rekeying kills every old key immediately. What rekeying cannot do is upgrade a weak lock: if the existing deadbolt is a worn or low-grade unit, replacement with a higher ANSI grade is what actually raises security.
The previous owner left a smart lock. Can I just keep using it?
Only after a full reset. Delete every stored user code, factory reset the lock, and pair it to your own app account - many Wi-Fi and Bluetooth models stay linked to the previous owner's account until the lock is reset or they release it. Swap in fresh batteries while you are at it. If the lock has a backup keyway, have that cylinder rekeyed too; the metal key override is a pin tumbler lock like any other.
Can I have my mailbox lock changed after moving?
It depends on who owns the box. A private mailbox mounted on your house or at your curb is your property, and the small cam lock inside it can be swapped for a new one with new keys. Freestanding cluster mailboxes that serve a whole street are usually owned by the Postal Service, and lock changes for individual compartments go through your local post office rather than a private locksmith.
Call (916) 913-5080 about changing locks after moving.