Closing day is the easy part. The part most new homeowners skip is the one that actually matters for your safety: you have no idea how many keys to your new front door are floating around out there.
The previous owner has a set. So does whoever watered their plants when they traveled. So might a old roommate, a contractor who never returned a spare, or a real estate agent who held onto a lockbox key. None of that is anyone’s fault — it’s just how keys work. The fix isn’t complicated.
Rekey, don’t necessarily replace
People often assume they need brand-new locks after buying a house. Most of the time you don’t. Rekeying means a licensed locksmith opens the existing lock cylinder and resets the internal pins so your old keys (and every copy anyone else has) stop working, while a fresh set of keys is cut for you. The hardware on your door stays exactly the same — only what opens it changes. It’s faster and less expensive than swapping out the locks entirely, and it works on deadbolts, knob locks, and most lever locks.
Full replacement makes more sense when the existing hardware is old, damaged, doesn’t match your other doors, or you’re upgrading to a smart lock or a higher security cylinder. A tech can tell you which situation you’re in during the same visit.
What to have rekeyed, not just the front door
- Front and back entry doors
- Side/garage entry doors
- Any exterior storage, shed, or gate locks that came with the property
- Mailbox lock, if it uses a physical key
- Garage keypad or remote codes — not a locksmith job, but reset these yourself the same week
When to do it
Ideally before you move furniture in, or within the first few days at the latest. There’s no real downside to doing it same-day at closing — the house is empty, there’s nothing to work around, and you’re not living with an unknown number of keys out there for even one extra night.
What it actually costs
Rekeying is priced per lock, and most South Florida homes have somewhere between two and five exterior locks to cover. Combining every door into one visit is almost always cheaper than calling for each one separately. Current rekeying pricing is on our pricing page — no guessing required before we show up.
One thing worth checking before you call anyone
Ask whether the technician coming to your door is actually employed by the company you called, licensed, and insured — not a subcontractor dispatched through a call center in another state. It’s your new front door; it’s worth a 30-second question.
Family owned, based in South Florida, licensed and insured technicians only. If you just bought a place and want it handled before move-in day, call us at (954) 406-8266 or see what rekeying runs before you decide.