How to Change the Locks After Closing (4 Steps to Secure Your Home)

TL;DR: Change or rekey every exterior lock within 24 hours of closing. You don't know who has keys from the previous owner — contractors, cleaners, neighbors, real estate agents. A locksmith can rekey five locks in under an hour for $150-250, or you can DIY with Kwikset SmartKey cylinders for $20 per lock. Always upgrade to a Grade 1 ANSI deadbolt on the front door.

_Last reviewed: July 2026 · 5 min read_

You've just closed on your house. The keys are in your hand. Before you unpack, before you move furniture, before you even sleep there — change the locks. You have no idea how many copies of that key are floating around. Former owners, their contractors, house cleaners, a neighbor who fed the cat, the listing agent, the inspector. Some of those people meant well. Some you'll never meet. All of them can walk in.

Okoniq Property Hub logs every lock change with photos, receipts, and the date — so you can prove when you secured the property and track warranties on new hardware.

What's the difference between rekeying and replacing the locks?

Rekeying means a locksmith (or you, with the right hardware) changes the internal pins so the old keys stop working. The lock body stays. You get new keys. It's faster and cheaper — a locksmith charges $20-40 per lock to rekey on-site, and can do five exterior doors in 30-45 minutes. Total cost: $100-200 for a typical single-family house.

Replacing the lock means you pull the old deadbolt or knob set and install a new one. You do this when the hardware is worn, rusted, or low-grade. If the previous owner installed a builder-grade knob with no deadbolt, replacement is the right move. A mid-grade Kwikset or Schlage deadbolt costs $25-50 at the hardware store. Installation takes 15 minutes per door if the bore holes match the old hardware.

Most locksmiths will recommend rekeying if the locks are less than 10 years old and still operate smoothly. If the deadbolt is sticky, the finish is peeling, or the strike plate is loose, replace it. Check every exterior door — front, back, garage side door, basement walk-out — on closing day.

If you're replacing multiple locks, buy them keyed alike from the factory. Most brands offer this option online or through a locksmith. You'll carry one key instead of five, and you can track every maintenance task in one place instead of hunting for which key opens which door.

Can I rekey the locks myself or do I need a locksmith?

You can rekey yourself if you buy locks with a user-rekeyable cylinder. Kwikset SmartKey is the most common system — you insert the old key, turn it, insert a pin tool, remove the old key, insert the new key, remove the tool. Done in 60 seconds. The cylinder costs $20-30 at Home Depot or Lowe's and fits any Kwikset deadbolt made after 2006. Schlage SecureKey works the same way but is less common in retail stores.

If your existing locks are not SmartKey-compatible, you have three options: buy new SmartKey cylinders and swap them in, buy complete new locksets keyed alike, or hire a locksmith. A locksmith can rekey any brand — Schlage, Yale, Medeco, Mul-T-Lock — without changing hardware. Mobile locksmiths come to your house; storefront locksmiths require you to remove the cylinders and bring them in.

For a typical three-door house, DIY rekeying with Kwikset SmartKey costs $60-90 in hardware and takes 30 minutes. A locksmith charges $150-250 for the same job but handles everything on-site, including doors you can't easily remove. If you have high-security locks (Medeco, Abloy) or mortise locks in an older home, call a locksmith — those require specialized tools.

Document the date you changed or rekeyed every lock. If a break-in happens and your insurer asks when you secured the property, you'll have the answer. Okoniq lets you log the work with photos and keep the locksmith receipt attached to the property record.

Which locks should I upgrade when I move in?

Upgrade the front door first. If the deadbolt is builder-grade or there's no deadbolt at all, install a Grade 1 ANSI-rated deadbolt with a 1-inch throw and hardened steel bolt. Kwikset 980 and Schlage B60N are both Grade 1 and cost $40-60. They resist kick-ins and lock-bumping better than the $15 contractor-pack deadbolts that come with most new construction.

Check the strike plate on every door. The strike plate is the metal piece screwed into the door frame that the deadbolt slides into. Most builder-installed strike plates use two half-inch screws that barely grip the frame. Replace them with 3-inch screws that reach the wall stud behind the frame. This costs $0.50 per door in hardware and adds 10x the resistance to a kick. If someone tries to force the door, the frame will split before the strike plate pulls loose.

Back doors and garage side doors often have only a keyed knob — no deadbolt. Add a deadbolt above the knob on every exterior door. A knob lock can be pried or bumped open in seconds. A deadbolt with a 1-inch throw and 3-inch strike screws will hold under force. If the door opens outward (common on storm doors and some back entries), install a double-cylinder deadbolt that requires a key on both sides, so an intruder can't reach through a broken window and unlock it from inside. (Code requires an interior quick-release or nearby key in some jurisdictions for fire egress — check your local rules.)

Sliding glass doors need a secondary lock. The factory latch is easy to lift off its track. Install a pin lock or bar lock at the base of the door, or drill a hole through the sliding frame into the fixed frame and drop in a nail or bolt when the door is closed. This prevents lift-and-slide attacks.

When should I upgrade to a smart lock?

Install a smart lock if you rent the property short-term, need to let contractors in when you're away, or want remote access without hiding a key. Smart locks replace the interior deadbolt mechanism with a keypad, fingerprint reader, or app-controlled motor. The exterior key cylinder stays, so you can still use a physical key if the battery dies.

Kwikset Halo, Schlage Encode, Yale Assure Lock, and August Smart Lock are the top-rated models. Prices range from $150 (basic keypad) to $300 (fingerprint + app + Z-Wave hub integration). Battery life is 6-12 months on four AA batteries. Most models send low-battery alerts 30 days before they die, so you're not locked out.

Do not install a smart lock without a backup mechanical key or a second entry point you can access. If the electronics fail or you forget the code, you need a way in. Most smart locks retain the exterior key cylinder for this reason. Some touchscreen-only models (August, Level) use Bluetooth and require your phone nearby — if your phone is inside and you're outside, you're stuck.

Smart locks work best on properties with consistent Wi-Fi. If you're securing a detached garage, a barn, or a vacation cabin with no internet, use a mechanical combination lock (Schlage FE595) or a lockbox with a key inside. Change the combination every time a contractor finishes work or a tenant moves out. Log the new code in your maintenance records so you don't forget it six months later.

Should I change the garage door opener code too?

Yes. The garage door opener remote uses a rolling code or fixed code depending on the model. If the previous owner had three remotes and gave you two, the third one still works. Open the garage door opener motor housing (usually mounted on the ceiling) and press the "Learn" or "Program" button to clear all remotes, then reprogram only the remotes you have. This takes 2 minutes and costs nothing.

Check the keypad outside the garage door. Most keypads have a master code and user codes. Reset the master code by following the manufacturer's instructions — usually printed inside the wall-mounted button panel or in the motor housing. If you can't find the manual, search "[brand] [model number] reprogram keypad" online. Chamberlain, LiftMaster, and Genie are the three biggest brands in the US.

If the garage door has a keyed lock on the outside (manual release), rekey or replace that lock too. Many people forget this one. A thief can unlock the manual release, lift the door by hand, and walk in even if the motor is unplugged. Treat it like any other exterior door — rekey it or swap the cylinder when you move in.

How do I handle locks on sheds, gates, and outbuildings?

Cut off any padlock you didn't install yourself. The previous owner may have left a padlock on the shed, fence gate, or utility box, but you don't know who else has a key. Buy a new padlock with a shrouded shackle (the U-shaped part) to resist bolt cutters. Master Lock and American Lock make hardened-steel padlocks rated for outdoor use. A weather-resistant laminated-steel padlock costs $15-25 and lasts 5-10 years.

For gates that need frequent access, install a combination padlock or a mechanical keypad lock (Lockey, Simplex). You can share the code with family or contractors without copying keys. Change the combination every 6-12 months or whenever someone who knew the code moves out. If you forget the code, most combination locks have a reset procedure involving a tension wrench and the current code or a factory master code printed on the back of the instruction card — don't lose that card.

Outbuildings with deadbolts should be rekeyed or replaced like the house. If the building has windows, add interior slide bolts so an intruder can't reach through broken glass and unlock the door from inside. This is the same principle as double-cylinder deadbolts on the main house — prevent interior access to the lock mechanism.

FAQ

How much does a locksmith charge to rekey locks after closing?

A mobile locksmith typically charges $80-120 service call fee plus $20-40 per lock. Rekeying five exterior doors costs $180-280 total and takes 30-60 minutes. Call the locksmith the morning of closing and schedule them for the afternoon, so you hand over keys once and never worry about it again.

Can I use the same key for all my doors?

Yes. Buy all new locks "keyed alike" from the factory, or have a locksmith rekey every lock to match one key. This costs the same as rekeying to random keys but saves you from carrying five keys on your ring. Most hardware stores can order keyed-alike sets or match new locks to an existing key you bring in.

Do I need to change locks if the seller says they lost all their copies?

Yes. The seller may be honest, but you have no way to verify it. Contractors, cleaners, neighbors, and family members may still have keys. Changing or rekeying locks is cheap insurance — $150-250 to protect a $300,000 asset. Do it within 24 hours of closing and sleep better.

What's a Grade 1 deadbolt and why does it matter?

ANSI (American National Standards Institute) rates deadbolts Grade 1 (strongest), Grade 2 (medium), or Grade 3 (minimum). Grade 1 deadbolts resist 10 strikes at 75 foot-pounds of force and 250,000 lock/unlock cycles. They cost $40-70 and stop most kick-in attempts. Grade 3 deadbolts (the $15 contractor packs) fail after 5 strikes and are not worth installing on any exterior door.

Should I upgrade to a keyless deadbolt or keep a traditional key lock?

Keep a key cylinder even if you install a keypad or smart lock. Batteries die, electronics fail, and you need a backup entry method. Most smart locks include both a keypad and a key cylinder for this reason. If you live alone and never loan out keys, a keyless deadbolt simplifies life — but keep one traditional key lock on a secondary door just in case.

This is educational information, not security or legal advice. Consult a licensed locksmith if you're unsure about lock grades, installation, or local building codes for egress requirements.