Change Locks After Buying a House: What to Do First
Locksmith Milwaukee Now rekeys and changes locks for new homeowners in Milwaukee and about 30 miles around it. Rekeying starts at $59 for the first lock and $20 for each additional lock, and a smart lock installation starts at $99. We work 24/7, every day of the year. Call or text us.
Why new owners change the locks
Change locks after buying a house, ideally before the first night you sleep there. At closing you get a handful of keys, but nobody gives you a list of the copies. The sellers may have handed keys to family, a neighbor, a dog walker, a cleaner, or a contractor years ago, and the listing agent's lockbox held one for weeks. In Milwaukee a rekey starts at $59 for the first lock and $20 for each additional lock on the same visit, so a whole house is usually a short job with one bill.
For most houses, rekeying is enough. The locks stay on the doors, new pins go into each cylinder, and every old key stops working at once. New locks make sense only where a lock is worn, weak, or not the kind you want.
A move-in checklist for locks and codes
Keys are only part of the job. A modern house has codes, remotes, and apps that also let people in, and each one needs its own reset. Here is the order we suggest:
- Every outside doorRekey the front, back, and side doors, both the deadbolt and the knob or handle, so one new key opens all of them.
- The door from the garageThis door is easy to forget, and it is the one many people leave unlocked. It gets the same new key.
- The garage door openerClear every remote paired with the opener and set a new code on the outside keypad.
- Smart locks and keypadsReset the lock to factory settings, delete the old codes, and remove the last owner from the app.
- The mailboxFind out who owns the lock: you, the post office, or the homeowners association.
- Sliding doors and windowsCheck that every latch closes, and add a bar or a pin to a sliding door that lifts in its track.
Rekey or new locks for a new house
If the locks turn smoothly and the deadbolts slide all the way out, rekey them. You keep the hardware you paid for with the house and pay only for new pins and labor. Replace a lock when it sticks, wobbles, or is a basic builder model on a door you want stronger. Our page on whether to rekey or replace locks walks through the signs one by one.
Many buyers also want one key for the whole house. If the outside locks share the same keyway, a rekey gives you that. If one lock is a different brand, we replace that lock or its cylinder so one key fits everything.
Garage door openers and keypads
A garage remote opens your house as well as a key does, because the door from the garage into the house is often left unlocked. The sellers may still have a remote in their car. On many openers, holding the learn button on the motor unit for several seconds clears every paired remote and keypad. After that, you pair your own remotes again and set a new code on the outside keypad. The learn button does not touch the Wi-Fi or app account of a smart opener, so the sellers also need to be removed from that account.
If the house has a garage side door or a sliding door, those locks count as outside locks too. We rekey or replace garage and sliding door locks on the same visit as the front door.
Smart locks the last owner left behind
A smart lock or a keypad deadbolt may still hold codes for the sellers, their family, and their contractors. Many also stay tied to the sellers' app account, so they can still see and unlock the door from a phone. Changing the batteries does not clear any of that.
The fix is a factory reset, which wipes the stored codes and the app link, and then a new setup on your own account. Most smart locks also have a key cylinder as a backup, and that cylinder takes the old key until it is rekeyed. We reset and set up smart locks and rekey the backup cylinder in the same visit. Our answer on smart locks in cold weather covers what to check before winter.
The mailbox at your new address
Who handles the mailbox lock depends on who owns the box. A mailbox on a post in front of the house belongs to you, and you can have its lock changed like any other. A neighborhood cluster box owned by the Postal Service is different: the post office handles those locks. Postal Service rules say the post office should change the lock before it gives the compartment to a new customer, and the new customer is not charged for that first lock and keys. In many apartment and condo buildings the boxes belong to the building or the association, and the manager arranges the lock change.
We change locks on mailboxes that you or your building own. Our page on mailbox locks shows what that visit looks like.
A newly built house
A new house has a different key problem. During construction, keys pass through many hands: framers, electricians, painters, cleaners, and the builder's own crew. Builders also tend to choose basic locks to keep costs down. A rekey right after closing cuts off every key from the build. If the deadbolts on the outside doors are basic Grade 3 models, this is also a good moment to upgrade the front door. Our page on deadbolt grades explains what to look for.
Doors and locks people forget
Most new owners think of the front door and stop there. These are the locks we find most often left on the old key: the back door, the basement walkout, the door from the garage, the garage side door, a storm door with its own lock, the shed, the gate padlock, and a sliding patio door. A quick walk around the house before the visit lets us bring the right pins and parts for every one of them.
What it costs to rekey a new house
| Rekey, first lock | from $59 |
|---|---|
| Rekey, each additional lock | from $20 |
| Smart lock installation | from $99 |
| Mailbox lock | from $69 |
| Garage or sliding door lock | from $89 |
The total depends on how many locks the house has and on what else you want done. A typical house with a deadbolt and a knob on the front and back doors has four locks: the first starts at $59, and each of the other three starts at $20. A trip fee may apply at some times and places, and we tell you the total before we start.
What to have ready for the visit
We ask for a photo ID and something that ties you to the house, like the closing papers, the deed, or a utility bill in your name. Bring every key the sellers gave you, so we can check which locks they fit. If you want one key for the whole house, tell us before we start, and we will plan the pins so every lock takes the same key.
Cities we serve around Milwaukee
Milwaukee and about 30 miles around it: Milwaukee County, Waukesha County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, and Racine County.
Questions about changing locks after buying a house
Should I rekey or replace the locks on a house I just bought?
Rekey them if they work well, because it costs less and makes every old key useless. Replace a lock only when it is worn, weak, or not the kind you want.
How soon should I change the locks?
As soon as you have the keys, ideally before the first night in the house.
How much does it cost to rekey a whole house?
The first lock starts at $59 and each additional lock on the same visit starts at $20. The total depends on how many locks the house has.
Do I need to change the garage door code too?
Yes. Clear every remote paired with the opener and set a new code on the outside keypad, because the sellers may still have a remote.
What do I need to show the locksmith?
A photo ID and a document that ties you to the house, like the closing papers, the deed, or a utility bill.