If you've ever bought a home, you might have found yourself thinking "I wonder who else has a key to this place?" Most good Real Estate Agents suggest that new owners have the locks changed. If the home was pre-owned, chances are good that SOMEone else has a key. It could be the Seller's friends, neighbors, babysitters, housekeepers, or who knows who. Even a brand new home might have had keys given to contractors or sub-contractors so they could finish up work, or to a Real Estate Agent (I've been handed keys before by Sales Reps. to go open new homes I wanted to view). Often, new homes have special "builder keys" that, once the new homeowner uses their keys, no longer work. But how can you ever be sure of this and/or sure that there aren't copies of the keys you're given after closing on a home (new or pre-owned)? Generally, you can't... so you change the locks just to be safe. Well what exactly does "changing the locks" mean?

Sometimes, pre-owned home buyers are planning on replacing the locks and associated door hardware for cosmetic reasons. Since the new locks will come with new keys, this solves the problem... but it's not the cheapest way, that's for sure. New locks and hardware will often cost hundreds of dollars. And you can plan on spending even more if you have them installed by a locksmith or contractor (i.e. if you're not going to install them yourself).

If the existing locks and hardware are acceptable to you, and you just want a new set of keys (and the assurance of knowing the old ones do not work anymore), most people will call a Locksmith to have the locks re-keyed. Generally, for a hundred bucks or so, you can get a few locks re-keyed without much hassle. If you have a good Real Estate Agent, they might know specialists who do this even cheaper because Agents, obviously, deal with this a LOT. For example, I just got an email about someone who will re-key up to six locks for just $60. So, this route (re-keying via locksmith) is certainly cheaper, and more convenient, than replacing hardware (and much more practical for new homes with nice, new locks and hardware).

For the do-it-yourselfer, you can remove the locks and take them to your local hardware store. Home Depot, for example, will re-key for just $5/lock. So, even with a doorknob lock and deadbolt on front and back doors, plus the garage, you're looking at just $25-$30. For the ultimate cheapskate (or "smart shopper" as I like to call myself), you can re-key the locks yourself with a kit. The kits can be bought in many hardware stores for $10-$20 or you can even order them online. I googled "rekey your locks" and found this: http://changealock.com/. It's good for up to 6 locks for around $15 after shipping! This is not an endorsement (as I've never used their products), but it shows (as usual) that  the more you're willing to do yourself, the more you can potentially save. Just remember that if you don't "change the locks" upon move-in, you'll never know for sure who all has a key to your home.

Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com