You have no idea how many keys to your new home are out there. Here's the simple checklist for your first week.
Congratulations on the new place. Amid the boxes, here's one job worth doing in week one and then forgetting about for years: change the locks. Not because anyone's untrustworthy — simply because you can't know how many keys are out there.
Why it matters more than people think
Previous owners, their grown-up kids, cleaners, dog-walkers, builders, the neighbour who watered the plants — over the years, copies get cut and handed out. The sale doesn't reclaim them. Until you change the locks, you don't actually control who can open your front door.
What to prioritise
- Front and back doors first — the everyday entrances and your final exit door.
- Any door with an old or basic cylinder — a good moment to upgrade to anti-snap while you're at it.
- Side gates, garages and outbuildings — easy to forget, often the weakest point.
- Window locks — check they exist and you have the keys.
Repair, or replace?
You don't always need brand-new locks everywhere. Sometimes swapping the cylinders is enough to retire every old key at once — quicker and more economical than replacing whole mechanisms. We'll tell you honestly which doors need what.
While you're thinking about security
A move is the natural time to get the whole house up to scratch: insurance-rated locks on the right doors, a sensible setup for keys, maybe a smart lock if your household would use it. A quick walk-round flags anything that needs attention.
See lock changes & upgrades, or book a security survey to get the new place checked over properly.
Lock changes & upgrades
Need a hand with this?
Two Keys is a father-and-son locksmith team in Egham — UKLA Trusted & Vetted, DBS-checked, fully insured. Straight prices, agreed before we set off.
We cover Egham · Weybridge · Guildford · Woking and the wider Surrey, west London and east Berkshire area — see full coverage.