Moving House? The Locksmith Checklist Every New Homeowner Needs

Between packing boxes, changing your address, and setting up utilities, security is easy to push to the bottom of the moving-house list — right up until it's the thing you wish you'd sorted first. Here's a straightforward checklist to work through in your first week in a new home in Pretoria, Centurion, or Johannesburg.

In this guide:

• 1. Rekey or replace every external lock
• 2. Reprogram garage and gate remotes
• 3. Change alarm codes and access cards
• 4. Inspect every lock and hinge
• 5. Check security gates and burglar bars
• 6. Set up spare keys properly
• 7. Consider a home safe
• If you're renting instead of buying
• A simple first-week timeline
• Frequently asked questions

1. Rekey or Replace Every External Lock

This is the single most important item on this list. You have no reliable way of knowing how many keys exist for your new home — previous owners, estate agents, contractors, cleaners, and even old tenants may still hold working copies. Rekeying (or replacing, if the locks are old or low quality) every external door lock, gate, and garage side door removes that uncertainty entirely. See our detailed rekey vs replace guide for how to decide which is right for each lock.

A residential locksmith can typically handle an entire property's worth of locks in a single visit, which makes this far less disruptive than most new homeowners expect.

2. Reprogram Garage and Gate Remotes

Garage door and gate remotes are often overlooked in the rekeying conversation, but they present exactly the same risk — a previous owner's remote, or one given to a contractor years ago, may still work. Most garage motor systems allow you to clear all stored remotes and re-register only your own, which is worth doing in your first week rather than your first year.

If you're moving into a complex or estate with a shared access system, the same logic applies to any biometric or card-based entry linked to your specific unit — confirm with the body corporate or estate management that old access credentials tied to the previous owner have actually been deactivated, not just reassigned informally.

3. Change Alarm Codes and Access Cards

If the property has an alarm system, change the default or previous code immediately, and confirm with your security company whether any old access cards, fobs, or app logins linked to the property need to be deactivated. This is separate from your locksmith work but sits in exactly the same category: don't assume you're the only one with access until you've actively confirmed it. Many alarm monitoring companies can walk you through this over the phone within minutes, so there's little reason to delay it past your first day in the property.

4. Inspect Every Lock and Hinge

Before you settle in, walk the property and test every lock — front and back doors, internal doors, windows, and outbuildings. Look for:

• Locks that stick, feel loose, or don't fully engage the deadbolt.
• Signs of previous forced entry or repair, such as mismatched hardware or filler around a strike plate.
• Hinges and frames that are solid, not warped, cracked, or rusted.

Anything that doesn't pass this check should be flagged to a reliable locksmith for repair or replacement before you rely on it.

5. Check Security Gates and Burglar Bars

Test that every security gate closes and locks fully, without needing to be forced or lifted into place — a gate that "sort of" locks is a false sense of security. Check burglar bars for rust, loose fittings, or bars that have been cut and poorly re-welded from a previous incident.

6. Set Up Spare Keys Properly

Once your locks are secured, get spares cut for every household member, plus one to leave with a trusted family member or neighbour, rather than hiding one outside the property. This is also a good moment to consider whether a keypad or smart lock would suit your household better than traditional keys — worth discussing with your locksmith while they're already on site.

7. Consider a Home Safe

Moving is also a natural point to reconsider how you're storing valuables, documents, and firearms. If you don't already have a properly rated home safe, our home safe buying guide covers what to look for, and our safe locksmith team can advise on installation.

If you're bringing an existing safe with you from your previous home, this is also the right moment to have it re-secured properly at the new property rather than simply set down in a cupboard — an unbolted safe offers only a fraction of the protection a properly installed one does.

If You're Renting Instead of Buying

Tenants have exactly the same exposure as buyers — you don't know who held keys before you moved in. Speak to your landlord about rekeying before move-in, and if that's not possible, discuss having it done at your own cost; it's a small price for genuine peace of mind. It's also worth confirming with your local locksmith whether your lease allows lock changes, and keeping the original hardware if the landlord requires it reinstated when you eventually move out.

Where possible, get the rekeying agreement in writing as part of your lease documentation, even if it's just a short email confirming the landlord approved it. This avoids any dispute later about who authorised changes to the property's locks, and gives you something to point to if the topic comes up again at the end of your tenancy.

If you're sharing a property with housemates who each moved in at different times, it's also worth checking whether previous tenants' keys were ever properly accounted for — a rekey at the start of a new lease is a natural, low-friction moment to reset that.

A Simple First-Week Timeline

If you'd rather work from a schedule than a flat checklist, here's roughly how to sequence it:

• Before you move any belongings in: rekey or replace external locks, and do a full walk-through inspection of every door, window, and gate.
• Day one: reprogram garage and gate remotes, and change any alarm codes or access cards.
• Within the first few days: cut spare keys for the household, decide who (if anyone) gets a spare kept off-site, and flag any hardware that needs repair.
• Within the first week or two: consider whether a home safe, smart lock, or master key setup (if you're managing multiple structures on the property, like a cottage or garden flat) makes sense for how you'll actually use the property.

Spreading it out like this keeps the process manageable alongside everything else moving involves, while still closing the highest-risk gaps — the locks themselves — before you've even unpacked the first box.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon after moving in should I rekey my locks?

Ideally before you move your belongings in, or within the first few days at the latest. Treat it as part of the move itself, not an optional extra.

Is it worth rekeying if the previous owners seemed trustworthy?

Yes. It's not about trusting the previous owner — it's about every contractor, agent, cleaner, or tenant who may have had a copy over the years without your knowledge.

Can I rekey locks myself to save money?

Rekeying kits exist, but incorrect reassembly can leave a lock less secure or non-functional. Given how quickly a professional can do it, it's rarely worth the risk for your primary security.

What about a new build with locks nobody has used before?

Even new builds pass through several sets of hands — the builder, contractors, and site staff — before you receive your keys, so the same logic applies.

Should I rekey a garden flat or cottage separately from the main house?

Yes, treat every separately accessible structure on the property as its own item on this checklist — a garden cottage, staff quarters, or garage flatlet each has its own history of who may have held keys.