When I bought the condo, I wanted to change the locks so I called a locksmith and paid him something like $100 to change a couple locks. Since then I’ve learned that this is a super easy project to do on your own.
- Remove the lock from your door. Our house has deadbolts that are separate from the handle and there are two screws on the inside that hold the entire thing together. Take it apart slowly so you can see how it all goes together. It’s pretty simple.
- Take the locks to Home Depot and ask to have them rekeyed. If they are too old or the wrong kind, you might have to buy new ones for around ~$30-40/lock. If they can be rekeyed, it’s only $5 per lock. Then take your new key and have them make as many copies as you need.
- Reinstall the locks at home and you’re done!
So for about $15 and a half hour of work/waiting, I can have our whole house rekeyed. It’s so convenient that we’ve done it multiple times since moving in. For example, after the contractor was done, I rekeyed the house. We completely trust the contractor and his employees, but if someone breaks into our house, I don’t want to even think about calling to ask him about it. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.