You moved into a place in Sandy Springs. Maybe Duluth. The realtor handed over a set of keys, maybe two. Within a few days, the question starts. How many copies of that key are still floating around from previous owners, dog walkers, neighbors, cleaning crews?
This is the most common reason new homeowners change locks in Sandy Springs and across the north metro. They didn’t think about it at the closing table. They thought about it the first night.
Rekey or replace, and you reset that key count to zero. Nobody has a working key except the people you hand one to.
The Key Trail You Inherited
There’s no standard process at closing or move-in that guarantees every previous key gets returned. The seller had copies for family. The previous owner gave one to a neighbor who watered plants during vacations. A cleaning service rotated through. A handyman kept one in his truck. Maybe the listing agent had a copy too, depending on the lockbox setup during showings.
Most of those keys are inert. The people who held them moved on, and the keys ended up in a junk drawer somewhere or got tossed. But you don’t know which ones are still floating around, and you have no way to find out.
For new construction in Sandy Springs, the picture isn’t much cleaner. Builder-grade locks often share master pins across an entire development during the build phase so contractors can move between units with one key. Once you close, that builder key is supposed to be retired. Whether it actually is depends on the builder.
Rekey or Change. What’s the Difference?
These two terms get used interchangeably, and they shouldn’t be.
Rekeying means a locksmith opens up your existing lock cylinder and swaps the internal pins so it accepts a new key. The lock itself stays on the door. The mechanism is the same. Old keys stop working the moment the new pins go in.
Changing the lock means replacing the entire hardware. Old lock comes off, new lock goes on. This makes sense if the existing hardware is worn out or visibly damaged. Home lock installation also makes sense if you want to upgrade from a builder-grade Grade 3 deadbolt to something with an ANSI Grade 2 rating, which is the practical floor for residential security.
For most new homeowners, rekeying handles the immediate worry about previous keys. Replacement makes sense if there’s a hardware reason to do it anyway.
When a Rekey Is Enough
If the locks on your new house work smoothly and look reasonably modern, a rekey across every exterior door takes care of the unknown-keys problem in a single visit. Most homes have three to five exterior doors with locks. A rekey on each is straightforward.
This is the most common rekey Duluth scenario. The hardware on a 2010 or 2015 build is fine. You just want the keys reset. Done in one appointment, usually a couple of hours depending on door count.
Ask the locksmith to key everything alike if it isn’t already. One key for every door. Simpler than it sounds, and worth asking for.
When You Should Replace
Some locks shouldn’t be rekeyed. They should be replaced.
The signs are easy to spot once you know to look. A deadbolt that feels loose in the door, where the housing wiggles when you turn the key. A lock that sticks or grinds, suggesting internal wear past the point where new pins will help. Visible rust or corrosion around the keyway, which is more common in older Forest Park homes where humidity has been working on the hardware for decades. Any lock that came with the house and is older than you are.
Builder-grade deadbolts on a new build are another case. They work fine technically, but a Grade 2 or Grade 1 deadbolt lasts decades and holds up better against forced entry. A residential locksmith Forest Park homeowners call regularly will know which brands hold up in the local climate.
Sandy Springs, Duluth, and the Specific Local Picture
The neighborhoods around Sandy Springs and Duluth span a wide range of build eras. A 1970s ranch off Roswell Road has different hardware than a townhome built in 2019 near Pleasant Hill Road. The locks worth keeping in each are different.
Older Sandy Springs homes often have brass hardware that’s served well for decades but has worn pin chambers inside. Rekey works, but expect the locksmith to flag any cylinder that should probably be replaced soon anyway. Newer Duluth builds usually have hardware that’s mechanically fine but uses lower-grade locks that aren’t where you’d want them long term.
The same logic applies to Forest Park and the surrounding south metro. Builds from the 1960s and 1970s often have original mortise locks that homeowners assume can’t be rekeyed. Most can. A locksmith who works across the Atlanta metro regularly will tell you whether the cylinder accepts a standard rekey or whether the lock body itself has aged past being worth keeping.
Either way, the day you move in is the right day to handle it.
FAQ
How long does a rekey actually take?
For a typical home with three to five exterior doors, plan on a couple of hours on site. The locksmith brings the pins and tools, removes each cylinder, swaps the pins, reinstalls the hardware, and hands you new keys at the end.
Is rekeying as secure as replacing the lock?
Functionally, yes. The internal pin combination is unique either way, and no old keys work after the job’s done. The reason to replace rather than rekey is when the hardware itself isn’t worth keeping.
Should I rekey before I move in or after?
Either works. Some homeowners coordinate the rekey for the day after closing, before unpacking starts. Others handle it within the first week. The earlier, the cleaner.
Can I just rekey the front door and leave the back?
You could, but side and back doors are where break-ins more commonly happen, since they’re less visible from the street. If you’re rekeying for security reasons, do every exterior lock.
Getting Help
If you’ve just moved into a place in Sandy Springs, Duluth, Forest Park, or anywhere across the Atlanta metro and want to handle the locks before you settle in, call (470) 971-2071 to talk through what your home needs. You can also send us the details through our contact form and we’ll get back to you.