The New Homeowner Locksmith Checklist (Sarasota Area)

Closing day is exhausting. There's a stack of paperwork, a moving truck, a utility company you've never heard of, and a list of things to do that feels like it doubled overnight. This guide is the locksmith piece of that list — what to do, in what order, and what to skip — for a new home anywhere in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, or the surrounding Suncoast cities. Realtors: this guide doubles as a hand-out for your closing packet. The advice here is brand-neutral, useful, and doesn't pressure anyone into anything they don't need. (If a buyer wants a same-day mobile locksmith, PrimeLock24 is here. But the checklist works regardless of who you call.)

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Day 1 (closing day or the day after) — non-negotiable

These are the steps that matter most. Do these first.

#### 1. Rekey every exterior door

Every previous owner, every contractor who ever worked there, the cleaning service the previous owners used, the babysitter from 2019, the housesitter from 2022 — all of them may still have working keys. Rekeying re-pins your existing locks so the old keys stop working and only your new key opens the door. You keep the hardware. Costs much less than replacement. Usually under an hour at a typical home.

This is non-negotiable in Florida — the snowbird-rental and vacation-rental market means more keys are floating around than you think.

If your new home has a smart lock at the front door, you also want the keypad master code reset. We do this in the same call.

#### 2. Make a spare key (or two)

The first time you accidentally lock yourself out is going to happen. Plan ahead: spare key in a lockbox (preferred), spare with a trusted neighbor (better than nothing), or spare in a magnetic-hide somewhere obvious is no longer a real strategy in 2026 — assume bad actors know every hiding spot.

Best practice in the Sarasota area: - One spare in a coded lockbox attached somewhere weather-protected - One spare with a trusted neighbor / family member nearby - One in your car (yes, you read that right — works because we can also get you into your car)

#### 3. Check the mailbox key

If your home has a community-style cluster mailbox (very common in Sarasota gated communities, Lakewood Ranch villages, Venice subdivisions), the previous owner often hands over the mailbox key with the house keys. If they didn't, or it's a CBU (Cluster Box Unit) where the USPS holds the master, you need to coordinate with the post office to get a new key cut. A locksmith can replace the residential side of the mailbox lock; the USPS side is theirs.

#### 4. Test the garage entry door from the inside

If your home has a garage with a door from the garage into the house, test that door's lock. Garage-entry doors are often forgotten in rekey jobs because they're "inside the garage." But anyone with a garage door opener can reach that door — same security exposure as a front door. Add it to the rekey list.

Day 2–7 — important but not urgent

#### 5. Decide on smart locks

If your home doesn't already have a smart lock at the front door, decide now whether to add one. The arguments for: - Stops accidental lockouts (keypad doesn't need a key) - Easy code-sharing with cleaners, dog-walkers, contractors (set a code, expire it later) - Audit trail of who came in when (most app-connected smart locks log this)

The arguments against: - Battery dependency (most have a 9-volt jump terminal so you can power them temporarily) - Wi-Fi dependency for remote features (mechanical key still works) - Cost — $150–$350 per door for hardware + install

Sarasota's humidity is hard on smart-lock electronics. Pick a brand that lists "exterior" use explicitly — Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, August Pro all qualify. We install across Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and surrounding cities.

#### 6. Audit the pool-cage and side gates

Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch homes commonly have pool-cage doors and side gates with separate locks. These are often forgotten. We rekey them in the same call as the main house and (recommended) key-alike them to the front door so one key opens everything.

#### 7. Replace really old hardware

If your home is pre-2000 and you notice deadbolts sticking, knob turn-tension is loose, or the strike plate is corroded (common with Florida salt-air, especially on Lido Key / Bird Key / Anna Maria Island), the hardware itself is past its service life. Replace at this point — rekey alone won't fix the mechanical wear.

Week 2+ — long-term

#### 8. Set up a "moving phase" key plan

If you're moving in over multiple weekends and contractors / movers / family will have your keys, set up a temporary key for them on the smart lock (or hand over a physical key you'll rekey out at the end of the move). When the move is complete, rekey one more time. The cost is small; the peace of mind is real.

#### 9. Document your hardware

Take photos of each lock's brand and model on each door, save them in your home-records folder. When something breaks, you (or whoever services the lock) won't have to crawl across the porch with a flashlight to identify the cylinder.

#### 10. Set a calendar reminder for 12-month rekey

Every 12 months you may want to rekey again — especially if you've had a babysitter / housesitter / pet-sitter come through. Cheap insurance. Most locksmiths (us included) will run a small "annual rekey customer" discount.

What you don't need to do

- ❌ You don't need to "change every lock" unless the hardware is failing. - ❌ You don't need to install a fancy security system on day one unless you actually want one. The locksmith side and the alarm side are separate decisions. - ❌ You don't need to over-think the smart-lock decision. Mechanical locks work great if you and your family don't lose keys.

Costs you can expect (Sarasota-area baseline)

These are typical ranges. Get a quote on the call; we tell you the price before dispatching.

| Service | Typical range | |---|---| | Rekey one residential cylinder | $30–60 per cylinder + minimum call-out | | Whole-home rekey (4–6 doors, key-alike) | $150–300 | | Add a spare key | $5–15 | | Mailbox lock replacement | $40–80 | | Smart-lock install (hardware not included) | $80–150 per door | | Smart-lock keypad code reset only | $50–100 |

Pricing varies by service area and time of day. After-hours emergency calls cost more.