lock change
Just moved in? You don't know who else has keys.
Anti-snap cylinders fitted on every external door, price agreed up-front, paperwork your insurer accepts.
You don't know how many spare keys the previous owners cut, gave to cleaners, or lost. A £180 lock change is the cheapest peace of mind you'll buy this year.
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A new home is the worst possible time to let an unvetted stranger see how your locks work.
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About just moved in — changing the locks
Why every solicitor recommends it
When you complete on a UK property, you have no record of how many keys exist. Cleaners, gardeners, contractors, ex-partners, lodgers — any of them could still hold one. Conveyancing solicitors routinely flag this in their completion advice, and every home insurance policy makes you responsible for "reasonable security".
What "changing the locks" should cost
For a typical UK home with two external doors (front and back), expect £140–£220 for two anti-snap (TS007 3-star) euro-cylinders fitted, plus a key set for each new lock. Add £50–£90 if you also want a window-lock check. Anyone quoting much higher should be itemising what the extra cost is for.
Anti-snap as standard
If your new house has UPVC doors with euro-cylinders (most do), fit anti-snap. Lock snapping is the most common forced-entry method in the UK and a £45 upgrade closes off the vulnerability completely.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
How soon after moving in should I change the locks?
Solicitors typically recommend doing it within the first week. There's no legal requirement, but until you do, anyone who held a key during the previous owner's tenure still has access.Do I have to change every lock?
Change every cylinder a previously-issued key could open. For most homes that's the front door, back door, side door and garage. Internal locks can usually wait or be re-keyed cheaply.Will my home insurance require anti-snap locks?
Most policies require BS 3621 or TS007 1-star+ on external doors. Anti-snap 3-star is the gold standard and almost never excluded.Can I just re-key the existing locks instead of replacing them?
On some lock types yes, but for the modern UK euro-cylinder it's nearly always cheaper to swap the whole cylinder than to re-pin it. A locksmith will tell you which case applies to your doors.
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