Moving House – Lock Checklist

When you move house, changing or reconfiguring external locks is the only reliable way to know that historic copies no longer open your new home. The seller may hand over every key they possess, but copies could still be with relatives, cleaners, contractors, neighbours, former occupiers, estate agents or anyone who once needed access.

A good moving-house lock plan begins before completion, protects the property on the first day and continues through the first week. It covers much more than the front door: back and side entrances, patio doors, an integral garage, sheds, windows, key safes, alarm codes, smart locks, video doorbells, communal fobs and the route for emergency escape.

This checklist helps buyers, tenants and landlords prioritise the work without replacing sound components unnecessarily. It also explains the difference between restoring key control and upgrading security, how to test a multipoint door, and what to document for insurance and future maintenance.

Why the Keys You Receive Cannot Tell the Whole Story

Conveyancing transfers legal ownership; it does not provide an audit trail for every key cut during the property’s life. Even a conscientious seller can only return the copies they know about. A previous resident may have forgotten a neighbour’s spare or an old contractor key.

This does not mean former keyholders are likely to misuse access. It means you cannot verify control. Changing the keying is a proportionate reset—similar to changing passwords when responsibility for an account changes.

Plan the Locksmith Visit Before Completion

Contact a local locksmith in advance and explain the property type, likely number of external doors, completion window and any information from the survey or viewing. Do not ask for a guaranteed parts price based only on estate-agent photographs; cylinder dimensions, lock cases and door condition may need on-site measurement.

• Choose an attendance window after legal completion and key release.
• Keep identification and completion/tenancy evidence available.
• Ask how labour, cylinders, complete locks, extra keys and VAT are priced.
• Request equivalent and upgrade options rather than an automatic premium specification.
• Tell the locksmith about alarm, smart-lock or managed-building constraints.
• Allow enough time to test every repaired or changed door.

Before Completion: Build an Access-Point Inventory

Completion Day: Do Not Let Security Disappear Behind the Boxes

Before unloading leaves doors propped open and rooms obstructed, photograph or list each access point, gather every supplied key and test normal operation. Keep one responsible adult focused on access while removers and helpers arrive.

First-Hour Actions

• Confirm legal completion or authorised tenancy possession.
• Collect all labelled keys, fobs, remotes and security cards.
• Walk the perimeter and check for an unexpectedly open door or window.
• Locate meter cupboards, garage access, key safes and alarm controls.
• Do not publish new-home photographs showing keys, alarm panels or the exact empty property.
• Control who receives a temporary key during the move.

Priority 1: Front Door

Identify whether the door is timber, uPVC, composite, aluminium or another construction. A timber door may use a mortice lock, night latch or both. Many uPVC and composite doors use a multipoint mechanism operated by a euro cylinder.

Inspect the complete assembly:

• Does the door close squarely without lifting, slamming or pulling?
• Are the frame, hinges, glazing and letterplate sound?
• Do the handle and key operate smoothly with the door open and closed?
• Does the cylinder sit close to the furniture rather than projecting?
• Is the internal release safe and practical for the household?
• Can keys be reached through glazing or the letterplate?
• Are relevant lock markings identifiable?

Changing a euro cylinder may reset keys without replacing a sound multipoint strip. On a timber door, the appropriate scope depends on which lock the old key operates and the required standard. Diagnosis prevents unnecessary replacement.

Priority 2: Back, Side and Patio Doors

Do not allow the best-looking front door to consume the entire budget while a private rear entrance remains on an uncontrolled key. Test French-door inactive-leaf bolts, patio-door operation, utility entrances and the connecting door from an integral garage.

If a door locks when open but resists when closed, alignment or compression may be involved. Stop forcing it; a cylinder change alone will not correct the fit.

Priority 3: Windows

Locate keys for all accessible windows and test handles, hinges and closure. “Accessible” includes windows reached from flat roofs, extensions, bins, walls or stored ladders. Do not defeat a required escape window, and seek appropriate advice where safety restrictors or child protection are needed.

Missing window keys do not always require complete replacement of the window. A locksmith may identify handles or locks that can be replaced while retaining the frame, subject to condition and parts availability.

Priority 4: Garage, Shed and External Storage

Outbuildings may contain bicycles, tools and ladders before the main house is fully organised. Replace uncontrolled keys and inspect the whole door, frame, hinge and locking point. Secure valuable items independently and protect the door from an integral garage into the home as an external access route.

Priority 5: Key Safes and Hidden Keys

Assume the code of an existing key safe is known to former authorised users. Remove any old key, reset or replace the device as appropriate and decide whether it is still needed. Search predictable hiding places—pots, sheds, meter boxes and ornaments—without treating found keys as proof that no other copies exist.

Reset Every Digital Doorway

Do not factory-reset safety or managed-building equipment without understanding the consequence. Obtain codes, manuals and transfer procedures from the seller or agent where possible.

Check the Alarm Before the First Night

Obtain the user code, installer/monitoring information, zone list and instructions. Change authorised codes, test the agreed setting routine and confirm who receives alerts. If the system cannot be transferred safely on day one, use a clear temporary physical-security plan rather than leaving household members unsure whether the alarm is active.

Insurance: Identify, Do Not Guess

Home insurers may ask about final-exit doors, lock types, accessible window locks, occupancy and periods when the property is unattended. Answer from the actual installation. BS 3621 is relevant to particular thief-resistant lock assemblies commonly found on timber doors; it is not a euro-cylinder standard. Euro-cylinder security may involve TS 007 or SS 312 ratings as part of the complete door.

If the wording does not match the door, ask the insurer for written clarification. Keep invoices, product information and photographs of meaningful upgrades.

Replacement Versus Upgrade

The first objective is to invalidate unknown historic keys. The second is to decide whether the existing security level remains appropriate.

• Like-for-like replacement may suit a sound door where the current product meets the intended requirement.
• Higher-security cylinder or lock may suit exposed, outdated or insufficient hardware.
• Protective furniture may need attention where cylinder resistance alone does not resolve exposure.
• Alignment or frame repair may be more important than a higher-rated cylinder when operation is unreliable.
• Access-control changes may help a household, landlord or business that regularly adds and removes users.

Request a clear explanation of what each option changes, the number of keys included and whether the complete door will meet the desired outcome.

Special Considerations for Flats and Leasehold Homes

The flat entrance may be a fire door and subject to lease, freeholder or building-management requirements. Do not fit incompatible locks, chains, viewers or smart devices without checking. The door must remain capable of safe escape and preserve its fire and smoke-control function.

Arrange transfer or cancellation of communal fobs through the authorised manager. Do not change shared locks independently.

Moving Into a Rented Home

Ask the landlord or agent how key control was reset after the previous tenancy, how many keys and fobs are issued and the emergency repair process. Test doors and windows during check-in and record defects in the inventory.

Do not alter locks without the required consent except where urgent security action is necessary and lawful. If emergency work occurs, keep old parts and invoices and provide the landlord with agreed replacement access.

New-Build Homes Still Need a Key Audit

New construction does not eliminate key history. Developers, sales staff, site managers, cleaners and contractors may have used temporary or master arrangements. Ask how final key control is handed over, whether construction keys are invalidated and how smart or communal credentials are transferred.

Moving From an Empty or Renovated Property

A home that stood empty or underwent renovation may have a broader access history than an occupied sale. Builders, surveyors, estate agents, cleaners, decorators and utility contractors may have used keys or lock-box codes. Reset physical and digital access after the final contractor leaves, not only on the day you first receive keys.

Scaffolding, skips and stored materials can also alter security. Secure ladders, check upper windows newly accessible from temporary structures and restore camera or alarm zones that were disabled during work.

Security While Removals Are in Progress

Moving day often leaves front and rear doors open simultaneously while helpers move between vehicles. Assign one person to control keys and observe access. Do not leave labelled keys in open boxes or allow a new security card to travel separately without a record.

• Keep handbags, wallets, vehicle keys and new-house keys in a secure supervised place.
• Close unused entrances rather than propping every door.
• Record keys temporarily issued to movers, decorators or family.
• Check rooms, windows, garages and external doors when the last helper leaves.
• Reset any temporary gate or alarm code used for the move.

Post, Identity and Address Security

Update mail redirection, electoral and account addresses and remove the previous occupier’s abandoned documents appropriately. Do not leave your own identity papers in an unlocked property during the move. Secure parcel instructions and delete seller notes that reveal side-gate or key-safe access.

Shred packaging and paperwork containing account or security information. Large boxes for new electronics should not remain prominently beside bins.

If the Property Will Remain Empty After Completion

Some buyers complete before they can occupy or renovate before moving in. An empty property needs an explicit plan rather than ordinary household assumptions. Check the insurer’s unoccupied-property terms, arrange lawful inspections, keep heating and leak precautions appropriate, maintain post and garden cues, and ensure the person checking the home has controlled access.

Do not leave contractors to hide a key or share one code indefinitely. Use a recorded temporary arrangement and change or cancel it after the final visit. Confirm that alarm and camera alerts reach someone able to respond, while still relying on sound physical locks and windows.

Door-by-Door Handover Record

Create one line for every entrance and record the door material, lock type, product fitted, number of keys, whether it is keyed alike, date changed and any deferred repair. This simple schedule prevents confusion when two similar keys operate different doors or when a later fault requires an accurate replacement part.

• Front entrance and any separate night latch or deadlock
• Back, side, utility and patio doors
• Integral-garage connecting door
• Detached garage, shed, gate and bicycle store
• Communal entrance fobs and post-box keys
• Window keys and restrictor controls

Attach the locksmith invoice and product details to the schedule, but store security cards and sensitive codes separately. Update the record whenever a key is issued, lost, returned or replaced.

Check the Door From Inside as Well as Outside

Moving-house security often focuses on preventing entry, but occupants must be able to leave safely. Test thumbturns, internal handles and all normal escape routes with the door closed. Make sure furniture, boxes and temporary child barriers do not block the route or prevent the handle moving fully.

If a household member has limited strength, sight, dexterity or understanding, include them in the test. A technically secure door that an authorised occupant cannot operate reliably needs a more suitable, professionally assessed arrangement.

Write down the agreed bedtime and leaving routine during the first week. New occupants may otherwise assume somebody else locked the unfamiliar back door, set the new alarm or checked a window hidden behind boxes. A short shared routine turns the completed hardware work into dependable daily security.

Who Should Receive New Keys?

Issue keys deliberately rather than copying them for convenience during the first busy week. Record each household key, controlled spare, carer copy and trusted-neighbour copy. Explain which entrances it opens and when it must be returned.

If several doors are keyed alike, make users aware that one lost key affects all of them. Store security cards and key codes separately from the key ring, and do not photograph them in shared chat groups.

A 30-Day New-Home Security Plan

Households With Children, Older People or Carers

Choose an internal locking arrangement that all authorised occupants can operate safely. Do not leave keys within reach of an external aperture, but make emergency escape clear. Carer and family access should be recorded, and key-safe or code permissions should be changed when roles change.

What to Ask the Seller or Agent

• How many keys exist for each door, window, garage and outbuilding?
• Are any locks keyed alike or part of a master system?
• Who holds neighbour, cleaner, contractor or carer copies?
• Are there registered keys or security cards?
• What are the alarm, gate, garage and key-safe transfer procedures?
• Which smart devices and cloud accounts remain linked?
• Has any door been stiff, repaired or difficult to lock?
• Are warranties or installation invoices available?

Useful answers support planning; they do not replace resetting access. A seller cannot certify copies they do not know exist.

Your First-Night Security Check

1. Fully lock every external door, not merely latch it.
2. Close and secure accessible windows.
3. Remove keys and vehicle fobs from doors and visible areas.
4. Secure garage, shed, ladders and valuable tools.
5. Reset alarm and essential digital credentials.
6. Confirm safe internal exit for every occupant.
7. Keep the locksmith’s invoice and new-key count together.
8. Report any entrance that cannot be made secure.

Your First-Week Security Review

Once boxes are moved, walk the property in daylight and after dark. Review boundary visibility, gates, side access, exterior lighting, cameras, deliveries and key storage. Remove former labels and access instructions, update emergency contacts and check that house numbers are clear.

Test every changed lock again. Temperature, repeated use and the weight of a loaded move can reveal door alignment problems that were not obvious during one quick handover.

KMI Locksmiths Home Movers Support in Northampton

KMI Locksmiths offers home-mover lock services in Northampton, including external lock changes, high-security cylinders, uPVC door repairs and free on-site security appraisals. Provide the property type, completion schedule and estimated entrances so the visit can be planned around legal key collection.

KMI states that home-mover packages are tailored to the property and that British Standard and insurance-related requirements can be discussed against the actual doors and policy.

What to Check Before the Locksmith Leaves

• Test every new key in its intended lock.
• Operate doors several times while open and closed.
• Confirm multipoint hooks, rollers and bolts engage without force.
• Check the cylinder sits correctly within the furniture.
• Verify safe internal exit.
• Count all keys and record recipients.
• Collect security cards, product details and guarantee information.
• Obtain an itemised invoice and note any deferred work.

Complete Moving-House Lock Checklist

Moving day is the cleanest opportunity you will have to establish a known access baseline. Reset physical and digital keys, test the whole property and keep a record from the beginning. That gives you more than new locks—it gives you control over who can enter your home.