Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hire a locksmith and change/rekey the locks. Everyone should do this on every single home they ever buy. New or not. This is a $100 problem, just do it... don't get bogged down in it.
Couldn't rep you again, yet.
Jukesgrrl - there is nothing "broke" in this scenario. If the buyer feels they can't trust the builder/developer, then they have the choice of rekeying the locks. Period.
If you have a reputable builder, the keys should never be in the possession of any of the subs, anyway. Just the construction manager.
Jukesgrrl - there is nothing "broke" in this scenario. If the buyer feels they can't trust the builder/developer, then they have the choice of rekeying the locks. Period.
If you have a reputable builder, the keys should never be in the possession of any of the subs, anyway. Just the construction manager.
My builder used a construction key that worked for all of the buildings they were working on in the immediate vicinity (same block). Once they were finished, everything was re-keyed with individual house-specific locks. They had actually given me my own construction key because I was at the site so often, and I can vouch that it no longer worked once they re-keyed it.
I don't actually know if the subs had their own keys or not, or whether the site super unlocked everything each day and locked them back again at night but I suspect they had keys because they were sometimes there 7 days a week and the super wasn't there every day.
We are closing on a new construction home soon. I asked about how the home owners usually go about replacing the locks once they move in (getting it rekeyed vs. buying and installing a new lock). They said that they have a construction key and once we move in we insert the home owner key and the lock rekeys itself so that the construction key no longer works. Problem is they said somehow the lock was already rekeyed and they are using our real keys to open the doors for the workers right now. The construction key no longer works to open the doors. They said they will return all sets of our keys at closing.
I am not too happy about this. Is this something worth asking them to somehow replace before we close? Or should we just buy new locks anyway regardless if their rekeying system worked? Also, can we still rekey the door locks or do we have to just buy new locks and install them?
Do whatever you have to do to ensure that any existing keys will not work once you take possession. Trust no one!
Well, I understand that in theory it should be on the builder to re-key the locks. But it's new construction, which means probably not the very cheapest standard locksets, but maybe the model above that. And we can't be talking about more than three locks anyway, right? Front door, back door, side door or garage-to-laundry room door?
If you can tell the difference between a Phillips screwdriver and a bus driver, you can take the lock cylinders out, carry them to a nearby lock and key shop (NOT Home Depot!) and have them all rekeyed, go next door and have a cup of coffee and read the paper and when you come back they'll be done. Just leave someone at home while you're doing it. It's been a couple years since I had this done but my seat of the pants estimate would be less than $20/lock, so a grand total of $60, half an hour to remove/reinstall, and less than an hour cooling your heels while the lock shop re-keys them.
You know, you have to pick your fights. For me personally this is one I would choose to let go, reserving a real fight for those bigger items that are probably screwed up and will really need the builder to fix them (if you don't find some of these, I'll eat my hat.)
All locks can be re-keyed by the owner. Some are easier than others. for most, you buy a kit and follow the directions. It is no harder than assembling a plastic model car or aircraft carrier and kids do that at age 8 or 12. If you can read and follow directions, you can do it. It is very easy. Just be sure you buy the kit that uses the same key pattern for multiple doors.
Many of the pins are color coded, so if you put he same color pins in the same order, you will have the same key pattern every time.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
