Rekey after you move in

A list of likely key holders

The sellers or the last tenants, and everyone they handed a spare to. A cleaning service, a contractor who did the kitchen, the listing agent's lockbox. On a new build in Green Valley Ranch or Central Park, add the builder's crews and the construction master key.

What to do, in order

1. Rekey every exterior door to one new key. Fixr's figure is $70 to $160 for the visit.
2. Reset keypad codes, including the garage keypad, and re-pair the opener remotes.
3. Change the mailbox lock. Mailbox locks.
4. On any smart lock, remove the previous owner's account and users.

Older houses hide extra doors

Across these ZIPs, 32% of homes predate 1960; in Park Hill (80207) it's 82%. Houses that old tend to have a mortise lock on the front, a side door nobody uses and a basement door whose key has been copied for fifty years. Walk around and count every lock before the locksmith shows up, so the quote covers all of them.

Housing built in 1959 or earlier, Denver ZIPs

1. 80207 Park Hill82%
2. 80219 Westwood, Barnum, Mar Lee64%
3. 80220 Hale, Montclair, Lowry north58%
4. 80212 Berkeley, West Highland53%
5. 80210 Platt Park, University53%
6. 80223 Ruby Hill, Overland, Baker south53%
7. 80218 Cheesman Park, Uptown51%
8. 80211 Highland, Sunnyside, Jefferson Park50%
9. 80205 Five Points, Whittier, Cole46%
10. 80209 Washington Park, Bonnie Brae43%
11. 80206 Cherry Creek, Congress Park41%
12. 80203 Capitol Hill south, Speer40%
13. 80222 Virginia Village, Glendale edge37%
14. 80236 Marston, Fort Logan35%
15. 80204 Lincoln Park, West Colfax, Sun Valley30%
16. 80216 Globeville, Elyria-Swansea27%
17. 80224 Goldsmith, Hampden21%
18. 80246 Belcaro edge, Glendale15%
19. 80202 Downtown, LoDo14%
20. 80230 Lowry9%
21. 80247 Windsor, Aurora west5%
22. 80231 Hampden, Kennedy4%
23. 80227 Bear Valley, Lakewood east4%
24. 80237 Hampden South, Tech Center3%
25. 80239 Montbello3%
26. 80238 Central Park2%
27. 80235 Marston west2%
28. 80249 Green Valley Ranch, Gateway1%