Second homes
Second home locksmith Guardamar, for houses that wait out the winter
A house that stands shut from September to June is hard on its locks and easy to lose track of. This is the planning side: what to sort out before you leave, before you come back, and who should be holding keys in between. If you have just arrived and cannot get in, the page you need is the one for being shut out.
- Visits arranged while you are abroad
- Photos and a written note
- English and Spanish
Locked out on arrival?
If you are at the door now and the key will not turn, go straight to getting back in when you are shut out. Everything below is for a calmer day.
The figure behind this page
A town of houses waiting for their owners
According to the INE’s Census 2021, only 26.7% of the homes in Guardamar del Segura are somebody’s main residence: the lowest share of any municipality in Spain with more than 10,000 people. The other three in four are second homes, holiday flats and houses that are empty for long stretches.
Read what a long winter does to a lock if you want the detail.
Autumn
Before you close up for the winter
- Lock every door with the key, not just the latch, and turn the multipoint fully.
- Close the terrace sliding doors and lock their hooks. Sweep the track first: sand left in it sets hard over the winter. The guide on sand in a sliding door track shows how.
- Put fresh batteries in any keypad or smart lock, and write down where the emergency key is.
- Leave the safe open and empty if you will not need it, or note its code somewhere safe at home.
- Write a list of every key and every person who holds one. If the list worries you, change the cylinder before you go: a booked lock change.
Spring
Before you fly back
A visit can be booked for the week before you arrive, opened up by your agency, cleaner or neighbour. The front door, the street gate, the terrace doors and the garage are tried with their keys; anything stiff is cleaned or adjusted; anything past saving is priced and, with your agreement, replaced. You get photos and a short note by WhatsApp or email.
The houses most likely to need it are the ones nearest the sea and the dunes, where sand and salt get into anything with a gap. Sliding terrace doors are the usual culprit.
In between
Keyholders, agencies and the neighbour who has a set
Most owners leave keys with someone, and that is sensible: a house nobody can open is a house nobody can check after a storm. The trouble is that keys travel. The agency changes staff, the cleaner passes the set to a colleague, the neighbour moves away, a tenant from three summers ago kept one.
Keep it to as few people as you can, write down who has what, and change the cylinder when the list stops making sense. The guide who else can open your door goes through it. If you find a door has been forced when you arrive, that is a repair after a break-in, and the insurer will want a note of the damage.
For a safe that will not open after the winter, see safe opening.
Asked often
Owners who live elsewhere ask us
Can the locks be looked at while I am still in my own country?
Yes, if someone with a key can open up: your agency, a cleaner, a neighbour. You agree the visit and the price by phone or email, and you get photos and a note of what was found.
Is a key safe on the wall a good idea for a house that stands empty?
It is handy for guests and cleaners, but the code tends to spread. Change the code after each season, keep it out of messages that get forwarded, and fix the box out of sight from the street.
The smart lock showed a low battery warning while we were away. What now?
Ask whoever has a key to change the batteries now rather than wait. Most of these locks have a mechanical key or an emergency contact for power; find out which yours has before you need it.
We are selling the house. Should the locks be changed for the new owners?
That is usually left to the buyers, who should change at least the front door cylinder on the day they get the keys. What helps is giving them every key you have, including the ones the agency and neighbours hold.
Often needed next
What owners usually book next
Guides that lead here
Arrange it before your next trip
Ring or email with the address, your dates and who holds a key. Everything can be agreed from abroad.