How to keep your home safe while you're on holiday

D BURGESS • July 11, 2022

Leaving your home as safe as possible when you travel

As the summer approaches, many of us are counting down the days to a well-deserved holiday. But once you've got your suntan and you finally get back home, the last thing you want is to discover you've been burgled.

Luckily, we've got some great tips for how to keep your home and possessions safe while you're on holiday. That means you can enjoy your trip to the fullest without worrying about home security.

Top home security tips for holidaymakers

Make your home look occupied

Studies show that 47% of burglaries are committed on the spur of the moment. So, if it's obvious that nobody's home, it can be an open invitation for a break-in.

To avoid drawing attention to your unoccupied property, it's a good idea to:

Use automatic timers or virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant to turn on your lights and TV at normal times.
Limit deliveries, because a pile of unopened goodies shows you're not around to collect.
Empty your rubbish bins and put them back in their regular spot.
Cut your grass and tend to your flowers so that it doesn't seem like you're not there to manage an overgrown garden.
Ask a friend to park their car in your driveway.

Creating the illusion of normal routine helps keep away unwanted visitors.

Lock your doors and windows

It's easy to forget just one window or lock in your rush to get to the airport. So make sure to do a final sweep of your windows and doors before you go, even if you're sure everything is locked.

Before you go on holiday is also an excellent time to call in a domestic locksmith to improve your home security. At DB Locksmiths, we offer lock, hinge and gasket repairs for uPVC doors and windows, as well as door handle replacements. Ensuring strong protection for your doors and windows is your best first line of defence against break-ins.

Put your valuables out of sight

Computers, laptops, phones, tablets, games consoles and other expensive electronics are a major payday for any burglar. Be sure to put your valuables out of sight in cupboards, wardrobes or wall safes to avoid giving criminals a reason to target your home.

Don't advertise your holiday on social media

Part of the excitement of going on holiday can be sharing the experience with your friends through photos and videos. But this shows the world that your home is empty.

Try not to post about your trip until you get home. Or, if you really can't resist, make sure your posts are only visible to your friends.

Lost your keys? DB Locksmiths can help

It's easy to lose something when you're travelling. But while nobody will miss a toothbrush or souvenir, what if you leave behind your keys?

That's where DB Locksmiths comes in. We're available 24/7 to offer emergency locksmith services in Bristol and Bath to get you through your front door when you're locked out. Our expert locksmiths always perform thorough ownership or tenancy checks to ensure we're letting the right person in, so you can have confidence in our service.

Contact us today for emergency locksmith services or uPVC window and door repair or replacement, and enjoy your holiday with confidence.

< Older Post Newer Post >

My Front Door Won't Open, What Should I Do?

By D BURGESS • June 19, 2026

Finding that your front door won’t open can throw your whole day into chaos. You might be rushing to get to work, collect your children or attend an important appointment. Or perhaps you want to get home and sit down after a long afternoon. Whatever the situation, when you can’t open your front door, you need to solve the problem quickly. The good news is that these front door problems are usually quite simple to fix. Just try these easy ways to open a stuck door, and you should be able to get your day back on track. And if that doesn’t work, call DB Locksmiths on 07772 962 247 for 24-hour emergency locksmith services in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas. Why won’t my front door open? If your key broke in the lock , for example, you’re facing quite a clear problem. And there are a few steps you can take to prevent your key from breaking in a lock again. But one of the most frustrating things about a front door that won’t open is that it’s often hard to understand why the problem happened in the first place. This can happen for a few reasons, such as: Internal wear on the latch can keep it from moving back fully when you move the handle Broken springs inside the handle can leave the latch stuck in place A dropped door might cause the latch to catch on the frame rather than release Hot weather can cause your front food to expand, putting pressure on the lock Dirt or corrosion can stop the handle or lock mechanism from operating smoothly A damaged gearbox could prevent a multi-point lock from disengaging properly Finding out why your front door won’t open doesn’t solve the problem, of course. But understanding the cause can make it much easier to carry out our quick fixes. What not to do when your front door won’t open When your front door won’t open, it’s tempting to use force - especially if you’re locked out of your house at night . But this can make the problem much, much worse. So before we look at how to fix a front door that won’t open, be aware that you: Must not kick or shoulder the door, as this can damage the frame, hinges and lock Must not force the key if it feels stuck, as this could make your key break in the lock Must not use a screwdriver, knife or other tool to force the mechanism, as it could break Must not pull aggressively on the handle, which could cause it to come off in your hand A professional local locksmith can repair most front door problems quickly and affordably without replacing your door handle or the locking mechanism. But if you cause unnecessary damage, it’s just going to cost you more money - and it won’t get you into your house safely! Quick fixes for a front door that won’t open It’s most likely that your front door won’t open because of alignment, wear or a partially engaged locking mechanism. Try these quick fixes in order to get your front door open again: Push or pull the door gently as you move the handle, as this can free a latch that’s catching on the frame Move the handle up and down (or left and right) several times to return a stuck latch to its normal position Lift the door slightly by the handle as you try to open it, which can correct a door that’s dropped and catching on the frame For a uPVC door, lift the handle fully before trying to open it again, as some locking points might be holding it shut If your door key won’t turn in the lock , try a spare one in case your first is worn or damage Remove and reinsert your key to engage the locking mechanism properly before trying to open it again Apply a small amount of graphite or silicone lubricant to a stiff lock to reduce friction between moving parts In most cases, these simple solutions will free up your handle, latch or lock, helping you get back inside. Hopefully, this was just a one-off problem. But if it happens again, it’s a good idea to call a trusted local locksmith to fix the underlying problem. Otherwise, your front door could stop working completely at the worst possible time! What to do if your front door still won’t open If you’ve tried these basic checks and quick fixes but your front door still won’t open, it’s time to call a locksmith. Professional locksmiths can easily spot what causes a stuck front door. And we usually solve the problem with a few simple repairs rather than full replacement. At DB Locksmiths, we provide 24-hour emergency locksmith services across Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas. So no matter why your front door won’t open or when the issue strikes, you can always rely on us for a fast, affordable fix. Call us today on 07772 962 247 to get your front door working properly again.