Leaving your Spanish home empty for the winter: how to secure windows, shutters and the front door

Where the weak points usually are

• Old aluminium sliding windows and doors. On many of them the sash can be lifted off the track from outside if there is no anti-lift block, and the hook latch is small.
• Ground-floor windows and patio doors, and those facing terraces, patios or gardens where nobody can see them from the street.
• Roller shutters that can be pushed up from outside. A closed shutter with no lock feels safe, but it can be forced upwards.
• Front doors with a single locking point, exposed hinges or a cylinder that sticks out of the lock plate.
• Single glass or non-laminated double glazing in doors and windows that can be reached: once it breaks, the opening is free.

What really helps, window by window

Sliding windows and doors

Sliders are practical and let in a lot of light, but they are the first thing worth checking. On a new slider we ask for multi-point locking instead of the simple hook and an anti-lift block so the sash cannot be taken off the track. If the slider is old and the sash has play at the top, stops can sometimes improve it; if the profile is worn, replacing it makes more sense. More about the options in sliding windows.

Tilt-and-turn windows

A good tilt-and-turn window closes with perimeter hardware: several locking points around the sash instead of one. You can ask for security locking points and a lockable handle, useful on the ground floor. Watch out for a very common habit: leaving the window tilted to air the house while you are away. It looks closed, but it is not.

Laminated glass

Laminated glass is two panes bonded by a plastic interlayer. When it is hit, it cracks but the pieces stay stuck to the interlayer and the opening does not give way easily. In glazed doors, patio doors and ground-floor windows it is the upgrade that makes most sense. In double glazing it is used as one of the two panes, so you do not lose insulation. As a guide, in our prices laminated safety glass adds €95 to €130 per window, depending on size.

Roller shutters

The shutter is the first barrier, and it also protects the glass from sun and salt while the house is closed. High-density aluminium slats are stiffer than PVC ones. A motorised shutter is harder to push up from outside because the motor holds the axle. With a timer you can raise and lower it at different times so the house does not look shut up. See shutters and insect screens.

Front door

For a home that stays empty for months we recommend a multi-point lock that locks at several points along the frame, anti-lever hinges, a security cylinder that does not stick out of the plate, and laminated glass if the door is glazed. Aluminium and PVC doors do not swell or rust in sea air the way wooden or iron doors do. More in front doors.

Do not forget the damp

A house closed for the winter on the coast collects damp: mould spots, a musty smell and windows that are wet in the morning. Since leaving windows ajar is not a good idea, the best option is ventilation that works with the windows closed, such as trickle vents in the frame or wall grilles, and leaving interior doors and wardrobes open. We explain it in window condensation in Spain. If your windows are old and let the cold in, you will notice that too when you come back: see cold, draughty windows.

Checklist before you lock up

1. Close every window fully, not tilted, and check that the handles are pointing down.
2. Lower the shutters and, if they are motorised, set a few timed up-and-down movements.
3. Lubricate the locks and the tracks of the sliders: with the salt air they seize up within a few months.
4. Clean the tracks and drainage holes of the sliders so autumn rain does not stay inside.
5. Leave a key with a neighbour or a key-holding service that checks the house now and then, especially after storms.
6. Check your home insurance: some policies require a security lock or have special conditions when the house is empty for a long time.

How we help

• Free measuring within 30 km of our workshop: we tell you which windows and doors are worth upgrading and which are fine.
• We make PVC windows, aluminium windows, sliders, shutters and front doors in San Fulgencio and fit them with our own team.
• If you are abroad, we can arrange the visit with whoever has your keys and send you photos and the quote by WhatsApp or email, in English, Spanish, German, Russian or Ukrainian. See also our guide for owners who live abroad.
• We work in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar, Santa Pola and across the Vega Baja.