You turn the key as far as it goes. It feels unlocked. And the door does not move. It is one of the most common calls a locksmith gets, and the cause is nearly always one of a handful of things.
The door has dropped
Hinges wear, and a heavy door slowly sags. The bolt or latch then rubs against the keep in the frame, so even when the lock is open the door is held by friction.
Try: lift the door slightly by the handle, or push it firmly towards the frame, while turning the key. If it opens, the hinges and keep need adjusting before it jams for good.
The multipoint has not fully released
On many chalet and armoured doors, lifting the handle throws extra bolts at the top and bottom, and the key only locks them. If the handle is not pushed fully down after unlocking, some of those bolts stay in.
Try: unlock, then push the handle all the way down and hold it there as you pull.
There is a second lock
Many older timber doors, in the centre and in El Ravalet for example, have a second lock higher up, or a bolt inside. Someone may have used it without telling you.
Try: look at the edge of the door and the frame for a second keyhole or keep.
The cylinder spins, but nothing happens
If the key turns round and round with no resistance, the part of the cylinder that moves the bolt (the cam) may have broken, or the cylinder has come loose in the door. No amount of turning will help.
Try: nothing more. That one needs a locksmith.
Habits that turn a stuck door into a broken one
- Do not force the key: a snapped key in the cylinder turns a stuck door into a harder job.
- Do not shoulder the door: frames split before locks give.
- Do not spray oil into the cylinder; a dry lubricant is fine, oil gathers dust.
If none of this works and you are outside, see how doors are opened without damage. If it opened but the lock is clearly worn, a booked lock change avoids the next time. If the keys are not in your hand at all but on a desk in Alicante, read this, and if you have just bought the house, which locks to change first.