I've never been a fan of durability/repair mechanics, and would not be sad to see them go.
I agree that there should be the ability to bash open chests or break down doors.
I also agree that doing either of those two should come at some cost, since it is not the normal way of opening them.
If the cost of burning down a door is essentially "time and you may be noticed" then surely the same cost could apply to smashing down the door as well. It takes multiple hits (equivalent to the time it takes to burn it down) and makes a lot of noise (equivalent to people noticing the door on fire).
Likewise, the cost of bashing open a chest could be the same as the cost of burning the chest.
If durability/repair needs to stay in the game, then perhaps make it only possible at a stationary facility (a town's blacksmith shop, or at your eventual "home base"). So if something breaks while you are out adventuring, the "cost" is that you have to use something else until you get back to town/base, at which point everything can be repaired with a single click of the anvil, or whatever.
Even then, I'd still rather it be a very rare occurrence, as again, I find durability/repair to be an annoyance more than a value added.
