To be suspicious of somebody taking a photo of my house?

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

I was sitting in the living rom when I noticed a car drive up, stop outside my house, the passenger window wound down and the passenger took a photo of my house using a phone camera. I don't recognise these people and couldn't get outside quick enough to ask them what the hell they were doing as they drove off straight after taking the photo and I had a toddler under my feet. There were two women in the car - fairly young. I did manage to read the number plate and wrote it down as soon as I could. We are a small street - only 20 houses and they didn't take a picture of any other house.
Why would somebody do this?
I can only think they were up to no good.

[Toffeelatteplease]

They used to live in the house (or had family who did) and we're seeing how it looked now/trip down memory lane ?

[BarbarianMum]

How would taking a picture of a house help you get up to no good?

[wonkylegs]

Maybe they liked what you've done with something on your house so took a picture for reference?
We get a lot of people stopping and looking at our porch/ front door as they like it and a few have taken photos, same goes for the little animal silhouette statue we have at the front.
Otherwise I'd just make sure you lock up well when you are out and be security conscious.

[clairethewitch70]

This happened to me - turned out they were using my house as a clue on a church treasure hunt (unusual weathervane).

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

I was thinking they could be 'casing the joint' barbarian

[Leatherboundanddown]

Possible explanations:

They like your house or at least something about it. They want your curtains/shutters/door colour/windows.

They are doing up a similar house and looking for ideas

They were not taking a photo of your house but instead of the sky/a cloud in it/a tree.

They think you are beautiful and instagram worthy.

Someone has hired them as private investigators to spy on you.

[ScarlettFreestone]

I drove up to a house last year stopped outside and took several pictures before driving away.

It was a house I lived in when I was very young. I was passing through that city and had some spare time. The pictures were for my parents.

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

We have a very normal looking house for the area. The house does have a double storey side extension but it is a couple of decades old and isn't really out of the ordinary for the area. The garden is nothing special, nobody would want a picture of it and the direction of the camera was definitely the house and not the garden - if anything the upstairs Windows .
We know the previous 2 sets of occupants and it wasn't either of them and we have been here for almost a decade.
I see no logical reason for taking a picture of one house in a street.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

They were still playing Pokemon Go and caught one in your garden. Apparently there are 3 in our garden and we had lots of visitors when it was first out!

[BarbarianMum]

Well I'm not a burglar but I think if I was going to rob a house I'd want to have a good look for a point of entry. Preferably I'd want a look at the back of the house, the size of windows and whether they had window locks. Burglar alarm, door locks, signs of a dog. A photo from a car wouldn't help with those things any more than a quick look.

And you saw them and got their reg - they must be spectacularly incompetent if they are criminals.

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

They think you are beautiful and instagram worthy.

Only in my wildest dreams!

[FeckinCrutches]

Pokemon Go!

[Leatherboundanddown]

I really think you are overthinking it.

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

Could be feckin. I forgot about that Pokemon nonsense.

[xStefx]

I love the Pokémon go explanation. It may be something to do with your extension OP or could be an old resident.

[PortiaCastis]

Pokemon go

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

My neighbours car was broken into 3 days ago leather so I have good reason to be overthinking it (if I am).

[FireInTheHead]

Maybe real estate agents using your house as a comparison for local properties they're selling? We moved in in May and I've spotted 3 or 4 different people do the same at our house since then. I was a bit 'huh?' like you until I was outside sweeping the porch a couple of weeks ago and a man drove in and stopped outside. He rolled down his window and asked if I minded if he got a pic since he was selling a house nearby and wanted to use ours, as a fairly recent sale of a similar house, as a comp.
I'm in the USA though so it might not be that there.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Are you sure you're not a pokestop?

[Marcipex]

We did this a few weeks ago, it was DHs childhood home.

Sorry homeowner, whoever you are

[gabsdot]

I've done this before. A few times when I was in the market for a new front door I took some pictures of doors I liked to show DH. Also I took a photo of the house I lived in when I was little .

[PossumInAPearTree]

I reckon pokemon go as well. I play it and am forever getting funny looks.

[drspouse]

Maybe real estate agents using your house as a comparison for local properties they're selling?

Our estate agent showed us recently sold properties for comparison but she had all the photos already, I suspect either from archives on Zoopla/Right Move or from Google Street View. No need to take photos of the houses.

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

I just checked the Pokemon map (didn't even know there was such a thing) and we are not listed as being a stop. The nearest stop was nearly a mile away.