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AIBU?

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What is going on in this house?

462 replies

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 18:14

Right, this is going to sound nosy but here goes...
A house in a street I know was owned by an old lady with no family. When she died, her house stood empty for nearly a year then it started having work done. It's been bought by a health service far away from he town we live in (think I live in Liverpool and NHS Devon and Cornwall bought it) BTW these are not the real locations. So, they do lots of renovations, including putting a much higher fence up which has a key code entry they also put frosted film on every window. There's a new build extension on the side with coded keypads too. This is where 2 carers are. There are 4 carers altogether, 2 at a time and then a swap. There is one man who lives there . He is in his 30s , able bodied can move well etc I've seen him once or twice in the garden in a whole year. Another twice I saw a darkened van come to get him. He was only gone for an hour or so then back.
I cannot imagine the scenario this might be. I'm not curtain twitching and permanently watching but I am fascinated.

OP posts:
canklesmctacotits · 20/07/2026 20:13

Yes it's the fact that the NHS trust that's paid for this is so far away from this house. But, maybe it's worth it if the original place is very expensive? Can you tell if the carers work for the NHS trust of your area or the place that funded the works?

BauhausOfEliott · 20/07/2026 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ithinkilikethislittlelife · 20/07/2026 20:12

Mykneesareshot · 20/07/2026 19:52

Christ, who's paying for that (and the bungalow plus adjustments) for one person?

We are. It’s all incredibly expensive. I see children picked up in taxis with chaperones to and from my son’s junior school. It’s social care. It’s a huge cost.

likelysuspect · 20/07/2026 20:10

I wonder if people forget we are a social tribal species as humans. We drift in groups, we live in groups, we connect with others, we read others, we sense others, its instinctual and part of how we function

There is nothing abnormal or nosy about wondering who your neighbour is. Its completely appropriate

This is a chat forum, nothing more, nothing less so OP is musing on a chat forum about whats going on. Completely normal.

Minasama · 20/07/2026 20:09

It’s natural to want to know what’s going on at a state-run facility in your road.
Have you asked ChatGPT or researched the address online.
If the man is physically fit and healthy presumably he has mental issues, which is a bit concerning.

Goldengamer · 20/07/2026 20:06

LaurieFairyCake · 20/07/2026 18:30

It’s a half way house for ex offenders

sounds exactly like one on the street round the corner from where I used to live

I’ve got one opposite me, they put that film on the windows , they’ve prob done renovations inside to make self contained living . Ex offenders . We have a nightmare with the one opposite us , drugs mostly

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 20:06

SallyD00lally · 20/07/2026 20:05

Well it's all a bit of a nonsense then but I'll leave you to it.

Great thanks

OP posts:
Tulipvase · 20/07/2026 20:06

Pileoftrash · 20/07/2026 19:05

Find it crazy that the state would incur these costs for 1 person. House, reno + multiple staff... will cost several millions over a lifetime! I always assumed people that needed this intense care would be in some kind of secure hospital.

Nope. Councils spend a fortune on this kind of scenario. My husband had a case where the guy had autism and other co- morbidities and he would literally pull the pipes from within the walls. They had to keep moving him as he was so disruptive. Removing people’s freedom isn’t as easy as you’d think.

not just on people too. More money than you imagine is spent looking after people’s pets when the owners end up in care or hospitals.

SallyD00lally · 20/07/2026 20:05

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 20:03

As I made clear earlier I won't be talking about this in real life. I'm not expecting mumsnet to tell me the answer to my very specific neighbour (obviously)
I'm chatting. On a chat site

Well it's all a bit of a nonsense then but I'll leave you to it.

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 20:03

SallyD00lally · 20/07/2026 20:01

So they can politely ask a carer what the building is being used for, or even the council 🤷‍♂️

Local FB group is probably a good shout too.

But Mumsnet can't help.

As I made clear earlier I won't be talking about this in real life. I'm not expecting mumsnet to tell me the answer to my very specific neighbour (obviously)
I'm chatting. On a chat site

OP posts:
LakieLady · 20/07/2026 20:03

PyongyangKipperbang · 20/07/2026 18:37

Id wonder if it is someone who has been released from a secure psychiatric unit after a criminal conviction. Safe enough to be able to leave but not safe enough to be left alone.

For a while, I had a few clients who were ex-forensic secure mental health unit residents.

They went through a process where they gradually went from specialist secure MH units, to secure places where they had their own flats, but staffed 24/7 and they couldn't come and go as they pleased, to having their own accommodation with regular support visits.

It doesn't sound like that sort of thing to me.

SallyD00lally · 20/07/2026 20:01

Dollymylove · 20/07/2026 20:00

I would suggest that from the information that OP has provided, the neighbours have a right to know who is living in their midst.

So they can politely ask a carer what the building is being used for, or even the council 🤷‍♂️

Local FB group is probably a good shout too.

But Mumsnet can't help.

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 20:00

Dollymylove · 20/07/2026 20:00

I would suggest that from the information that OP has provided, the neighbours have a right to know who is living in their midst.

I don't feel like we have a right to know , I'm just being nosy!

OP posts:
Dollymylove · 20/07/2026 20:00

I would suggest that from the information that OP has provided, the neighbours have a right to know who is living in their midst.

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 19:58

PinkyFlamingo · 20/07/2026 19:55

No I don't think that's why you randomly started this thread at all ...NIMBY. 🙄

You need to be careful with all this eye rolling you'll strain your orbital muscles.
I hate to say I didn't know what NIMBY meant until I googled.
Again, you made a massive leap of assumption here. The irony is, people might be NIMBY about me if they knew my heritage and situation

OP posts:
Cacka · 20/07/2026 19:57

TheEasterBunny3 · 20/07/2026 18:57

Its possible that he has criminal conviction for something serious & also has a serious mental health condition which means he cant be left alone as he's too much of a risk to others so he needs to be monitored 24/7 for life. If he has served his sentence, is not able to be sectioned but still isnt safe to live freely amongst the general public, his local NHS trust will have the responsibility for keeping him safe and secure. It was probably cheaper to buy somewhere else rather than where he is from or it may be that whatever he has done means that he cannot live locally to where he is from anymore.

Either way, if he has no physical disabilities then it will more than likely be mental health related and to ensure that he causes no risk to others.

And I would also be really curious about this if it happened on my street - most people would be.

Yes this is it. I have a house on my street which is also owned by a care company and houses vulnerable young offenders. There are always 2-4 carers there, and every light in the house stays on 24 hours a day. This one is used for teenage boys who can’t be in YOIs due to being a danger to themselves and others due to complex needs (learning / MH difficulties or a combination). I expect yours is similar, OP.

likelysuspect · 20/07/2026 19:56

I dont know what sort of witness protection people envisage needing NHS staff for!!!

likelysuspect · 20/07/2026 19:55

Pileoftrash · 20/07/2026 19:05

Find it crazy that the state would incur these costs for 1 person. House, reno + multiple staff... will cost several millions over a lifetime! I always assumed people that needed this intense care would be in some kind of secure hospital.

Which is much more expensive and in which you need different types orders. A hospital would require someone to need hospital care/treatable condition. This person clearly doesnt need that.

PinkyFlamingo · 20/07/2026 19:55

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 19:24

OK so I randomly started a thread pretending to be nosy about this house. Odd, but ok.

No I don't think that's why you randomly started this thread at all ...NIMBY. 🙄

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 19:53

The cheaper house prices in my area compared to the nhs trust would make sense

OP posts:
heizfiftyseven · 20/07/2026 19:52

Mykneesareshot · 20/07/2026 19:52

Christ, who's paying for that (and the bungalow plus adjustments) for one person?

My thoughts entirely....

Mykneesareshot · 20/07/2026 19:52

Christ, who's paying for that (and the bungalow plus adjustments) for one person?

likelysuspect · 20/07/2026 19:51

Bookworm20 · 20/07/2026 19:37

The NHS lanyards from miles away are the thing that is throwing me. Aside from the property windows and security etc. If its assisted living, why have nhs staff from a trust hundreds of miles away?

I'd be curious too OP. Its hardly an everyday thing is it, I think most people would be curious about it if something like that popped up on their street.

Sometimes care packages have to come up with creative ways of meeting need, there may be no obvious specialist placement for him and so the trust has commissioned the purchase of a property which can provide a bespoke arrangement for him, perhaps property is cheaper where OP is, than where the NHS trust originates. Perhaps the patient needs to be in OPs area for some complicated reason even though his care packages is provided by the NHS trust from miles away.

Gwenna · 20/07/2026 19:49

Bookworm20 · 20/07/2026 19:37

The NHS lanyards from miles away are the thing that is throwing me. Aside from the property windows and security etc. If its assisted living, why have nhs staff from a trust hundreds of miles away?

I'd be curious too OP. Its hardly an everyday thing is it, I think most people would be curious about it if something like that popped up on their street.

Sometimes it’s better for some peoples’ needs to be away from areas and people they’re used to. Or it’s witness protection as someone else has said.

likelysuspect · 20/07/2026 19:48

Neighbourmystery · 20/07/2026 18:23

I am not trying to find out in real life. To be clear, I'm just interested. He's very healthy and able so I was just interested about the always 2 carers seperate living quarters and all the security etc

Its clearly supported living, he is obviously physically ok but perhaps has LD or MH or neurological conditions which means he needs looking after or something.