I scared of my new house

[HouseyMcHouseFace]

Please talk some sense into me. I’m normally a very rational, non-woo person.

I recently moved into my dream house. I’ve always dreamed of living in a period property and I now live in an absolutely gorgeous medieval farm house. It’s even got a secret passageway!

But dh works away Monday-Friday and I’ve so far spent the evenings sitting in my dc’s bedroom after they fall asleep. The first night I was on my own I lit a fire and snuggled up and watched a film which turned out to be quite scary. Then a branch banged into the window, I complete crapped myself and ran up to dc’s bedroom and didn’t come out until morning.

This week I’ve even felt on edge during the day when I’m in the house. There’s lots of creaks and odd noises and I just can’t relax.

I know there’s no such thing as ghosts. So why am I being such a tit? I can’t possibly tell dh - I spent years convincing him how happy I’d be living in an old house 🤦‍♀️.

Has anyone else managed to overcome their fear of living in the house they’d always alwanted to live in.

@Venus dear God I hope not

I've got bats in the attic, the previous owners did not declare them as they are obliged to, the first night I heard scratching in the walls behind the head board of our bed and said to my husband "what the fuck is that! " he calmly responded, I think we have bats. So I wasn't scared because I knew what it was.

As I was going to sleep last night I heard them, and it made me think of this thread. You just need to logicalise the sounds, then the fear goes away,

I do always explain to over night guests though we have them, as I woildnt wish anyone to be laying there scared by hearing the scratching noises, particularly on the top floor, where you can hear them in the ceiling above your head.

Are the walls too thick for smart plugs and lamps? You could set the lighting up so that it all comes on at a certain time or you can switch it on by voice when needed.

We have smart light bulbs in every room. That way you can turn all the lights on without moving getting out from under the covers

bats are protected so you cant move them i think they are mega cute

The smart plugs don’t work due to the walls being thick and made of granite. In the cold light of day (and the company of adults!) I realise how daft I’m being and I do love the house.

I really think my worries are more a fear of people (alive ones) being able to be in the house and me not know. We only lived in a 2 bedroom flat before with one entrance. This place has a front door, back door and side door, as well as the passage that opens straight out into the garden (there’s a trap door there but it’s not secure) and there’s a door behind the downstairs loo that opens into the garage which then goes through into a cave which is also not secure. I think I’ll get a security person round to block up all the unused entrances and then I may feel a bit more secure.

We used to live in a very old house when I was a child. The staircase was ancient and creaky, and the floorboards would “ping” back up a couple of seconds after you had trodden on them, so as you walked up the stairs you could hear them move one by one behind you as if someone was following you. Obviously petrifying at first, but one of the things we all came to love about our home.

Our elderly neighbour very enthusiastically told my siblings and I to “just think of all the births and deaths that have happened in your bedrooms” which, as an adult, I think is one of the most amazing things about having an old house, but as a 6 year old meant that I couldn’t sleep for weeks 😬

You'll get used to it, OP. You'll learn to love all the noises and little oddities. I definitely agree with the PP who said you need a dog!

I can’t get a dog sadly, dh would murder me. I’d love one though.

I grew up in my parents' old farm house. It's back door is quite away from the front door and living room and it also has two staircases and access through a coal house.
I know what you mean about worrying about people being in there that you wouldn't know about. I used to hate it when my parents went out without locking up. It played in my mind that anyone could have got into the house and be hiding away and I wouldn't have a clue!
I got into the habit of locking up the back door before they went if they were heading out for the evening which made me feel so much better.
Even now if DH is away I lock the doors as soon as I get home, and that's in a 3 bed semi on a busy street

I know pps said to get a dog but ours was worse than the cats. Every now and again he would run to the window barking madly at something out in the darkness. It was probably just a fox or cat but it used to terrify me.
It can't have done me too much harm though as I'm constantly on rightmove looking for our next house which I'm determined to be out in the sticks somewhere again.

The secret passageway goes from the front room to halfway down the garden. It’s a trap door that I’ve already had to put a sofa over it as dc we’re taking turns locking each other in there.

Your dc aren't scared then!! Copy them and embrace it. You know it was a branch.

Sounds like an amazing house

bats are protected so you cant move them i think they are mega cute

Aw fantastic that!, love to see them flying excellent little avaitors them:)

I've got a last thing at night routine front door, side back other doors make sure the oven and cooker are off DD's hair tongs and other stuff are unplugged etc

If the OP wants to scare herself some more a candle or two or three on a windy night can put the wind up most anyone unless fluid dynamices is your thing:)

Youre never going to get used to it by hiding every evening in your childrens bedrooms. Hopefully a few evenings relaxing downstairs while your husband is home will help.

Then on Monday - glass of wine, plenty lights on and something nice and light on TV. No more hiding in bedrooms

bats are protected so you cant move them i think they are mega cute

Yeah, I know, they'd make us vacate the house before they got rid of the bats. To be fair I don't mind them, but I don't like it if I leave a window open at night and one flies in by mistake, so I'm anal about shutting the windows when it's dark. They are quite big and swoop fast round the room, it's not nice.

On top of that the babies get confused and a few times we have been sitting watching tv and one falls down the chimney, and lands with a plonk on the rug, I can't say I'm a fan of that either, and if I was alone would likely need to get a neighbour in. 🤣

Having grown up in a succession of very old houses I know the noises you speak of!
Even as someone who had never known any different, I still got caught out occasionally.

Worst one was when I was home alone for a night at C14yo, and I kept hearing a loud BANG, plus whistling wind, plus the bloody screech owl in the garden. Sat frozen to the sofa for a couple of hours before taking a torch around the house to find the noise. Turned out my mum hadn't latched her bedroom window properly, and the wind was banging it.

There will be creaky floorboards, draughty whistles through windows/doors, electrical noises, chimney noises, random rattling, gravel crunching, blah blah blah. And that's before you count helpful rodents skittering around the attic.

Once you've settled in all those noises will become background, but it takes a while. You're just slowing the process down by hiding upstairs every night!
In the meantime, fit large bolts inside the unused doors, top and bottom, it'll put your mind at rest.

Get a religious person (priest) round to bless the house. Ensure all entrances are secure, especially the trapdoor! As a pp said, get a lot of lights and get rid of any dark corners. If there are dark patches between light switches, you may have to create new lights and get a bit of remedial plastering done.

I always rather liked the noises in the houses I've lived in. I could always rationalize them. Oh it's just the dogs, wind, tree etc.

We have alarm sensors on external doors & set them in the evening when we’re not going outside any more.

A friend of mine has a system where if one specific door is opened, a loud ‘double beep’ is heard throughout the house to indicate it’s been opened.

It’s all so different at night, I do feel for you.

Have you tried introducing yourself to the house?
It sounds mad but when I lived in an old creaky spooky house I stood up once and said 'hello, I'm X . I'm living here for a while, and I'm going to take care of this place'
It did make me feel better, and when all the ancient fuses kept blowing walking about with a candle wasn't half so scary.
I even managed ghost films on my own.
I'm not particularly frightened of woo though, more of burglars and fires.

Oh i saw the new Sabrina series advertised, any good? misses point of thread

Can't help with ghosts but I your house sounds amazing OP. A secret passage! A cave! It's like something in a famous 5 book.

It’s really good bluelone, just slightly darker than I expected.

House is awesome ginny, thanks! I’m just surprised at how uncomfortable I feel in what is truly my dream home.

I’d rather have a dog than a husband.