A man just walked into my house...

[luciapenguin]

I was upstairs, and went to open the window when I see a man walking out of my house (out of my front garden). I watched him from the window and he didn't go into anyone else's house, and left our street.

I thought it was really odd as he wasn't a Royal Mail postman or anything, but I went downstairs to check whether he had put anything through our letterbox. Nothing there. I opened the door to see if anything he had put in the letterbox had fallen out- again, nothing.

Can anyone think of a logical explanation (I have anxiety) or is this really dodgy?

I often have people walk up to my house, possibly to leaflet drop. See I’ve got a side gate and change their mind. Perhaps they think I’ve got a dog and don’t fancy taking the risk.

Looking for a lost pet?

Perhaps he just got the wrong house? I’ve pit my key in the neighbours door before. It’s not really a big deal. You mKe it sound like he was in your house fgs.

So he wasn't in you house, just to your front door

Prehaps trying his luck. Or checking tonsee if he can come back later to take stuff. Do people still mark doors or walls to tell others there's protential here?

Well for starters he didn’t actually walk into your house.

Wrong door.
I've done it myself. On the wrong road and realised at the last minute, I'm at the wrong door.
Also happened when a friend just moved and they'd text street instead of road, realised and sent me a text just as I'm about to knock.

No point in knocking to say to the person oops, I'm at the wrong door.

Well he walked in and walked out, I don't know how long he was in our front garden for as I only saw him leaving.

I'm concerned due to my area being prone to burglaries. I am alone with my extremely elderly grandparents, hence the concern

Maybe a chancer who tried the door.

I was on the upstairs landing in a towel once. Dh was in upstairs bathroom with DS. I heard the front door open and shouted "DH! There's someone in the house", to which a yell came up, "no! No there's not! Sorry!" DH charged down the stairs with the loft hatch pole brandished! Turns out it was a friend of the neighbours who'd got the wrong house (and obv not in the habit of knocking) Maybe something like a last minute realisation he had the wrong house?

Why would someone come inside my front garden, not knock/ring the bell, not leave anything, not go to anyone else's house on our street? There is no reasonable explanation of course there is! He could've walked up your path then realised he had the wrong house.

You’re right Op, there is no reasonable explanation. He obviously came to murder you. He probably walked out the front garden, backed up and snuck around the back instead. He’s probably picking your back lock as we speak. It’s inevitable I’m afraid!

If you don’t know how long he wasn’t in your garden then you don’t know if he was knocking on other doors ?

But if a concerning over reaction here. Starting a thread saying he walked into your house when actually he just came into the front garden changed his mind and left.

Could be a number of reasons, wrong house, his grandparents lived there fifty years ago and he bottled it, whatever,

As he didn't actually do anything and was in broad daylight I'd say it was not dodgy.

A whole family once trooped into our front room when I was a kid. We all just smiled at each other in a 'wtf' way

Do you have a sign on your door that says no cold callers? He might not have seen it until he got close up.

I think he was either a chancer or he's looking for houses to rob.

I can't say where I live as it would massively out me but something dreadful happened recently very near me, involving something similar (sorry this is so vague but it would out me)

We don't have a "no cold callers" sign, no

Worse case scenario is that he's casing your home for a possible break in later on. But there's a lot of other explanations: likes your garden and wanted to check it out; lost a pet; thought he saw something and went to see what it was; he was lost; the list goes on.

Well if something similar has happened locally you have a better idea of the motives of this man than we do

If you don’t know how long he wasn’t in your garden then you don’t know if he was knocking on other doors ?

Well after my house he just left the entire street? There would be other houses to knock on after me?

Why do you think he was a chancer or looking for someone to rob? People seldom do that in broad daylight on their own and in full view of all houses, and only target one specific house.

Doesn't seem likely.

Last week I popped round to see a friend. Got a bit distracted, lost in my own thoughts. Turned into the wrong front garden (3 houses down), got right up to the front door, was about to ring, when I realised my mistake. Hurried down the path and to the right house.
I hope they didn't notice and think I'd been scoping out their house to burgle later!

What was he wearing?

Many homes have cctv so a ne’er do well would most likely be wearing a hoody or face covering. Did he have a large hold-all?

I think you are making yourself anxious me upset over something that is most likely innocent.

Why would someone come inside my front garden, not knock/ring the bell, not leave anything, not go to anyone else's house on our street?

Let’s see...
Wrong house
Something blew off the pavement into your garden
They dropped something (and it blew into your garden)
Looking for lost pet
Somebody’s something had been dropped into the garden and they picked it up and put it on the fence
Saw a nice plant in your garden and wanted to get a closer look
Looking for a person

This really is nothing to worry about and if it is, there’s nothing you can do about it anyway so 🤷‍♀️