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Original poster

Come on in, or knock first?

46 replies

NorthEndGal · 29/02/2020 09:44

If you have friends or family coming over, say they told you they'd be by after supper, so you know they are coming, do you make them knock?

OP posts:

Lotuscup563 · 29/02/2020 09:46

Everyone knocks to get into my house, but I live in an area where this is normal because doors are shut, when my mum moved far away and I went to visit, new friends, neighbours just walked in!! It’s normal up there as the door is on a latch- I would not be able to live like that at all and my mouth hit the floor when the first person walked in, I get invaded and it wasn’t even my home!

So I think it depends on what’s normal in your area, but I would never allow it no matter where I lived.

Lotuscup563 · 29/02/2020 09:47

*felt

ErrrNo · 29/02/2020 09:49

Always knock. It's just polite isn't it?

Unless you/they have been told to go straight in

Original poster

NorthEndGal · 29/02/2020 09:55

I have always told family and friends to just walk in, and they do.
We are a very casual house, we dont mind unexpected visitors or such.

I had a newish friend over, when the other one popped by, and new friend afterwards kept commenting how shocking it was that friend 2 had just walked in.

I thought that was how most people did things with there family and close friends, so I thought I'd ask.
I've been the odd one before, though...

OP posts:

CatFaceCats · 29/02/2020 09:57

With close friends/family that are expecting me, then I just walk in, shout hello.
If I’m just dropping something off unexpectedly, then I would knock. But it’s very rare I’d turn up at someone’s house without them knowing!

Magnificentme · 29/02/2020 09:58

Knock then walk in doesn't bother me as I always know they are coming over

Coffeenofilter · 29/02/2020 10:00

My husband works from home, as do his colleagues, and when they come round for work related stuff they just walk in. I hate it! I'm home with young kids at the moment, and always feel tense at the thought someone could just waltz in at any time. I like a bit of warning to be able to cover up if breastfeeding or shove the unsightly pile of laundry behind the sofa etc ;)

No issue with family coming straight in though.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 29/02/2020 10:02

I have an aunt with a walk in rule. We lived far away so wouldn’t have turned up unannounced/uninvited.

Everyone else (except my parents’ house), I knock even though they know I’m coming. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing anything else.

TheMemoryLingers · 29/02/2020 10:03

I never leave the door on the latch so they'd have to.

mynameiscalypso · 29/02/2020 10:06

I would always knock - I have keys to my parents but would never use them even if I'm expected and will always knock. Partly this is because my DF likes to walk round without any trousers on though

myplateisfullenoughthanks · 29/02/2020 10:09

Knock and walk in whilst wailing cooeeeeeeeeeeeee
Well its what my mum and best friends do and I love it!
and actually its what I do when visiting certain people

Em8725 · 29/02/2020 10:15

My door is always open and everyone knows it. Quite literally, I leave it unlocked during the day when I’m in, and friends/family drop by all the time. Yesterday I ended up with two mum friends and all their kids in my house, I love it.

viccat · 29/02/2020 10:18

The idea of having my front door unlocked is kind of an alien concept to me so I've never had to think about this - the door is always locked so they'd have to knock!

raspberryk · 29/02/2020 10:20

We are a walk in house to our close friends and family, I have about 3 close friends I also just walk in to.
Other people need to knock though.

StarlightLady · 29/02/2020 10:59

So do the “no knockers” (pardon the phrase!), leave their doors open?

How do you prevent unwanted types walking in?

TeddyIsaHe · 29/02/2020 11:01

I always have my chain on and door locked, but if I have people I know coming over I text them to let them know the door is open.

Everyone else knocks.

Lunafortheloveogod · 29/02/2020 11:04

Who is it and who’s house situation for us.

We knock n walk in for most close family, I ask they don’t knock here incase ds is sleeping (dogs will bark at a knock but not a person they know) and my friend was the same with her dd she’d rather someone quietly said hello than a sudden thud as she lay down the baby. Wouldn’t automatically walk into others though.

We are a weird family though, our back doors are usually unlocked front doors locked.. don’t know why it started but we rarely go in front doors and I’m talking 3 generations of going round the back.

ExpletiveDelighted · 29/02/2020 11:07

I've never lived in a house with the sort of door that can be left open, aways had yale type locks, so walking in isn't an option here. I always knock at friends houses, I suppose I assume that everyone else has the same sort of lock as us, it wouldn't occur to me to try the handle.

Lotuscup563 · 29/02/2020 11:10

Doors around here can’t be opened from the outside without a key- I never even knew doors had latches and could be opened from the outside until my mum moved far away, to a different part of the country, it’s not normal for people here to just walk in as they can’t, so it’s completely alien to me, even if I was told to walk in when I arrived I wouldn’t be able to do it without knocking....what if they are on the toilet or something!?

GaaaaarlicBread · 29/02/2020 11:12

We prefer it if people knock first , but my grandmas door is always unlocked and she tells me off if I knock as she says just walk in. Everyone is different I guess ! If our door is unlocked my brother has a habit of just walking in doesn’t even knock first and it drives me mad

letsdolunch321 · 29/02/2020 11:12

Have to knock to get in to mine - maybe this is why I don't get many visitors 😂

dustibooks · 29/02/2020 11:13

You can't open our front door from the outside without a key, so they have to knock.

Pipandmum · 29/02/2020 11:19

A good friend always leaves her door unlocked and if she is expecting me I do just walk in, but she's the only one. If was going to my parents or younger sister I'd knock as I was walking in. My older sister I'd probably knock then wait.
Any other friend I'd definitely knock then wait for them to answer and the same if visiting me (dont want to be caught on the loo)!
I do have a cleaner and a handyman and they let themselves in (with keys), but I know when they are coming, they wouldn't if it wasn't a scheduled time.

Whitelisbon · 29/02/2020 11:21

Nobody knocks here, just walks in. Even the postman just walks in to pop the post on the table.
I honestly dont know the last time I knocked on someones door, we all tend to just open it and shout hello on our way in.

2020runner · 29/02/2020 12:22

Rural northerner here, everyone walks straight into my house. I dont mind people walking in but wish theyd make a noise or knock on their way in. Dh and I have been caught in bed in the middle of the day twice (!) By the same friend. Several times I've jumped out of my skin by people suddenly being there and generally I like to walk around with very little on 🙈 I walk into my friends houses but call out or knock as I do

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