AIBU people staring into my house

[Wheredidallmytreesgo]

Having the front garden wall redone. Living room at the front of the house, exposed. Fairly sizeable driveway but still, several times a day (and worse, evening when I’ve got my slobs on and stuffing my face with snacks 😁), people stop outside my house, gawping and pointing at the work being done and shamelessly staring into my living room/at me. For actually what’s a very uncomfortable amount of time.

AIBU? I feel like I’m in a zoo. Don’t people realise that this is quite rude?!

Any ideas of how to respond? I usually duck and hide but this evening tried just hard staring at one couple, as they were really pointing and discussing the house/looking straight at me. Didn’t seem to do anything though. Maybe walking around naked should scare them off.

PS, we don’t have any curtains because it’s a great window with a window seat, and there was/will be a nice high wall so this problem won’t last forever. But just to say we can’t draw the curtains 😭

[AMileInMyShoes]

Wave 👋

[AMileInMyShoes]

But in honesty.

Unless you have your light on and its very dark outside, they more than likely can't even see you

[TorysSuckRevokeArticle50]

Very cheap and temporary solution, it won't look like beautiful curtains but it will do the job and look ok.

Get a pressure rod from wilko for £5.

Take a duvet cover from your cupboard.

Place rod inside duvet cover right to the end along the seam, and fit into window.

You can place it at the top of the window or half way down so people can't see through but you still get light from above the 'curtain'.

[glennamy]

Stick a photo of you stuffing your face on the wall being built... That should scare them off PDQ!

[introv3rt]

Omg We are also getting work done, we had hedges around our house and have had them ripped out, replacing with a fence instead, had all the grass dug up and getting fake grass so no more maintenance, and we are getting a new back garden fence so we are also exposed at the moment. Nobody is looking through the windows at us, but every single time I go near the windows I keep catching people walking past having a good look at the work being done, some neighbours are stopping to chat about it, I can see them looking and pointing, would love to know what they're saying. And some even chat to the gardener on their way past, again not sure what they are saying. Definitely feel like the talk of the street right now 😂😂😂

[Wheredidallmytreesgo]

I’m
Not evening kidding. A couple just spent a full 2-3 mins walking past, stopping at different parts, staring at various aspects of the work we are having done. Even DH, who notices nothing, was like “what the fuck?”

If my windows were easier to open I would have actually opened and said “may I help you?”

[Localocal]

I would use duct tape and a sheet to cover the window until the wall is finished.

[Wheredidallmytreesgo]

@introv3rt

You get it!!!!!

[TheSandman]

Omg We are also getting work done, we had hedges around our house and have had them ripped out, replacing with a fence instead, had all the grass dug up and getting fake grass so no more maintenance, and we are getting a new back garden fence so we are also exposed at the moment. Nobody is looking through the windows at us, but every single time I go near the windows I keep catching people walking past having a good look at the work being done, some neighbours are stopping to chat about it, I can see them looking and pointing, would love to know what they're saying.

"Jesus! will you look at the fecking mess they've made. That used to be a garden - now look at it. I mean fake grass! How tacky is that.?"

[Angrywife]

Im so nosy, i love looking in people's windows 😆 i do look away if i spot someone in the room though.
My grandad was awful. He would stop and put his walking stick up to the window (pavement fronted houses) and point out a clock or painting or fireplace etc that he liked. He lived in the backroom of his house, i dont think he'd ever considered there might be someone in the room wondering what he was doing 😆

[Barney60]

Old fashioned now I know but it works cheap and simple good old windowlene, rub on leave, they can not see in.
Saw recently which I thought was fab, was a roll of wrapping paper if upvc windows sellotape a roll to top of inside of frame, roll down carefully as sun goes down roll back up in the morning.... if you want too!

[Porcupineinwaiting]

@TheSandman arf

[mrsmummy111]

..........

Have you considered net curtains? Don't think anyone else has suggested it yet so thought I probably should. In case you hadn't already considered that.

[Thisismytimetoshine]

raise a glass to them and laugh at them
How charming you all sound, full of true Christmas spirit.

[cherryblossommorningstoday]

Stare back

We are mid garden landscaping and have no garden fence at the moment. We live on a private side road with access to 3 houses. It is a dead end. Today 2 people on bikes cycled down and stopped to stare at our garden! Straight in and at our house. I stared back whilst my OH cringed!

[Biber]

Something to think about is how visible you'd be to the street when it's dark and your lights are on, Would windowlene work then? I'm not sure the suggestions of window film would, and voiles certainly wouldn't.

The investment in plants or a moveable screen sound good. See picture for similar to what I have. They come in different sizes and colours. Or, lower budget but less nice looking, is taping paper, your DH's posters as you suggested earlier, or even newspaper up.

The pressure fitting rods do work well. But if your widow is wide you'll need something stronger than the Wilko net rods. There are telescopic poles for shower curtains that are more substantial. BUT both sorts only work if you have a window recess with walls at a right angle. With even a slight slope, they are not secure. Been there, got the tee shirt.

[Celestine70]

Put a sign in the window, mind your own business. I have a step-father that likes to peer in people's windows.

[syskywalker]

Get some nets. Or get over it.

[CountessFrog]

Gosh people do this outside my house because it’s quite distinctive.

I just wave!

[Jodes79]

Oh this gets my goat! This has started happening to me on a regular basis! And it’s really pissing me off! I live in a semi detached, my living room with a large-ish window is at the front of the house. There is a communal pathway leading down the side of my house that’s sometimes used to access the back gardens. For some reason, I don’t know if it’s the many new neighbours, or the fact that everyone is at home right now, but recently there has been a huge amount of human traffic walking up this path and every single time, they stare straight in, looking directly at me! It’s not like I’m doing anything weird or in any way interesting, I’m generally just sitting, working on my laptop. And it’s the same people! I mean how many times do you need to look in and see me doing the same boring thing!? Before anyone says it, I do have a blind, but it is a black out blind and I don’t fancy sitting in the dark all day just because I have exceptionally nosey neighbours.

I have found a temporary solution though, it’s not particularly pretty, but it’s cheap and will do for now while I’m working from home and the neighbours are being pains in the arse. No, I haven’t put up a sign saying F off, although I really wanted to. I bought a roll of one-way-mirror film. It sticks using static rather than any messy glue, and works a treat! I can still see out to the trees and nosey neighbours, but they can’t see in. Having said that, if it’s dark outside and I have the lights on, it doesn’t do the job, but I can just pull the blinds down which obviously, @Wheredidallmytreesgo you won’t be able to do. I hope you’ve found a solution!

[angelfacecuti75]

Wave..
Or put a sign up saying please don't stare into my living room you nosey fuckers.

[Dontcoughnearme]

No curtains? Security issue.

[HippoMumsy]

Get some multicoloured chalk paint pens and draw some nice designs on your window, almost like a stained glass style! Then when the works done, the chalk paint will wash off with some window spray cleaner and a wipe! Means you’ll still get the light from the window but people won’t be able to see you as much!!

[Wheredidallmytreesgo]

Ahhhh, I have found my people. @Jodes79 @cherryblossommorningstoday and @CountessFrog I think people who haven’t experienced just don’t understand!

@Dontcoughnearme

Not really - we have several cameras and a banham security system 🤷🏻‍♀️ And a dog. No one is getting into our house (Just staring in)

[ittakes2]

Aluminium foil which is also good to block out the light.