How do people relax in huge houses?

[mrsbeeton999]

It’s probably something I’ll never need to worry about but I’ve just been looking at a bit of property porn - huge houses with indoor pool, gym, cinema room. I think I’d never be able to have a relaxing swim in the basement or shut myself in the cinema room as I’d be worried about security in the rest of the house. In my house I can pretty much see all the house from the lounge and it’s easy to check front and back door are locked. I know some people have staff but not everyone in these houses would. I don’t think I’d feel confident swimming or watching a film if I was home alone.

I actually don't think about intruders at home very much. That said, we were staying in the Lakes last weekend and we stayed in a hotel with a boathouse room right on the lake.

It was idyllic, but very isolated and at around 11pm both DH and I saw the 'shadow' of a head backlit on the curtains. He threw the window open but there was no one there. That did unnerve us and neither of us slept very well after that. My main concern was having no where to run to get away from someone if they were intent on getting in. In a large house there is always somewhere to hide!!

Probably amazing security systems, I live in the middle of nowhere and have an overactive imagination about axe murderers and no one being able to hear me scream 😐 so have ring cameras for piece of mind, phone tells me if it's detected motion anywhere and a Yale alarm that you can set for different rooms.

Well, there's the home cinema room of course, and the library for a bit of peace and quiet, or the conservatory if you'd like some sunshine and plants, or the gym or swimming pool if you fancy some exercise. Don't forget the billiards room there's a bar in there too but we converted the smoking room into the fourth sitting room as nobody smokes any more.

I feel the same, I couldn’t live in the middle of nowhere either

I thought I was weird feeling like this. I grew up in a huge six bed multi reception room house and never felt safe when home alone. I now have a small 3 bed and feel relaxed knowing I can hear everything in the house. If I won the lottery I would make improvements but not move!

I wor for a company that manns CCTV for the very rich

We can spend a day in our house and not see each other - a saving grace during lock down! I used to worry being alone - always locking doors and windows downstairs if I was going upstairs or somewhere in the garden, now I don't. We have talked about down sizing but the thought of not having space or open-plan living with essentially one room downstairs fills me with horror.

Thought this was going to be about the amount of cleaning required!

Recently moved to a slightly bigger house and it's added at least 20% more cleaning time

Though I guess a cleaning staff would be part of a really big house

I don't live in a huge house, but the alarm panel bleeps if someone opens the front door, back door or garage doors.

In summer they are sometimes left unlocked.

I did once catch an intruder who had walked into my garage for a snoop when I had left the big door open, and I formerly had a neighbour who went in and borrowed things without asking. Fortunately another neighbour saw him and told me. So I am more particular now. The alarm will not set if I go out with a door open, and at night it has a "part set" for doors and downstairs zones.

People nearby whose gardens back onto a disused railway line are well known for having their bikes stolen and and sheds ransacked by walkers climbing over the fence.

My neighbour has a security system which texts his phone if anyone approaches the house and then he can view the cctv cameras on his phone.

@Suzi888

I’d employ a big beefy security guard with my millions and cameras everywhere! I know what you mean though, it’d freak me out. We back on to a wood and have very few neighbours, so I do get freaked out at times. I’ve got a Labrador but he would just show a burglar around plus he doesn’t bark either!

I’ve got one of those! She’d invite them in, lick them all over then roll over for a belly rub.

They'll have security guards, dogs, electric gates, high walls, doors which are automatically locked when closed and can only be opened from the inside, sophisticated alarm systems, panic rooms etc etc. Plus other staff around and about, it would never be just one person on their own knocking around an 11-bedroom mansion.

I imagine it's a bit unnerving at first but I think you'd get used to it after a while.

But another neighbour did go into the back of her large house one evening to find a bloke hiding behind the utility room door. 😳

Yup the cleaning is also a factor. Small house for me. I'd like the holy grail of small house enormous garden though. My friend has this.

I'd take our friend's dog. Has huge ears and can hear the click of a car door opening (or a gun being cocked) half a mile away. Bites first asks questions later if doesn't know the person.

We currently live in a big house (shared with MIL but it’s like 3 flats in one) and I don’t like being around on my own, too many doors on the bottom floor and places to hide and it’s a MARE to clean.

Also our kids can be somewhere in the house hiding and I don’t know where. We’re saving up for our own house and the biggest we want is a 4 bed or a 3 bed with a box room for an office

My house is fairly roomy and quite isolated. I have an alarm system which has a number of zones. I’m very used to it now, would struggle to have people around me!

In my house I can pretty much see all the house from the lounge and it’s easy to check front and back door are locked

You see, I'd feel far less safe in that situation. Nowhere to escape to, or hide.

My dog is useless as security. Asked df to walk him one day when were out a fair while. Apparently he let himself in and had to wake the dog for his walk.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow Tigers are a daft idea because they're solitary and territorial - they'll scare each other off. Also, they'll climb trees and drop on the ponies. You want lions

Damn! I typed lions first, then altered it because tigers sounded more lavish!

I have a big house. I never worry about bad guys breaking in at the other side of the house from the side I'm in. Never.

It is not a high crime area here. Even people with flashy cars haven't had break ins. Well, obviously there is the odd burglary now and then but rarely and I've never heard of one done round here when the people were at home.

Do you have a panic about robbers coming in when you go to the toilet? What about when you are asleep and can't watch every door and window simultaneously?

Celebs do not have houses full of people all the time. Are you on glue?

Endless cleaning ...

I live in a large house. It's gated, people need to be buzzed in from the street/drive, and they are 12ft tall with spikes at the top so it'd be tricky/painful to jump over.
I have perimeter and door/window/garage alarms too + a normal home security system and plenty of CCTV cameras/motion trackers.

The place is like Fort Knox really so I feel safe enough