To feel a little bit creeped out..

[aloneathome]

Hello :)

So I'm really sorry in advance if this sounds crazy.. but I don't know what to
Think.

This morning, I came downstairs to let the dogs outside, to find the back door (goes into the garden) unlocked.

We don't leave keys outside / in 'safe places' or anything like that, and always lock doors from the inside before heading off to bed.
Nothing seems out of place, didn't hear any noises through the night that were alarming, and I am a very light sleeper so most things would wake me up.

The door itself was still shut, it's just the actual lock has been unlocked which I found quite unnerving 😳 as I was home alone last night (DP on a night shift and has only just got home)

When I came downstairs this morning, I noticed the utility door was ajar (always close all internal doors - don't know why! Just a habit - so this was also odd but again nothing out of place from what I can see so far. (Loft hatch is in the utility room in case this is of any importance)

Fast forward to now, working from home and I notice a couple of large handprints on the living room windows from the outside. Too high up for me to reach, and DP wasn't here last night as I say.
Rational me is trying to think 'probably been there for weeks, unnoticed' but at the same time I definitely haven't seen them and we had all of the windows cleaned 2 weeks ago.

Not sure what to think! What would you do? I will keep an eye, but more worried as to how the outside door was unlocked this morning 😩 we have had a spate of burglaries in the area so feeling a bit vulnerable as it is..

Sorry if this upsets, but, people have far too much faith in their dogs.

Have a chat with your local police. They will clue you in on what really happens with a break in. Where we used to live, owners came home to dead dogs or no dogs.

An ITV prog many years ago showed a burglar (employed for the show) bypassing the dogs by emptying the fridge onto the kitchen floor. The dogs loved him.

Ah god I have one those lofts where there is nothing in between just behind a cupboard door as we turned the attic into another room. No sleep for me tonight. 😂

@swimlyn

Sorry if this upsets, but, people have far too much faith in their dogs.

Have a chat with your local police. They will clue you in on what really happens with a break in. Where we used to live, owners came home to dead dogs or no dogs.

An ITV prog many years ago showed a burglar (employed for the show) bypassing the dogs by emptying the fridge onto the kitchen floor. The dogs loved him.

There’s that

But also one friend, her teen DD and Alsatian were home during a break in. Both asleep. The teen woke up because she heard voices and woke the dog to go after them. He didn’t hear a thing himself.

Their kitchen entry was via the basement. They didn’t have an alarm because of the dog...but this was about 11am so the alarm wouldn’t be on anyway because the 17 year old was home, with the dog!

I went downstairs and found a workman in my porch, he was expected but not at that time and I didn’t expect him to just come in. I only discovered him because I was on my way out. Dog fast asleep in bed in the porch. I asked how they got in and he said that the door was unlocked. I said that I was surprised that the dog hadn’t barked, he said that dog woke up and went to say hello. Man stroked dog and told him to go to bed and for once dog did as he was told!

Get an enunciator from amazon. Place it by door so any movement will trigger the alarm

Ok, a few things spring to mind... Could DH have sneaked outside for a crafty fag and not locked the door? Maybe he took the dogs out for a pee too & not locked the door? The Police will do jack shit with this. My neighbour's garage got broken into and they never investigated... No sweep for finger prints will be taken on an actual crime, let alone a suspected one. The items taken were even on Gum Tree, nothing... I would say stop listening to scare stories, get a fucking big lock for your back door and RELAX!

[quote Mariamaria71]@BigBaublesGalore thats not actually true. Yale lock on my front door opens just fine whether there's a key in the other side or not.[/quote]
Oh ok thanks I didn't know :)

Any chance you locked the door and then forgot you had done so and “locked” it again but actually in reality unlocked it?
I have done that a few times and it’s probably more likely than there is someone or a ghost in the house.

@SomelikeitHoth

Get an enunciator from amazon. Place it by door so any movement will trigger the alarm

I just looked this up and got incontinence pads!

Inform police as they can fingerprint the hand print

I just googled Luther loft scene while I'm home alone! And then watched the other ones.
For anyone who has not seen it don't do it

Anything new to report OP?

F

@Soulstirring

F

Rude. 😂

Hi.. hope you are ok... it does sound weird... but didn't the dogs bark? It has been know burglars take dog snacks with them!...

As others have said, log it with police, put wind chimes or something up. And maybe keep something to defend yourself if needs be... maybe a dog in your room.
If you do hear someone, say "did you hear that... and are you going you're the man of the house " even if you're home alone...

Check loft asap, definitely. I'd be very concerned about that. You could buy a couple of little motion detector alarms to put in the downstairs rooms and turn them on at night. We bought some years ago after a burglary. Not expensive. If anyone enters they would go off and wake you.

Change your locks. You probably should anyway when you move into new house. If you locked the back door and it was open next morning someone with key has unlocked it.

Is there a chance you unlocked it in the morning about to go out (let the dogs out) got distracted, husband came home, you thought i need unlock door, then found it unlocked? Ive done this before, freaked myself out then realised I had unlocked it 5 minutes earlier.

Thanks all - everything has been okay so far. Locks were changed this afternoon x

OP I'm glad you are OK and this is great because you are now forewarned and not 'closing the door after the horse has bolted as I was after our burglary. Don't let your imagination go crazy, it might be nothing and chances are they were just after easy pickings or more likely your dogs but they didn't stick around and you can now take actions that will put them off.

Did you leave the back door unlocked UNTIL 10.30 - is it possible they were inside snooping around then hid while you locked the door and then used your key to unlock and leave? Still a bit odd not to take the key but might mean they don't intend to come back.

I do agree that people put too much faith in their dogs. We had a break in while we were upstairs asleep. It was a warm summer night and I forgot to close a downstairs window we had open. My handbag and a laptop were taken. Our dog - jack russell - was asleep upstairs in our room and didn't stir.

One thing I have learnt from this thread - I will not be watching Luther!

@aloneathome

I've got two sausage dogs they sleep at the other end of the house, are the most docile little things and never bark! (Always though this is fab until now!!!) I wish they would have alerted me but to be honest probably didn't hear anything anyway, they sleep directly under my bedroom so If I didn't hear anything (light sleeper) they most likely didn't either. 😩

I’ve got a rat terrier. She barks at everyone, all the time. Annoying as hell. But I had an “uninvited visitor” a few months ago and she gave him hell. A “barker” or a scary guard dog would be great for you, @aloneathome, and you’d definitely feel more safe.

Please photograph the handprint as best as you can, catching the most detail you can.
Shouldn’t you Definitely report to police for insurance reasons: if you had prior signs that someone was scouting the place, but you didn’t report or do anything about it, and there is indeed a burglary, your insurance wouldn’t pay out surely.
Keep your dogs with you, they are probably the most expensive thing right now. Can you use floodlights for the next few nights to light up the entrances, eg from an inside window pointing outwards? As a deterrent.
And get all the locks changed asap. Someone has access. Check the windows and any other entrances. And keep doors locked at all times. I know from some threads on MN that some people never lock their doors because their area is too safe.

@AcornAutumn terrible I know but didn’t want to read and dash and lose the thread!

OP this would creep me out no end. Did you speak to police?. Hope you have an uneventful night.