To think that people who keep their curtains closed all day must be ill, or hiding something?

[Bluedeblue]

The first thing that I do, when I get up in the morning, is to open the curtains. Possibly a window as well, to let a breeze in. There are a few houses nearby, who never open any curtains. Bedroom and lounge curtains are always firmly closed, even on lovely summer days. The gardens are unkempt and scruffy, all the paintwork is peeling. But someone definitely living there, as in one case, a brand new car on the drive and I've seen pizza delivery to the other. Does anyone else find this really odd, and think that there must be something amiss with these people? It must be so dark inside. I find it almost a bit creepy.

We keep them shut at the front of the house because if we don’t the dog barks at literally anyone who passes. Unless you think a barking dog is preferable. He doesn’t bark at things at the back so those are open. Also I keep them shut in the bedroom as I have extremely expensive books and don’t want faded spines.

There’s a weird correlation between extreme defensiveness and the assumption that everyone is nosy and judgmental and wants to look in one’s house
Have you ever considered that no one really gives a shit about you and your boring lives

My Gran always says it’s a sign the family are in mourning so whenever she’d turn up at my house if it was early and I hadn’t opened them yet she’d ask me who died .

I open them as soon as I wake up now, it’s force of habit. I do think it looks a bit weird having them closed all day, I always assume they’re in bed.

Tbf I don’t even have curtains as the thought of them getting dusty and grimy makes me boak

Have wooden blind / shutter things so the house never gets dark

@Bluedeblue

I don't think it's judgmental to just think some stuff is weird. It's just a passing thought, at how miserable these houses look. They look abandoned, dark, miserable. Gardens are like a jungle. It just looks so sad.

Do you offer to give your neighbours any help with the garden or even know anything about them other than they’re a miserable unkempt fucker? Have you knocked on the door and introduced yourself? Said “I’m just doing some weeding in my own garden, so you need or want anything doing?” Or do you just sit staring at the house judging them? It’s obviously not just “a passing thought” since you’ve witnessed this house 24/7 for how long to know they never ever open a window or curtain. It’s also not within the realms of intelligent thought to realise people live differently and thrive in different living situations. Just because you like to be on show for the world to see and have your curtains and windows flung open at every opportunity doesn’t mean everyone else does.

@SmallPrawnEnergy can you imagine though if people took offense - it would be ‘some nasty bitch from down my road offered to weed my garden! It’s like that for a reason (forty five reasons listed following), she doesn’t even know me what a cow!’ And then everyone would agree with OP and be like ‘ugh ignore nasty judgmental people your garden sounds fine’

@M4J4

I find it almost a bit creepy.

Not as creepy as you stalking your neighbours every morning, OP.

Let them be.

This. Never realised how many nosey neighbours there are till I joined mumsnet. Mind your own business OP.

I can’t imagine expending one single second thinking about this, unless it was out of the ordinary for elderly neighbours.

@Bluedeblue

I don't think it's judgmental to just think some stuff is weird. It's just a passing thought, at how miserable these houses look. They look abandoned, dark, miserable. Gardens are like a jungle. It just looks so sad.

Your latter half of the post clearly shows just how judgmental you are. Your choice of adjectives says it all. Move to an area where all the houses/ people have similar lifestyles to yours.

I’ve never given a single second thought to my neighbours houses tbh, but then again I’m not judgemental

I have my blinds closed during the day, only curtains that get opened is the living room so I can have the doors open during the day and that’s on the back of the house, don’t open any others because I’m light sensitive, I don’t like migraines

I kind of agree it looks horrible but I keep mine closed during the day when it's hot - it really does work to keep the house cool

I'll occasionally kerp the front curtains shut if it's very hot but generally like lots of light and have the windows open in summer for fresh air.

A few years ago, I had some Greek neighbours across the road. Their curtains were always shut. Their immediate neighbour said it was because that's what happens in Greece. OK in a hot Mediterranean country, but this was winter in the North West of England!

keep

My curtains are rarely opened as we rarely use rooms in daylight. It keeps rooms cool in summer and keeps in warmth in winter. We live mostly in the kitchen at the back of the house, which has no curtains at all . Suits us.

Our curtains are always closed, it's because the position of the house means anyone walking down the street can see straight into our living room and bedroom so it's to stop people being nosey.

Also, our kitchen window doesn't have blinds or curtains due to the shape of it, and people do look through as they walk past.

They are not my neighbours. It's houses that I pass when walking the dogs. Several streets away from where I live. At least 4 houses that always have all curtains closed at all times. Lounge and bedrooms. Even in the middle of winter, when there would be no heat issue (I'm in Scotland).

I find it funny that some people assume that I would peep in their windows, if their curtains were open? Somehow I manage to walk past 100's of other houses with open curtains, on my route, and have no compulsion to look in.

But Yeh, the over grown houses, whose residents have no sunlight, do give me a feeling of sadness and oppression. Probably more so, on a lovely sunny day. I just end up wondering why the people inside are sitting in the dark.

So what does it matter to you not even in your street get something else to think about

It's personal preference though, is it not?

Not in every case, of course.

But by and large... for everyone who says 'oh, shame they're in the dark when it's such a lovely sunny day', there's someone (usually me!) thinking 'I'm so glad I'm in a cool, shaded place, away from that horrible bright light and heat'. I will never understand why some people seek out light and heat, but I also know that everyone has their own comfort levels and preferences.

To me, I feel uneasy when I see curtains open, especially overnight. It gives me the whole' American slasher movie' feel. But if other people are happy like that, can't we all just agree that people like their lives and homes to be how THEY feel comfortable, even if you, in their situation, wouldn't?

I think that people who notice/give a shit about this must have quite a lot of time on their hands.

I really suffer in bright light. I have very pale blue eyes and blue eyed people are more sensitive to light. My sunglasses (prescription) aren’t great for working indoors so I tend to pull the curtains for that too.

I don’t have enough head space to worry about whether the neighbour’s curtains are open or closed.

A couple of the houses I can see from my back windows are like this - the curtains and blinds stay shut all day, same with the windows, even when it is very warm. I think it's abit odd. I love opening the blinds/ curtains and letting the light in, and it's lovely to get a fresh breeze through the house but some people might have a different routine...they might work nights and get back in the early morning/ sleep all day or it's just not something they think about doing.

YANBU OP (IMO)

It looks horrible from the outside, all dreary and I couldn’t think of anything worse than living in dark living spaces, especially in the summer. I need light! We used to live on a new build housing estate where there wasn’t a lot of privacy, but even then I put that film up on the window from a certain height so that I could always have my curtains open without having to worry about people looking in. It looked okay actually, only slightly darker than the glass so you couldn’t really see it and it only covered 1/4 of the window.

Longestfewdaysupcoming I have blue eyes but I have never heard that people with blue eyes are more sensitive to light.
That will give me something to talk about to my optician friend tomorrow, no doubt with technical explanations.