Stalker house buyers

[Lozgal24]

Slightly exaggerated title 😂

We are selling our house and the family buying it are buying their first house in the UK. I’m starting to feel a little irritated as on an average evening they walk past our house and look I the windows approximately 5-6 times. It’s really invasive. They don’t come right up to the windows but the street is only 1-2 m from the windows and they do a really slow walk past. It drives our dog nuts who barks repeatedly as they are close and essentially staring in the living room and squinting past the gauze blind. They sometimes wave- probably twice a night. This happens 5 ish nights a week. They are not en route to anywhere. We have another two months till completion.

They have four kids, they also walk past approx 2-3 time an eve between 7-10, separate to their parents and slow walk past. They openly stare. They are from a different culture so I’m not sure of this is the norm where they are from? It seems odd by anyones standards.

AIBU to think this in invasive? Just ask to view it again? We’ve offered but it’s getting silly now.

Would you say something and risk sale or just deal with it?

Absolutely not the norm and profoundly weird. I’d be tempted to give them a two fingered salute every evening but I suppose you don’t want to scupper the sale.

They're obviously excited, but yes, it is odd behaviour. How close do they live to you?

Hope your/their neighbours don't end up having to suffer potential weirdos.
Pop out and ask if they've got any questions they'd like to ask, as you're getting a bit concerned.

I don’t know… I’ve often seen advice to visit a potential house at all times to check for potential awful neighbours (loud music etc). At least they’re being friendly and you’re leaving so…

They live around the corner- maybe two short roads away we live in a really quiet and peaceful area and to be honest, they seem to chase the most noise/ kerfuffle by them walking past together and talking! doesn’t bother me, I’m not precious about them talking loudly or whatever but I do like my privacy.

Weve stopped to chat to them every weekend since we sold but it’s getting bit much now. We don’t want more friends grom
an area we’re moving out of but they seem to want hand holding. We’ve had to explain. British system to them several times as they’re solicitors are pants. They thought they moved in on exchange date! Asked us why we weren’t fully packed up! We had to help them understand not to cancel their rental or them and their kids would have been homeless! All sorted now but I do feel for them, it must be daunting. That said, I still want my privacy back!

Put up reflective window film so they can't see in.

Stick some mirrored screening on your windows, maybe they'll get the hint. Pretty cheap on Amazon and can be removed.

I'd ask your estate agent to have a polite word.

It's fine them being from another culture and not being aware, though this doesn't mean they can't be made aware, if that makes sense

If that doesn't work, close the curtains / blinds every time they stop and stare, hopefully they'll get the message

I've been told I fly off the handle. But on this one I dont even care, I'd just cancel the sale.

I wouldn’t hate this .. two more months of this !!!

I suspect they're just really excited! Buying your first home in a new country is exciting. Particularly if it's nicer than their current rental. They might just be walking past to remind themselves they'll soon be living in their own place.

Mind you, it would annoy me 🤣

It's odd that they make it obvious by looking in through the windows from afar and waving! Discreetly walking by or driving by, perfectly acceptable. We used to drive past our house before the sale was fully completed, but would never dare to make it obvious although our house was empty.

I would turn the blinds slightly inwards so they can't see in, ignore them, don't wave back, be busy, don't go out and have a chat with them, this is telling them you are fine with it all and gives them the impression ur really nice people who are genuinely being nice when in reality your annoyed.

They are from a background where this must be normal, and aren't used to the British culture

i would have some fun with it. Put up a for sale sign and watch them shit themselves 😂😂

When they inevitably ask what’s going on, tell them to stop being so creepy!

Every night (and multiple times per night) is just absolutely bizarre! Not much surprises me after 20 years working in conveyancing but this has!

I'll admit to being over excited when buying my house (which is a side street off a main road) and every time I drove along the main road I turned in to drive by and look at my house but it was empty for a start and I wasn't looking in the windows!

I'd be tempted to pop out and politely say hi and ask them to refrain from coming close to the windows as it scares the dog. If they don't get the hint I'd invest in a thicker blind or privacy film I think, they'll stop looking in if there's nothing to see

I would get a roll of privacy film which isn’t too expensive and very easily removable. You can get ones that let them light in but no one can see in. Cover the window with that and they’ll get bored if they can’t see in.

When I bought my last house I was so very desperate to move in ( middle of Covid and I'd sold previous house and was living in my motorhome on a campsite!) Every single morning I took a detour from campsite and drove past as slowly as was possible, each evening I did the same thing. Unsure what I was looking for, it just gave me such a wonderful feeling that the house would soon be mine. Saying that, I was driving and it was a busy road, no way would anyone have noticed. I'd give them a break, they're probably just really excited

Have you exchanged contracts yet? I get that they're excited but this is too much. Either a polite word from the estate agent or keep your blinds closed. You shouldn't have to, I know but that is creepy and excessive!

We’ve had this, they weren’t a different culture though

The amount of times they just happened to be walking past as we were in the front garden 😂

It was annoying, but clear they were just excited about buying their first home.

Echo the estate agent, get them to have a word and tell them it’s not usual to do this. It would drive me nuts!

It's excitement. Maybe the kids will be getting their own room, so equally excited!?

We are moving potentially. Not buying. I'm.sp bloody excited. I haven't gone near the house though. But I do keep constantly bringing up the images of the house online, a few times a day. Imagining where I will put what. Where my kids rooms will be. What we will do in the lovely garden.

Just try and ignore them op. I think, whilst annoying, it's harmless.

Might be excited but I would have nipped it in the bud sooner with privacy film They can look inside all they want when they move.
You are still residing there and are entitled to enjoy your home.

Yeh a bit ott but they are just excited I guess.

Afraid you may have to just shut the blinds while you get the sale through.

Just ask your estate agent to pass on a message - you’re happy they’re looking forward to their new home as you have loved living there but you’d like to enjoy the last few weeks there in peace - you wish them well.

Put a few mirrors inside your windows.

They sound very excited. Not much you can do especially given that there is a language barrier.

You could return the favour and walk past their home in a few months just as a laugh.

Motion activated lawn sprinkler ?💦

I found my buyer squatting in my front garden at 10 pm 'checking the noise levels'. I also found him on my drive once measuring up for his camper van. It was a divorce sale though so I said nothing!