To be the only ones with open windows

[Doncarlos]

From my bedroom window I can see the rear windows of 7 houses. All houses are the same style 2 up 2 down so I know some of the rooms I can see most be used as bedrooms but not a single one has a window open. I’ve noticed this for the past couple of weeks.

It’s similar at the front. Larger houses so I wouldn’t know what’s a bedroom, but still only the odd window cracked open.

We have pretty much every upstairs window flung open all night, and even when it’s colder we still like our bedroom window open a bit.

I get keeping them closed through the day when it’s hot, but at night?

Am I the odd one here?

I have my car windows cracked open slightly as well I stopped yesterday, some cars had got broken into.

Every window flung open all night would leave a lot of people feeling quite vulnerable. I close my windows at night for security reasons. I have them open in the day.

Yes, it's crazy. Especially people with "Ddogs" at home are shut firmly in.😁
I my country of origin, fresh air seems very important, almost part of the culture! 😉

I open mine all evening, but don’t feel safe sleeping with them open, and I’d be woken way too early by the birds.

Most people seem to enjoy being hot.

Every office I've ever worked in is full of people who will happily sit and roast, rather than open a window, and my house is often the only one on my row with any windows open.

Most people seem to enjoy being hot.

Every office I've ever worked in is full of people who will happily sit and roast, rather than open a window, and my house is often the only one on my row with any windows open.

I can't open mine as much as I'd like to at the moment, as we have a Maine coon kitten, I am planning on getting cat flats but haven't got round to measuring up yet.

Changing the subject slightly, but do any of you still peg out washing? I seem to be the only one in my village that hangs clothes on the washing line.

Have a look at FlatCats mesh screens. Not too expensive, quite strong and cat has never managed to pull it off or climb up it.

On OP's point, I can only have windows wide open in a gentle breeze as my casement windows don't have proper stay/hooks, only some tension in the hinges. A stronger wind and they slam shut and on one occasion the glass smashed. Would never risk having them open overnight in case the wind got up whilst I slept. So they are on the latch.

I couldn’t tell you who opens their windows on my street or when.
I don’t tend to open my windows because I sleep in the dining room at the front of the house and the noise from people and cars and the birds and whatever would wake me up every 5 minutes.

There are lots of reasons not to open windows
Noise. Some people are light sleepers
Insects. If I open windows at night I often get bitten to death.
Security. I have a flat roof below my bedroom, so it would be easy access for a break in.
Hay fever. Luckily I don't have this, but I close my window overnight for all the other reasons I've mentioned.
I do open the window in the morning for a while.

A friend is scared of insects and moths so never opens her windows and shuts the back door quickly. I'm the opposite, I walk through the house opening every window and the back door.

If the bedrooms are for children then I can understand why parents wouldn’t open the windows! Trying to get rid of six flies on the ceiling at bed time to get your kids to settle down is the work of the devil!

Not odd at all I’ve thought this same thing! Im in a terraced with around 15 other houses, I’d say I’m only one of 3 or 4 that has our windows open. I have wondered for a while how they are coping in the heatwaves. Don’t get me wrong on really hot days I keep them shut so I don’t let the heat in. But these other windows are shut all the time. I think I’ve got too much time on my hands tbh, it’s not something I’d have noticed before being a SAHM!

I can’t sleep without the window open either.

Maybe they are not at home, or house is empty?

I never see any windows open next door apart from a small bathroom window that opens only at the top. They don't have an air conditioning unit that we can see or hear. They dry their washing on airers inside. They must have damp on the walls or stagnant air surely?

Born and bred southerner but have to have windows open all the time! Can’t sleep in a room with closed windows, or feel really unwell the next day!

Mine are mostly on the latch, but I keep my bedroom one closed at night as I have horrific hayfever, and waking at 4am sneezing, nose running, roof of my mouth and the insides of my ears itching is no fun.

also unless there is a good breeze, opening your windows during the hot part of the day only heats your house up more 🤷🏻‍♀️

Would love to leave mine open but everyone in the street seems to be having some sort of power tool orgy fest going on right now.

This

I would love to have the windows open at night and I envy you for being able to do so. We live very near to Heathrow airport....enough said !!

This fits with me - my Mum is a northerner, windows were open in the bedroom all year round, and I did the same with my kids. Obviously open not as wide in winter, couple of inches. I would never willingly sleep with the window completely closed. Have had to train my partner on this one!

I only keep the back windows and doors open, and have the blinds down at the front most of the time. I sometimes partially open the blinds, but they’re never fully up because I could never relax knowing that people could see me.

I live in an old 1900s terrace. At night I can’t sleep with windows open. Many neighbours pop out for a cigarette and end up chatting. Even at just talking volume you can hear word perfect from an open window. Sound seems to really amplify in a terrace. They you’ve the people driving home at different times from work or leaving for work through the night so car engines, doors shutting etc. Then as soon as there’s a smidge of daylight the wood pigeons start with their cow cow cowing sound.

My blinds and curtains are closed during the day in general. Upstairs are roller blinds. Downstairs are either vertical or horizontal ones. But there’s not much space across the road out the back between houses or across the front grass/path so I often feel like I’m in a fishbowl. On the odd occasion I’ve looked out of the window I can actual watch the opposite neighbour’s TV quite easily. In the heat I’ve stopped opening windows in the day. Later in the evening I might pop it on the locked air setting. Kids often open theirs but then doors start slamming - bathroom is always open a little. My kids also often have a fan on. I struggle with those too for noise. Security is a big thing though. I don’t want people climbing through windows to rob me.

we are also a house of hayfever sufferers and night time pollen is actually an issue.

Can't sleep in my bedroom without a window open all through the seasons .
At the front of our house it gets the sun all day so blinds are kept down in the height of summer windows closed until it's in shade then open windows later let a good breeze run through the house .