To find it hard to adjust to this kind of home?

[Firefumes]

I recently viewed some houses, where the front door/windows are right at pavement level. So people walking past the house can easily see in, if you were unlocking the front door, others would be directly behind you if they walk past. Aibu to feel this is a bit unsafe?

I’m sure many people manage okay. It’s just that I have had my own apartment for a few years. It’s a nice apartment complex with restricted access, gated entry, concierge so feels safe. I’m also on the 2nd floor. So I feel risk of theft or break ins are low.

Previously I lived with my friends at university, and before that I lived with my parents. My parent’s house has a long, steep driveway and a porch. Their front door isn’t accessible at street/pavement level to passers by, you’d have to take the stairs. As a result, they’ve never had any bother from strangers and their house feels safe. Was no bother leaving parcels in the porch as they were covered from street view.

But something about the houses I viewed recently, just felt unsafe. Like they were too accessible to members of the public, people just naturally end up in close proximity and able to see inside. Aibu to write these off for that reason?

You can choose not to buy any type of house you don't want to buy.

however, you can only buy what you can afford, so what else is within your budget? Probably not a house like your parents.

I used to live in a house like that.

One time a man just stood at my window just staring in at me for ages and then he tried the door handle. Luckily the door was locked

I absolutely shat myself.

I wouldn't like that either.

But as pp said, depends on what's available in your budget.

The good thing about being on the street like that is it's unlikely to broken into, too open. A burglar would much prefer your parent's house as they can get in hidden from the street/passers-by.

There’s a house round here like that, I find it very odd and would hate it personally, the rest of us have gardens but their door is just right opening onto the street.

I'd hate it, I'd rather live in a flat than a house like that.

I’m a bit confused - this sounds like an entirely normal style of house?

To be clearer it’s a house without a driveway nor front garden, as in the doorstep is the pavement.

Oh god. That’s what worries me. I’m in my 20s and considering buying a house alone.

I just wonder, what if someone was following me. There’s no way for me to get distance like I can with my apartment or at my parent’s.

But yeah budget wise, in London, there isn’t really much else.

Sounds like a common type of terrace house. There are millions of those in this country

I grew up in a house like that. We called them "flat fronted terraces". There were entire streets of houses like that. Later we moved to a house with a series of steps up to the front door and a low wall a few feet in front of the windows. They were considered a step up in the world.

If I lived in a house without a garden between me and the street I would be lining the windows with that reflective foil you can get on Amazon. So nosy people who looked through the window would just see their own faces staring back at them. The film becomes transparent at night when the light is on but hopefully by then the curtains are closed.

Ahh, my parent’s road has highly elevated houses. The stairs leading to the house are fairly annoying as the driveway is steep. I wonder if that might have put trouble off, as they literally had no bother!

Plus, they have motion activated lights, and there was always a car on the drive & lights on at home. I used to feel comfortable enough walking home whenever there.

But the houses I viewed last week, were in a much more central location with a higher footfall. Plus the road wasn’t well lit. I viewed the houses at around 5pm, pitch black outside, just felt a bit eerie.

This is why net curtains were so popular. Moving to our current house was a watershed - the first house I'd lived in since childhood that didn't "need" nets or equivalent. It took me until I was 40!

You're spending a lot of money on your home and it's hard to change it. You need to trust your gut. Does it really have to be a house? Your money should go further and you d get more space in a flat usually.

My house is like that, but I live in a village, so people are discreet. I've got a huge back garden with 2 large gates leading to it from the street. I don't think it's that odd to have a home like that in a city or town. There are plenty of them. Mind you, I've had people staring in through thr windows

I understood, I’m slightly confused by your unease with them. Where I live houses without front gardens etc can sell for up to a million.

Do you mean houses where the front door opens both directly on to the pavement and into the living room? No pathway outside at all, no hallway? If so, I do kind of see where you’re coming from.

I find this thread truly bizarre. OP what you’re describing is a basic terraced house. I lived in houses like that for 15 years, from student to early 30s. It never entered my head to feel vulnerable.

If someone was following you, then you'd walk past your house to an occupied one (or a shop if you can) & knock on their door.

There are literally millions of homes like this. There’s no “managing” or having to adjust, you just get on with your life.
I have lived in such a home for 30 years. Most of my street is the same, as is large parts of the village.

You need to look around you more, plenty of houses are like this.

It sounds like a normal terraced house. Many people have lace or net curtains for privacy.
If someone stood staring in your front window, they would probably draw the attention of your neighbours, whose own front door and window are just a few feet away. Also, streets of terraced houses are often busy thoroughfares, so a window-starer would be very noticeable.

I know the kind you mean, like they have in Coronation Street 😳 we have loads of those in my city and they're not that bad.
I live in a ground floor flat and my bedroom window is huge and faces out to a busy walk way - I can't have my windows open in the height of summer and I keep a hammer under my mattress.

@Doingtheboxerbeat That sounds frightening.

I’ve lived in houses like that and it didn’t occur to me to think of the risk of someone attacking me as I entered the house.

I’m pretty easy going about risk, but even so - that’s a rare crime and one I’d have thought would be far more common in a block of flats than in a house (though I can see that a concierge might make it less likely). If you have those sorts of concerns you should probably only look at places with security like the flats you’re currently in.

Houses right on the street can be noisy, though, and if you live in an area with a lot of kids who play out the chances of them playing Knock Down Ginger or the like is probably a lot higher.

So these are like coronation style houses? Really common in town centres.

I grew up in houses like this...

It's correct that you're less likely to have burglars as it's so open to passing people seeing

But people will naturally look in..

People sometimes used net curtains (yuk!)

Or tilted blinds...
Or partially reflective film..
Or partial wooden shutters...

I used to light in the window facing out..with a bunch of flowers in window... So it was really difficult to see around the light /flowers for casual passing pedestrians ...

I liked this ok.. As it felt if there were any emergencies I was literally a couple of metres away from passing people... Rather than up a drive /behind gates!

Like Coronation Street?

Your being very clear and yes it is a very normal house, maybe not in the leafy MC wealthier suburbs but in everyday English industrial working towns they are extremely normal.

Growing up no one locked doors if they were home, women would be on doorsteps chatting or cleaning their doorsteps, kids playing in the street, everyone’s nets were gleaming and white. Nobody looked in houses or if they did they’d see nice net curtains, maybe an ornament or 2. This is why many people spent all their time in their back rooms or kitchens. Using the back door as a main entrance was very popular and still is for lots of people.

These days people keep doors locked. Most windows on our street have some form of blind up, but I’d never dream of staring in peoples windows, maybe cause it’s so normal to me it wouldn’t cross my mind.