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?

Houses around here are mostly like those. What's the area like?

We are a low crime area, the people around here are the elderly or young professionals so noone dodgy peeking through the windows up to no good.

Wouldn't want to feel like a goldfish in a bowl though, so most of us have voil, nets or blinds in our windows. No one can see in in the daylight. Then close curtains in the night when the lights go on.

As for having your back to the street as you are unlocking the door, I get this as I'm a bit paranoid for safety. But my street is quiet. If I see someone I don't know is in close range as I get close to my house, I either do it quickly if they are further away, or slow my pace so they would have past my house by the time I get there. It really is no issue to live in these houses. Unless you want a drive, which I now do so hoping to move soon

Anyone could bonk you on the head at any time, regardless of your house. I doubt a determined criminal would be particularly encouraged by the front of the house - it’s more about whether there are other people around and in London there tends to be plenty of people even at night, eg neighbours and cars?

My house is like that. My front door opens onto the pavement and into the living room.

It takes a little getting used to, but I love my house.

#1, always lock your door. Doesn't matter how safe you think the neighborhood is, or if you've never done it before because you think it's unfriendly, always lock your door. Get into the habit. Even if you're just going out for a minute, lock the darn door.

#2, you can get one way mirror film, the same stuff that you can purchase for your cars if you're so inclined for that, and put it on your windows that face the pavement. Typically it's a silver color sort of like a mirror, and in daylight when you're standing outside facing the mirrored surface, you cannot see inside.
But if you're on the inside, looking out, during the daytime, you can see everything outside, it just looks kind of dark like it's really overcast.
BUT the one thing you need to know about that is as soon as it gets lighter inside and darker outside, at this time of year that's a common occurrence, everyone outside can see you but you can't see them. Which of course is less than ideal, so, you have to be sure to shut your blinds, curtains, shutters whatever, as soon as it starts to get dark.
It's a bit of a liability in the winter time because there is so much dark time in winter, but not a problem at all in the summer.

#3, if you don't get the one way mirror film, limit the time you walk around your house naked. You'll end up giving your neighbors, casual passers by, solicitors, and mailman quite the thrill... And get bruises from the amount of times you throw yourself to the ground out of sight, suddenly realizing that oh, I'm not on the second floor and these people can see me!!

Since you haven’t bought a house of this type yet, I’d recommend holding off unless it’s the only option within your budget. In that case, your best bet is to buy it and focus on making it as secure and private as possible. People have shared some helpful suggestions, and I’d also suggest doing more research on ways to feel safer.

I’m not fond of this style of terraced houses either.

Not where I live. It sounds horrendous. Even when I lived in 2 bed terrace, there was a front garden to separate the house from the street.

"Horrendous"?! That's my street, and rhe one next to it, and the one connecting them. I live in a very popular area. None of us is filled with horror!

Do you think Coronation Street is horrendous then?

Yes a completely ordinary terraced house.

You are fine not to buy one, and some people don't buy them because they like to have the buffer of a garden, but they are completely ordinary.

In plenty of areas straight onto street terraces are extremely desirable as they are in conservation areas. High price per square metre!

You write as if you've never seen this type of terrace even on TV?

Omg i cannot believe the privilege in this post. She's talking about a normal terraced house where lots and lots of people live.
Just imagine not having a concierge or long driveway! How on earth would you cope 🫣

Ok, I take back the word 'horrendous'. I had visions of a front door leading directly on to my local high street or something. I realise now people are talking about Coronation Street type houses.

Yes, so the front door opens directly from the pavement into the living room, with a window on the same wall too. It made me feel like I was in public, like standing next to a shop window. People literally the same height as the window walking past.

To be fair they didn’t have any blinds or curtains up but it just felt too open for me. There was only a living room & kitchen downstairs and both rooms had exterior doors. The back door opens to the communal parking area, so even that door didn’t totally feel secure/private.

Sounds like my house. We have shutters in the front window. The bottom part stays closed, the top part stays open. I don’t like walking straight out onto the pavement but it’s centrally located and it’s in a good neighborhood.

Thanks. Yes, I don’t think I’ll go for it. I viewed it thinking it could have been an accessible way of getting on the London housing ladder but I don’t think I’d be comfortable there

My house gives directly onto the street and people can look through my window. I have stuff on the windowsill and the only people I’ve noticed looking in were small children on their way to school.

Read the room OP.

You're describing a completely normal house.

I find it so weird you are in your 20s and haven't ever had the opportunity to notice this for yourself. You sound very sheltered and privileged.

I mean, most people understood where I was coming from.

Ultimately yeah, I don’t have a frame of reference as I haven’t lived in a house like that. I’m not privileged but I have a decent enough income from work to live alone in London. Hence starting out by renting an apartment with concierge. I mentioned I’m in my 20s and would be buying alone - I naturally gravitate to what feels the most familiar/safe. I just wanted to see if others felt this was worth compromising on particularly if they were living alone and not with family/partner at that age.

To me, it’s one thing being responsible for an apartment where security is shared. It’s another thing to have sole responsibility of all/any security of a house. If I had a house like my parents, I would feel more comfortable as there were times I had the house to myself for a couple of months and felt fine.

However the houses I viewed, I just didn’t feel safe in. I’d avoid a ground floor apartment for similar reasons too.

Of course you're privileged, you're in your 20s buying a house in London, having grown up in a world of front gardens and driveways

You keep going on about your parents house like its your sole benchmark or reference.

I had a shared house like this at uni. In a small industrial town. Because it was a shared house the living room had been converted into a bedroom right at the front and this was my room. In the year I lived there I never felt any concerns about it. And I was sleeping right next to the front door with my bedroom window looking out on the street. I think I was probably just a fearless 20 year old, but the area felt very safe generally and the neighbours were a mix of students and locals and we all got on well.

In fact I had another similar set up a few years later in a big city. My bedroom was on the ground floor again and I used to keep my top window open at night and because the house was on a corner with a nearby pub I got to hear all the local comings and goings, it was quite fun.

I grew up in a detached house in a tiny village, set quite far back from the road so this wasn't what I was used to but I definitely have enjoyed all the different quirky places I have lived. Currently I have a very small front garden so I am basically on the road but in a cul de sac with trees and such like so no-one stood immediately outside my house.

It depends on the area. I lived in a flat like that in a dodgy area and I hated it. It was first floor so not overlooked when you were inside, but you opened the door right from the pavement. There were lots of drug issues in the area and people asking for money when you were about to open your front door was very intimidating. If it was generally a safe area, I wouldn’t mind.

This!
Have you never, ever walked past a house like this?
They are very common and there are loads of them near me. I have never been in a mansion but I know they exist, are you sure you are not posting because you want to tell us you are in your 20's and buying a house?

If you don't like it, don't buy it.

I often look at some of the houses on my commute and feel similar. Round here there's lots of quaint little micro cottages which were in the villages long before the A road running through them was built and their front doors open onto a tiny narrow pavement (half standard width) or in some places, even none at all. I wouldnt feel comfortable having to look both ways with lorries thundering past before exiting my own front door, especially not with a dog and small child.

But I dont think you can argue that privilege hasn't played a part in your current situation (thats not a bad thing btw - it's what we all work towards to try to provide for our own kids)

The horror people are expressing at a normal terraced house is weird. I've lived in one for over a decade. Of course in an ideal world I'd love a front garden and a drive to park my car, but it was this or a flat. I've never felt unsafe, quite the opposite. If anyone wants to try and break into my house or mug me when I'm opening my front door they're going to have to do it in front of the whole street, rather than from a more secluded driveway. Sheer curtains or nets easily and cheaply solve the problem of people being able to see in. To be honest I find some of the comments on this thread offensive and snobbish.