Does anyone live in a house where people walk right past your front windows?

[HiHowAreYou]

Is it awful?

We've seen a house that I like. It's part of an old farmhouse, there are two buildings, they now sit in a normal street of modern houses.

All the new houses have drives and front gardens, the two old ones are just right up against the pavement.

I don't know if it would be very annoying. Would cars driving past be louder? Would you get people peeping in at you all the time?

Otherwise it's really nice. Offers everything we are looking for, on budget.

Hmm. Not sure how much of a problem it'd be...

Is the pavement at the same level as your ground floor?

blinds....

It was awful, I felt like I was living in a goldfish bowl. People showed no shame in rubbernecking as they walked past even when they could see me looking straight back at them they didn't turn away and look where they were going

Me. My kitchen and living room windows are literally on the pavement. Honestly? I think it depends on the area. I've had kids banging on the windows etc but I think if the area was better it wouldn't be a problem. I have double glazing so don't notice much traffic noise anyway. I just tend to keep the kitchen blind shut

We don't but our next door neighbours do. It's a very quiet road in a small village. I have noticed they keep blinds down most of the time. The number of people walking past in a day could be counted on your fingers.

and there's no pavement, it's road outside their door.

it's fine with nets/one-way blinds/frosted glass.
it's UNBEARABLE with plain glass, like being in a goldfish bowl.
ordinary blinds are horrible imo - like a cell - no windows

my current front room opens on to pavement

Yes, ours does. Our widows are also very large and are only about 12 inches from floor height so plenty of looking-in ability from outside.

Never been a problem for us, but we've only lived here for three months, plus it's not on a main road, just a small residential cul de sac.

It is just a residential street. So perhaps there wouldn't be many people going past through the day...

But the windows are all at perfect viewing-right-into-the-rooms height.

Which room is directly behind the front windows? That would make a difference to me, eg if it was just the kitchen I wouldn't be too bothered, but a living room or bedroom I would.

I used to live in a ground floor flat and had this problem. It was a residential cul-de-sac, so theoretically quiet. However the local kids used to run along the back of the flats and sometimes even stand outside the back window watching what we were watching on TV.

The spare bedroom was at the front, right next to the pavement. I got the wrong sort of blind in there and TBH nobody could dress or change in there because there was always the chance of being seen, especially at night with the light on.

Also, it was easier for unwanted visitors to see if you were in. I used to work at a desk in the spare room and neighbours would knock on the window and stuff. Which I found annoying.

I mostly have lived in houses like that because I like living in towns and villages and I like old houses and they tend to be that way.

When I was a child the house was directly onto the street and my brother had a rich friend visiting who had never lived in a house without grounds and we were sitting in the living room and he went 'Oh my God, a nun just walked through your front garden!'

I have always had net curtains, I'm not sure I'd like it otherwise.
Never had a problem with traffic noise myself BUT bear in mind it can make the house harder to sell. When we were on the market before, our buyer pulled out because there was a case in a nearby town where a lorry knocked down the front wall of a house, and she started to panic about it and worried she would never be able to sleep at night.

Estate agents have always said that this is something that brings the price down, so make sure it's taken into account in the pricing.

I used to. I had an upside-down blind on the windows, so it could be pulled up to half way. That way the top bit of window was open to the light, but people couldn't actually see into the room.

It also depends on which rooms are on to the road.

I never minded my bedroom, because the curtains were closed when I was in it anyway. My kitchen/dining room was at the back of the house and we spent most of our time in there. So didn't spend a lot of time in the "front room" - usually only evening tv watching.

If my main living area had been at the front I might have minded more.

The noise thing isn't an issue unless there are trucks going past - a residential road shouldn't have a traffic noise problem.

We live in a house like that, there is a small drive (slightly wider than a car) between the windows and the pavement, but the windows are at the right height for people to peep in. Plain glass windows.
Some people do look, some don't.
I really don't mind to be honest, we don't have anything to hide and if we do
(say we are not suitably dressed or something) we just put the blinds down.
The noise from cars is fine you get used to it, if you're busy in the kitchen or the telly is on you don't hear it. The occasional ambulance or speeding lorry/motorbike can make you jump but it's no big deal (DS quite likes those)
I say if you really like the house, invest in some nice curtains or blinds and enjoy it

We lived in a beautiful cottage right on the main road just outside Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and hordes of people visited the village on coach trips. They would look in the windows as if it were part of the estate they had paid to view. We were only renting so weren't too bothered but would hate to have lived like that full time.

We're almost on the pavement and people can look in. But we're in a village without any shops, facilities etc and the road is a cul-de-sac so there aren't really that many people walking by at all - children going to/from the school bus, one old lady who does things at the Church, and a handful of horse riders.

Not a huge problem for us. Had it in our old house (a row of terraces in a built up area) and that DID feel like being in a goldfish bowl!

I think it depends what sort of passing foot traffic there is. Friends of mine were in a similar house on a quiet road, but it was part of the route home from the pub for some people. They'd think it was funny to bang on the window as they passed

We used to live in a house that was right on the pavement, on a road that led to a student hall of residence - so lots of food traffic. I had a voile curtain, so you never felt too looked in on though and it wasn't like people stopped and looked in.

I do, I dont mind it TBH, but the lack of parking is a major issue. We have no drive/garage and have to park about 200yards away which is a PAIN trying to get 2 small children in/out of a car.

Our house is like this, and it's in an area with moderate footfall. It's fine during the day but I find people love to look in as they go past of an evening, as soon as the light starts to fade (when I put the lights on) you have to draw the curtains at the same time or everyone looks in as they go past.

I hate it, but some wouldn't I guess.

We have done for the last year, and have lived with the blinds down for last six months, busy road and lots of passers by blatantly staring in, I started waving at them and realised it was time to move . As others have said it would depend on how busy the road is, what room it is and how lovely the house is. We move on saturday to a house that also faces onto the street but it has a high hedge and is at end of a cul de sac, I am very glad.

It's the dining room and the playroom.
I think the kitchen and living room would be worse, it's not too bad.

I do really like it, apart from that one worry, but it seems DH is getting cold feet about the age of the property now anyway.
Bah.

Our house is like that. Our front garden is about 5 m long, but people do have a nosy if we have the blinds down. I couldn't live without the blinds and I do freak out when DP raises them a little bit as he likes to let in real light.

The worst is when buses go past but are going slow due to traffic. People are especially nosy on buses I find.

I used to - it was very disturbing, especially when trying to sleep. People would walk past with those wheely suitcases all the time and they make a hell of a noise. Also people barking into their mobile phones/rowing/calling after their children or dogs - there was a real disturbance at most hours of the day.

I do, right on the street, and I actually think i'd miss it if we moved. When the windows are open of an evening, I like catching snippets of people's conversations as they go by. It makes me feel like part of the world, even when I'm trapped at home with a toddler in bed. With double glazing we don't here anything with the windows closed though.

Haven't felt looked in at. Perhaps it helps though that all the houses on the street are like that, I guess if yours is the only one then people might be more likely to peer in.

Hope your dh comes to his senses about the age of the house!