Do you open or close your curtains/blinds when you go out?

catkins

I am just wondering how many people do this. My next door neighbour closes her curtains downstairs front and back every time she goes out and so does her next door neighbour.

Apparently they do it so a would be burglar cannot look through the windows to see if anyone is home. Both live on their own. One works so the curtains are closed when she leaves for work and opened when she returns home meaning they are closed for around 9 hours a day. The other neighbour doesn't work but she goes out most days.

I feel that any would be burglar would only have to watch their houses for a couple of weeks to realise that if the curtains are closed the house is empty. Also if someone did break in they could ransack the house and no one would see.

I notice when I walk my dog lots of houses have their curtains closed during the day. In the summer I thought it might be so that the sun doesn't shine in and fade sofa, carpet etc but it is in the winter too. So maybe they are all of the same mindset as my neighbours?

The house immediately opposite mine has venetian blinds. They are closed most of the time but when they go out they open them! That to me is even stranger. Having them closed tight when they are there must be like living in a cave.

I only noticed because I have moved my desk to the window and see them going in and out and the blinds opening and closing

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elsien

In my area, curtains closed all day tend to mean a house of multiple occupation where all the rooms are rented out as bedrooms. Or where the sun shines on the front of the house so it's to block the light a bit.

I don't know anyone who closes curtains when they go out for fear if burglars. As you say, they might as well have a big sign up saying "burgle me now."

maman

elsien wrote: »

In my area, curtains closed all day tend to mean a house of multiple occupation where all the rooms are rented out as bedrooms. Or where the sun shines on the front of the house so it's to block the light a bit.

I don't know anyone who closes curtains when they go out for fear if burglars. As you say, they might as well have a big sign up saying "burgle me now."

Round here it shouts 'student house' and the bottles lined up on the window sill are a bit of a give away too.;)


We tend to close curtains at night when we go out and leave some lights on. During the day it wouldn't be obvious that no-one was in. I think our burglar alarm I is probably a better deterrent than any curtains or blinds.

Tiddlywinks

In the summer I have all my curtains closed all day to keep the house cool.

Even with the curtains open, I have nets on all windows which I've made sure are gathered enough so that no one can see through them from the outside (unless they go right up and press their noses against the glass). I even tested it by going out at night and putting all the lights on and then getting OH to wave like crazy so that I could see how visible we were from the outside.

Why? Because I love my privacy and I don't want people seeing me shuffling around in my PJs with my green face mask on .

One of my guilty pleasures is going for a walk in the dark and 'casually' :whistle: looking in on the neighbours who don't see the need for any window shades or coverings at all. It's better than Eastenders .

Tigsteroonie

We have vertical blinds on our front windows, and they're closed all the time regardless of whether we are here or not! I don't want the lookyloos round here having a nosey when they walk past.

Tiddlywinks

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

I don't want the lookyloos round here having a nosey when they walk past.

:D:D

In our Army days, when we moved quarters it always surprised me how many people just happened to meet and then just have to have a long chat outside as the removal men were unloading :rotfl:.

Neighbours are just so interesting...

elsien

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

I don't want the lookyloos round here having a nosey when they walk past.

That'd be me.:D
I'm a nosey beggar and work on the basis that if you don't want people to see in, don't leave your curtains open and your light on.

catkins

elsien wrote: »

In my area, curtains closed all day tend to mean a house of multiple occupation where all the rooms are rented out as bedrooms. Or where the sun shines on the front of the house so it's to block the light a bit.

I don't know anyone who closes curtains when they go out for fear if burglars. As you say, they might as well have a big sign up saying "burgle me now."

Pretty sure most of the houses on my estate are of multiple occupation.

It's not just a few houses that have curtains or blinds closed during the day, it's loads of houses and I just find it very odd. I've never seen it anywhere else I lived.

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

We have vertical blinds on our front windows, and they're closed all the time regardless of whether we are here or not! I don't want the lookyloos round here having a nosey when they walk past.

Does that not make your room dark? I have nets because although I don't like them I dislike people being able to nose in even more.

Sayschezza

We close our bedroom ones when we go to bed and the kitchen ones (front of house) when the light is on. I open kitchen ones when I go to bed. All other curtains are never closed. Conservatory blinds are closed in the winter to stop the heat from escaping.

Tiddlywinks

elsien wrote: »

I'm a nosey beggar and work on the basis that if you don't want people to see in, don't leave your curtains open and your light on.

That's exactly what I said to Mr Tiddly when he told me off the last time I took an interest in a neighbour ironing by the window (in only his undies) .

It's really interesting seeing people in their natural habitats, hunting and gathering (for the remote control, dropped money down the sofa, car keys etc), interacting with the family (arguing or 'get a room' stuff), at rest (parked on the sofa with their belly in the air).... yep, if they've got it, why not flaunt it :rotfl:.

Bibbitybob

When I got burgled a couple of years ago the police advised me to keep my blinds open as burglars can't be as discreet entering a house - though the blinds/curtains were open upstairs and the f**ker(s?) just closed the curtains anyway!

I always keep my kitchen blinds up as they are not overlooked windows, close the front ones at night and usually open them during the day, although the bedroom ones sometimes stay shut if baby is sleeping/I'm getting dressed etc. I do tend to close them if I go out at night though, then I can leave a light on and it looks like someone could be home.