Brightening up new flat?

missbiggles1

dekaspace wrote: »

I have 2 carbon monoxide alarms but not tested them.

I don't like having the ability for people to look into my property, theres a lot of kids around here, when I looked out of window when I first moved in primary school kids got off a bus and said "what you looking at fatty" and gave me the finger and yesterday someone set fire to the bin outside my flat, and I see dodgy kids a lot.

Most neighbours either have nets or blinds and curtains.

They are large double windows, say about 6 or 7 feet all across, when I use a double duvet cover it just about covers one corner to another bar about 6 inches.

Its probably a combination of rushing about and mostly eating junk since I moved in since I don't have a cooker yet and serious lack of light, though maybe getting woken at 6am by neighbour kids and them playing all day plays a part too lol.

If you're likely to suffer from vandalism, I'd want to be able to see what was going on so I could act.

PasturesNew

If you get nets, but can't put them up properly yet, then if the top part of the window opens, thread some ribbon/string/old pair of tights cut down through the hem, tie knots at the end, open the window and hold the knots just outside, at the top part of the window, then shut the window... it'll hold the nets up

If you need it to look a bit smarter, then you can work a stick into the equation, with the stick suspending the nets and the ends of the stick being held/supported by bits of thread/wool/string/whatever being fed out through the window.

I've had a stick across patio doors for two years.... must get round to looking into that

PasturesNew

dekaspace wrote: »

... I see dodgy kids a lot.....

Oh dear. I'll further suggest two "odd things".

If you can fit either a mirror looking outwards, or some mirror window film, that can help as people are less likely to be offensive/offend if they can see themselves reflected (allegedly).

Also, having an image of eyes makes people think they're being watched and they are less likely to offend.

Having said that, feral br4ts have their own rule book, known only to idiots, so even those might not work, but worth a punt as they can "look innocent" if done correctly.

rach_k

Can you partially open each set of curtains to allow light in but not enough for people to have a proper look through? I live on a street with lots of foot traffic and the front of the house is only set back a metre or two from the road, but I open the downstairs curtains in a triangle shape and I've never seen anybody bothering to look as they'd have to bend down. I leave the curtains so that they're still together at the curtain pole and then tuck them behind the radiator (use tie-backs if you have nowhere to tuck them!) towards the bottom. It lets in a surprising amount of light but it's small enough that people walking outside are past it too quickly to see anything much.

NewShadow

PasturesNew wrote: »

If you get nets, but can't put them up properly yet, then if the top part of the window opens, thread some ribbon/string/old pair of tights cut down through the hem, tie knots at the end, open the window and hold the knots just outside, at the top part of the window, then shut the window... it'll hold the nets up

If you need it to look a bit smarter, then you can work a stick into the equation, with the stick suspending the nets and the ends of the stick being held/supported by bits of thread/wool/string/whatever being fed out through the window.

I've had a stick across patio doors for two years.... must get round to looking into that

Love this idea!

I've been too lazy to get around to getting the fixings (hooks and wire) for my nets for (cough) 4 years now.

I have string...

VfM4meplse

dekaspace wrote: »

I have 2 carbon monoxide alarms but not tested them.

I don't like having the ability for people to look into my property,

Please test them

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Costs no more than £2.50 from the cleaning products section of the supermarket. Apply it with some newspaper, paper towel or a rag and let it dry on the window.

You'll get a white coating on the inside that still lets in light and when you're ready to put nets up, rub it off with newspaper and your windows will be sparkling clean.