We got our house...now I'm scared of it. LOL

Doublegreen · June 2012

Hi guys. We just bought our awesome mid-century modern house from a long short sale transaction. We were elated when the bank finally gave up and submitted to us. Since we moved in, I find it hard for me to sleep alone in it when my husband goes to work his night shifts. It is way too quiet in the house and this neighborhood, I guess I'm used to hearing bumps from upstairs and other people's car radios and when we lived in apartments. Every small noise keeps me on edge and I'm paranoid that someone is going to break in while I'm asleep. My house has a pier and beam foundation and there is a floor door that gives access to underneath the house. I used to think that was a charming feature, now it gives me the creeps. It reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Tell Tale Heart". LOL I never felt this bothered when I was living in apartment buildings. I find myself crashing at my sisters or parents most of the time. Other than that, I sleep with the TV on.

This might be the wrong place for me to post this. I'm just venting and know that my feelings will pass in time.

MarieSD · June 2012

I went through a phase in my early twenties (while living alone in an apartment) where I had trouble sleeping because of issues like that. I first used a fan, then a white noise machine, so that was the only sound I could hear (not the bumps/creaks/random neighbor noises). The TV wasn't an option for me -- there'd be a loud noise on a late-night TV show or a loud infomercial guy that would wake me up in a panic! I needed a white noise.

I also bought a ton of night lights and plugged them in every outlet. It took me time to adjust to sleeping with the white noise and with lights on. And then I gradually stopped using them.

About the door in the floor -- if you don't need to actually use it, can you put a rug over that part of the floor? That might help you put a physical barrier between you and it.

And maybe investing in ADT or some kind of security/monitoring system would help allay your fears.

wealldeservepretty · June 2012

aww -- i was afraid this would happen to me, too, as we moved into our new house from apartment living. give yourself a break, it's so normal to be experiencing this -- i second the idea of the alarm, if that will make you feel better. do you have any pets? that can also help you feel a little less scared. give yourself some time -- sooner or later it will start to feel like "home" and you'll be okay. but i feel like what you are experiencing is very normal.

BriGiboo · June 2012

I am sooo sorry! I had a home that scared me to death too. Gave me the weirdest dreams, heard and saw the strangest stuff. After awhile I adjusted but never did I feel completely comfortable at night. Definetly was not sad when it sold Tongue Tied

DZKathryn · June 2012

DH travels a lot for work and at first it was really hard to adjust to being home alone, every little noise scared me too! Having pets has really helped. I know if they are not freaking out over little noises and things I can relax a too. There is also someone/thing always home to talk to or waiting for me when I get there which is much nicer than coming home to an empty house/apartment.

Sisugal · June 2012

Buy a small fan and uses that for white noise --- turn the TV off.

LoveKiss · June 2012

Time for a home security system?

MaineWifey · June 2012

You'll get used to it. I like to sleep with the TV on when H isn't home as well.

Can you cover the floor door with a rug so you don't see it? It would probably creep me out a little too!

There were a couple of things that made me uncomfortable about our house so I changed them. One being that when you were standing on the front steps you could see into the living room through the windows at the top of the door if you were tall enough or on your tip toes. The door had to go.

mariagarcia495 · June 2012

There was something that made me uncomfortable in my home too, whatever you are thinking is quite obvious in the beginning when all things, people and area are new. Later you will get habitual to all this and start loving your home.

toothpastechica · July 2012

I agree with those who have said its pretty normal, I moved out to the outer suburbs from the city and had a really hard time falling asleep at first, even now H makes fun of me because I am hypersensitive to noises, but I found that making sure I was the the one who checked that the doors are locked at every night helps....knowing that its done, I am slowly learning to ignore the creaks. I can't sleep with background noise, but it does get better!! You will get used to it!