3 Disturbing TRUE Horror Stories from New Houses

New houses are supposed to feel safe. But what if something was already waiting inside?

In this episode of Blighty Nightmares, we explore three terrifying true stories of people who moved into “perfect” homes—only to discover they weren’t alone. From hidden intruders and eerie noises to chilling encounters with strangers, these are not ghost stories… they’re real-life horrors that happened after the keys were handed over.

🏠 This episode includes:
• A couple who discovers someone has been living inside their walls
• A renter who wakes up to find muddy footprints by her bed—inside a locked room
• A man who hears crying in the basement… but no one else is home

Each story builds slowly, twisting into fear with every creak, whisper, and shadow. If you’ve ever moved into a new place and felt watched—you’re not imagining things.

🎧 Subscribe to Blighty Nightmares for more episodes featuring true horror, home invasion stories, and real terrifying encounters you won’t forget.

Chapters
00:00 - Story 1
10:24 - Story 2
18:33 - Story 3

Chapters

• 0:00 Story 1
• 10:24 Story 2
• 18:33 Story 3

Transcript

she heard the hallway floor creek nothing else just one slow step and then silence she thought it was her husband getting a drink until she remembered he was out of town she reached for her phone and it was gone they had just moved in no enemies no stalkers but that night while she slept someone walked through the house like it was already theirs they moved in on Wednesday emily 29 a nurse josh 31 a field technician a young couple finally closing in on their first home northeast Los Angeles suburbs quiet street great school district ring doorbell brand new locks newly landscaped they weren't rich just careful every piece of furniture was secondhand they painted the nursery together it smelled faintly of baby powder and prima josh had to leave town 3 days after they moved in client work in Renault emily insisted she'll be fine it's a safe neighborhood cops live three houses down she wasn't nervous they had alarms she had a dog charlie an aging Labrador slept at the foot of her bed deaf as rock but warm loyal she ordered in that night watched TV left the hallway light on by 11:30 p.m she was out cold and by 1:17 a.m someone else was already inside it started small a single floor ball creaked right outside the bedroom emily blinked awake not because of the sound but because she was cold the blankets had slipped her phone wasn't on the charger where she left it she reached to the nightstand nothing she sat up called out "Charlie." The dog didn't stare the hallway light was still on but dimmer now as if something was blocking part of it she squinted towards the door nothing moved but the house felt paused she slipped out of bed crossed the room in socks tugged the door open the rest of the way the hallway was empty she called for Charlie again nothing her feet were cold she noticed her slippers were gone not where she always left them not under the bench not anywhere she checked the kitchen drawer open only one the junk drawer scissors missing back hallway the bathroom light on she never turned it on never used that bathroom the toilet lit up seat wet that's when she felt it a draft from the laundry room she stepped towards it the back door was unlocked unlocked not a jar not wide open just gently undone as if someone had closed it behind them but not fully she backed away slowly carefully her phone was still missing he grabbed the landline from the wall heart pounding called Josh i think someone's been in the house he answered instantly "What i think someone's here call 911 right now." She did it would take 12 minutes for LAPD to arrive two patrol cars arrived emily met them outside barefoot phone in one hand knife in the other she hadn't touched anything not even Charlie who was still asleep on the bed undisturbed officers moved through the house with flashlights checked all entry points cleared every room no signs of forced entry the back door hadn't been broken just unlocked the windows were all secure then the strange details began piling up her slippers found near the back door one upright one on its side her phone in the laundry basket wrapped in a towel the scissors on the guest bathroom sink and then the guest bed it had been pulled back the sheets were wrinkled the imprint of a body visible someone had laid down the attic door was unlatched no ladder no dust trail but the officers noted the cord had been pulled not recently maybe within the past day still they searched it found nothing they chalked it up to nerves told her she must have forgotten to lock the door suggested maybe she misplaced her phone left the drawer open herself she didn't argue but she knew someone had been in the house she could feel it the way her toothbrush was damp the way the rug in the kitchen had shifted the smell in the air warm like body heat but unfamiliar that night she didn't sleep 3 days later Josh came home they checked every lock installed new deadbolts brought new cameras got a locksmith to change the codes emily tried to move on but then it happened again this time they were both home they woke up to fine closet door open tv turned on in the living room dog food spilled across the floor and the kitchen counter a spoon one neither of them remembered using they called police again this time officers didn't sweep the house they brought a K9 unit the dog paws near the guest bedroom sniff the wall then the hall closet an officer pulled the door open nothing but the dog refused to leave it he sniffed turned barked once and jumped off at the top shelf that's when the officer noticed something strange the drywall panel at the back of the closet it wasn't flush they pulled the shelf off used the flashlight behind the panel was a crawl space small unfernished smelled like old wood and sweat they aimed the light in and caught the reflection of two open eyes the man inside was curled tight wedged between beams barefoot unarmed filthy he didn't fight didn't speak just stared they pulled him out cuffed him led him out through the same hallway he crept through at night emily and Josh stood frozen as he passed do you know him an officer asked they didn't he was a former HVAC contractor one of the many workers who'd been in the house during its final inspection weeks before closing he had memorized the layout and hidden in the attic before they moved in he'd been living there for 5 days slipping out at night eating their food watching them sleep they never heard him not once they replaced the locks again installed motion lights alarm systems a second dog but it didn't matter emily couldn't sleep for weeks she kept replaying every moment when had he watched her undress how many nights had he stood at that door how long had he been hiding behind that thin layer of wall police said the man had done this before he had a record burglary trespassing in each case he slipped into empty homes lived there unseen he told police he didn't mean to harm he said the couple seemed nice he liked being near them emily couldn't stop thinking about their first night when her phone was missing when the back door was unlocked and the hallway creaked she thought she'd been alone in the house for 48 hours she wasn't he had been there the entire time eating quietly sleeping in their guest bed using their toothbrush and watching they sold the house 5 months later moved in with Josh's parents emily still wakes up at 1:17 a.m every single night you can change the locks you can buy alarms you can live in a quiet neighborhood but if someone's already inside none of that matters emily thought she was alone that the house was hers that silence meant safety but in that silence he was watching if this story made you check your locks hit like subscribe and ring that bell because in the next story someone moved in first and never left she woke he was crawling across the floor half-dressed groggy her son slept beside her she snapped on the light and froze he wasn't her husband she saw a stranger in her home just yards from her child's bed no alarms no warning just betrayal in the most vulnerable space imaginable kristen 34 former reality TV star now a mother of one recently moved into a large home in Nashville they were renting new carpets fresh paint security deposit down peace restored her son five was asleep kristen watched TV in bed before turning in herself a maintenance worker was scheduled for the next day she didn't worry text from the maintenance company read "Expect repairman tomorrow between 9 and 11:00 a.m." She fell asleep thinking of her child at 3:12 a.m Christine stirred something had moved at the edge of her bed she blinked sat up slightly the room was dark but her closet light was on she didn't remember turning it on at first she thought it was her son she whispered "Sweetie." No answer she turned on the lamp and saw him a man crawling on all fours towards her bed his hair was matted his shirt half on his belt undone and he looked startled like she had interrupted him she grabbed her phone her son stirred beside her she screamed "Who the hell are you?" He stood stumbling "uh I'm here to fix the He trailed off eyes wide breathing heavy." Christine grabbed her son bolted for the hallway slammed the door locked it from the outside dialed 911 the man didn't follow police arrived in 9 minutes the man was still in the room sitting on the edge of her bed hands folded calm he told officers "I was just waiting until morning." He was arrested without resistance but the officers were disturbed not just by his calmness but by how he got in there were no signs of forced entry no broken lock no shattered window nothing jimmied or kicked kristen had locked the doors that night she was sure of it when questioned the man said "I used the code." Police checked the smart lock system no digital trail no recent code entry so how had he entered the answer came 2 days later the man identified as Ryan Mendoza 28 was an employee of the property management company a handyman one Kristen had seen once in passing weeks earlier he wasn't scheduled for any work he hadn't been dispatched he had kept a spare key made a copy and let himself in he told officers he just wanted to be close that he had seen Kristen during a prior job and something about her felt safe he had entered the home around 2:00 a.m walked through the kitchen used the bathroom and waited in the closet for over an hour watching listening waiting for her to fall asleep he wasn't carrying a weapon but in his backpack police found a pair of gloves a cell phone with multiple photos of Christine's house interior a second phone not his with no SIM card he admitted he'd been in the house once before days earlier while they were out that time he hadn't taken anything he just looked walked the rooms sat on the couch like it was already his kristen watched the footage back later her smartphone by the entryway facing the front hall had caught him entering at 2:06 a.m calm quiet he disarmed the alarm with a code she never gave him then he slipped his shoes off and walked upstairs she saw him pause outside her door for nearly 2 minutes just listening breathing then he walked into her closet closed the door and stood there in the dark watching that was when her mind snapped to one detail her son's room it was across the hall unmonitored unlocked she had no way of knowing how long the man had been there had he gone into her son's room first had he stood over that bed watching the boy sleep the footage didn't show there was no camera upstairs police could not charge him with intent to harm there was no weapon no threat he was charged with criminal trespassing unauthorized entry and stalking released on bail 72 hours later Kristen packed their things that day they never slept in that house again kristen moved into a gated community full security armed patrols no contractors without approval but she still doesn't sleep well she brought blackout curtains replaced every lock installed cameras in every room even so she still wakes up at 2:00 a.m imagining the closet door creaking hearing footsteps in memory she later found out Ryan Mendoza had worked at six properties she visited before choosing this one had he followed her had he watched her narrow down the house list or was it just by chance the scariest part in the police interview he said this i wasn't going to do anything i just like the choir she looked peaceful the idea that someone could look at your life from behind a closet door decide if it was worth stepping into and then do it that's a fear that locks can't fix she never pressed full charges she just wanted to move on but to this day her son sometimes asks "Mommy do you remember that man who lived in the closet?" We think of danger as something outside the house but sometimes it's already inside watching from the dark waiting to be seen he didn't break in he didn't scream he just stood there in her closet and waited for her to wake up if this story made you check your bedroom door click like subscribe and ring that bell because the final story tonight someone wasn't living in the house they were living in the walls imagine drifting to sleep in your own home only to hear human breathing behind the walls no scrapes no claws just measured inhales and exhales you cut open the drywall still ripping it apart and you come face to face with a human being we reinforce every lock install alarms and set cameras but none of it matters when someone is already living inside your walls sarah and Mark both in their early 30s brought the charming yet antique colonial with visions for their newborn family they spent weekends unpacking boxes refinishing floors even down to choosing trim for the attic hatch little Emma 2 years old loved the house she pulled herself around corners left tracks of Cheerios on the hardwood floors and fell asleep listening to classical lullabies in her jelly bean colored crib first night asleep in the master bedroom Sarah woke to the silence that felt too quiet a settling house sure but something else beneath the normal nighttime sounds something human tapping in the walls began late November a single tap tap tap like a fingernail then a shuffle of weight above sarah pressed her ear to the hallway wall heard a slow exhale a pause a breath mark found the loose nail at the pantry wall one that should be sound he tightened it that night Sarah heard footfalls dustling across the attic floor above though the attic was locked and the hatch latched with a padlock they installed cameras in the basement hallway attic living room motion triggered with infrared for weeks nothing until a scratch scored the hallway's hardwood clearly visible in the morning glow a single streak 5 ft long as if someone dragged their knuckles they replaced the batteries checked logs no movement recorded in the guest room closet they found panels mismatched the door had been shut tight that night before now slightly a jar coat hangers fallen they removed the panel inside the insulation was fresh compressed barely dusty they taped the panel shut but that night Sarah awoke to faint whispers human murmurss near the vent mark searched the basement he found footprints in the dust of the subfloor barefoot adult male slender toe pads no shoes a week later vents were removed for cleaning police checked someone had widened each grate to allow crawling in insurance adjuster arrived found matching traces tiny wires missing from alarm systems but when Mark pulled thermal cameras around he found nothing but the attic heat traced in dead zones even then they hoped it was fear denial then came December the 18th emma's crib blocked from the inside something pushed against it a wire web of footprints in insulation above her room they called the police on a snowed in night both parents slept restlessly sarah woke to childlike giggling echoing from down the hall she followed the sound to the guest room there the drywall panel swung open slowly a man 30-ish eyes wide peeked out he stared lips move no sound mark burst through flashlight beam chest shuff forward the stranger froze mark screamed the intruder backed away pressed further into the wall gap and vanished into the attic's dark he had shadows camouflaging him mark ran the police they tore open panels inside footprints hair candle wax remnants charcoal drawings faces scratched into studs but no man they didn't wait 24 days later they vacated taking only essential clothing lockmith changed every lock every door and window psychiatrists diagnosed nightmares paranoia at times they slept in different apartments for 6 months neighbors said the house remained empty all attempts at sale failed windows boarded for sale signs slapped by wind in early 2001 new tenants arrived within a fortnight they left rs reports panel screws undone bent unscrewed one report woman wept in the basement at midnight telling someone to go away the house sits empty now sarah and Mark never returned they moved 200 m away the house is still theirs yet they never want it again your home your safe place might already be occupied someone watching living between the walls we lock doors but we don't lock walls that's where the real terror hides if this broke your comfort in your home like subscribe and ring that bell because safety isn't just behind the door sometimes it's in your walls