I live in the Harry Potter house — bizarre fans travel miles to cry outside my door
“Harry Potter” fans are eager to see the titular wizard’s childhood home in the fictional town of Little Whinging in Surrey, where he lived at 4 Privet Drive with the Dursleys — and the actual homeowners are feeling the effect.
The residence — which is actually located in Bracknell, Berkshire, in England — was used as the home where Harry lived under the stairs with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley.
The anonymous homeowner told the Sun that fans show up to their house “every day” — and some even climb their fence and knock on the door.
“You open the curtains in the morning. You don’t get used to it. It’s really weird,” they said. “Ten is the maximum we’ve had, but people come in groups. People come in cars, and it’s all day and sometimes at night. The school holidays are the worst.”
The homeowner finds it “bizarre” that people show up in tears and get dressed up to pose in front of the iconic home.
“We’ve had people in floods of tears. It’s bizarre. The kids, you get it. But obviously the adults. They dress up sometimes in full gear and re-create scenes,” they said.
“Loads” of fans recently showed up at the house and started to knock on their door to ask if they can take a photo in front of the residence, but the owner said some people don’t even bother to ask.
But they understand the hype and don’t really mind the disruptors too much. They even move their car, so visiting Potterheads can get better photos.
“I don’t mind. Harry Potter is amazing. I get that. But you do come home from work and they are all on your drive. It’s quite mad,” the owner admitted.
“We knew what house we were buying except they didn’t really tell us. They didn’t tell us they are here all day, every day. It’s constant.”
They continued, “It’s one of those franchises after all these years that is still just as crazy. Sometimes I just don’t get it.”
While the owners of the famous house are accommodating of the fans, they feel bad for the neighbors whose driveways are often swarmed by fans trying to get a decent photo.
“Pretty much every single day you see people coming here and stopping in front of their house and taking photos,” neighbor Asad Shahid, 32, told the outlet. “Sometimes I’ve seen vans and minibuses pull up here. Lots of tourists from all over the world. I’ve met people that have come from America, Japan and Germany.”
Shahid shared that one time while driving home, they saw a replica of the flying Ford Anglia from the second installment of the franchise, 2002’s “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”
The owner added, “People have traveled miles. From all over the world. People are sometimes really awkward. We are used to it, but not used to it in a way.”
As for the infamous cupboard under the staircase that Harry was forced to live in by his mean aunt and uncle prior to going to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, fans will be delighted to know it’s still in place.
“The cupboard is still here. It hasn’t been touched. Harry Potter might as well still live here. We just keep junk in it. Coats. Ironing board. Hoover,” the owner shared. “We have thought about re-creating it into the cupboard.”
Even though 4 Privet Drive has appeared in all eight movie adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s book series, the actual home was only used in just one movie before the house — and the entire street — was re-created into a set in a studio for the other films.
Fans can visit the set of the film on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, in England.
