to think our neighbour is spying on me through a wall?

[gnocci]

We live in a semi but a semi that backs onto another house, so our entire back wall is another house's entire back wall IYSWIM. So upstairs we share a wall on our bedroom, the landing and our bathroom.

The only noise I ever hear from their house is that noise of a pull switch light cord. And the only time I ever hear it is just after I go to the bathroom at night before I go to bed. Whatever the time. I never hear it before or after. Without fail it is just after I leave the bathroom. I go to bed at very random times (DH works away...). it could be 8pm, it could be 1am. Whatever time it is, I always hear that cord go within 20 seconds of me leaving the bathroom...

Uuummmmmm AIBU to think I might be being spied on..??!!! How do I find out for sure?!!

If its only after your night time wee, I would guess that when u flush toilet or use tap it disturbs/wakes them and they then need to go for a wee.
We used to live in an upstairs flat and often if downstairs flushed loo during night it would wake one of us & we would go to loo, often happened opposite way as well.

I can see why you are freaked out, you're starting to freak me! Have just had a look round this room wondering if I'm being watched, and I live in a detached house!

Does this happen when your dh is home?

Ok I'm scaring myself now.

If lights connected in some way that would have caused noticeable problems by now surely?! And it is always shortly after, not at the same time.

That's very odd, it probably is a coincidence or something, but it doesn't stop you thinking 'what if' though does it/ I hope you work it out!

Oshuk - said upthread that I don't notice when DH is home as we usually go to bed the same time and are talking. He's a lot more noisy than me too whereas the house is silent when its just me, so I hear it.

I think it's far more likely to be something innocent, purely because spying is better in the dark (not that I'd know!) and surely you'd hear the light going on first for it then to be switched off? If it's being switched on 20 seconds after you leave then the spying thing would make no sense either. If that were the case then I think you're probably waking them up and they're taking the opportunity for a wee.

But yeah, send someone round the back just to satisfy your curiosity if nothing else. And please report back, I'm intrigued.

PS the hollow wall is probably to be expected if the houses were once one but now two.

rufus5

I guess the coincidence thing could be right - my noise wakes them and they then go for a wee.

Well, you would think that they'd have said something, if your light is able to turn theirs on. The only reason I can think that they haven't would be because you are paying for their electricity.

We are in a house that used to be one btw, but not back to back. The electric in our garage is wired up to next door's supply and I'm not sure she realises this.

I'm the exact same gnocchi, always thinking someone is in our garden when DP on nightshift, been convinced in a few occasions but could just be foxes.

I usually can't sleep till the dc's have started musical beds and end up in ours, in fact sometimes I lift them in when I'm going to bed so I'm not alone!

Is your DH home tonight? How do they know he's not at home or is it that you don't hear it when he's at home?

If the noise happens the exactly the same amount of time after you've turned the light off each time, then something could possibly be turning on/off on a timer delay.

It could be the neighbours being disturbed and going to the loo, but if it's EXACTLY 20 seconds each time after then that does sound suspect. I think I would definately have to get a techy type in to have a look.

Gnocci, sorry I've skim read, but have you checked for holes etc?

sorry, yes I did read that earlier!

Maybe they are wondering why their bathroom light randomly turns on at night?

So if it only happens on your last night wee. Tomorrow night if you have a bedtime routine do it in a different way ie don't flush toilet, do touch light switch, clean teeth last etc and see if it still happens if it doesn't then it suggests that's it nothing to do with you.

We HAVE to resolve this! Paranoid or not, it's creepy. Don't understand it though, if they were spying they'd just leave the light off!

who lives in the house you back onto?

What are the neighbours like?

Heads - not exactly. Sorry I wasn't clear if I said that. I mean around/within about 20 seconds. And as I said I tested it a few mins ago and it didn't do it again.

Don't flush your loo next time, just to see if it's that that is waking them and prompting them to go to their bathroom.

Are your lofts joined?

Never met them, no idea who they are.

They back on to us so you have to go right round into a different road to get to their front door.

Does the noise sound like it is coming from next door?

How long had this been happening? Has it only recently started or has or always been like that?