Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

With my neighbours strange problem!?

138 replies

killerjane · 17/12/2020 12:30

So I've lived in my semi detached house for just under 2 years; friends with the houses across the road and to my right, but my actual direct neighbours (an older-ish couple) have always avoided eye contact and ignored my 'hellos'

We don't really hear much from them, apart from their little dogs incessantly barking and very occasionally they BLAST their music (though more through poor hearing than trying to be anti-social I think?!).

Anyway, to my surprise, before the weekend, the lady came round and said that for the past few months there's been a deafening vibrating/machinery sound coming from my house that 'shakes the wall' and causes their dogs to fuss. I was shocked and completely clueless as to what could be the issue as I work from home in a little room at the opposite side of the house and the most noise is our tele on an evening.

Our adjoining wall on my side is a long living room/dining room and upstairs master and spare bedroom. The only electrical items plugged in at all are the TV (and currently Christmas tree), neither of which emit any noise whatsoever. There's no plumbing, radiators or anything else that's powered plugged in on that side.

She said sometimes it was so loud they had to turn the tele up and she'd heard it after 1am the night prior. I explained there's nothing electrical along that side of the house and that the only thing plugged in was the tele. I also told her at 1am, we'd have been in bed for hours ha! I said she'd just have to let me know next time she heard it and I'd investigate with her.

I panicked it might be our wood burner or attached fan however it couldn't be at that time and we hadn't even had a fire on the occasions she'd mentioned.

I ended up having a slight run in with them today, on a blasting music occasion as I was working from home and couldn't hear myself think. She brought it up again and said her son had visited the previous evening (who cares about lock down eh!) and had mentioned it too. I asked why she hadn't come and said something as I couldn't help her if I didn't understand. She said she would this weekend...

What the heck could it be?! And is it my responsibility to sort it out?! Neither me or my partner have noticed any noise of that sort (she likened it to an engine speeding up, or a sewing machine) and I'd consider us good neighbours as we're considerate and quiet, but she's convinced it's our problem!?

Gaaah!

OP posts:
ifIwerenotanandroid · 17/12/2020 13:36

You've got some great answers & ways forward so I'll just wish you luck & leave this anecdote here:

I was in a silent public library & an elderly man accosted the librarian & demanded that she do something about the music that was playing. "What music?" she asked. "Can't you hear it? I can hear it," he said as everyone quickly moved away from him.

Maybe your neighbour's got the same problem? But it's more likely the railway repairs.

Calabasa · 17/12/2020 13:37

There is a good chance its their own plumbing.

ChickenyChick · 17/12/2020 13:37

We had this

It was very annoying

Every day around the same time, the kitchen wall was vibrating and making an irritating noise

I went to have it out with the neighbours, but they could not find anything

One day the noise happened, and my teen DS walks straight to a cupboard we never use, it has a "drawer of doom" and in that drawer was his old phone, they type with a battery that lasts 30 days, and the alarm (with vibration) was still set. The phone was wedged against the wall....

We also had an electric toothbrush that I accidentally switched on during cleaning which made the sink (and pipes) vibrate...I was so alarmed I called an emergency plumber

Maybe your neighbours are a bit stupid, like me Grin

Original poster
killerjane · 17/12/2020 13:38

@ifIwerenotanandroid

You've got some great answers & ways forward so I'll just wish you luck & leave this anecdote here:

I was in a silent public library & an elderly man accosted the librarian & demanded that she do something about the music that was playing. "What music?" she asked. "Can't you hear it? I can hear it," he said as everyone quickly moved away from him.

Maybe your neighbour's got the same problem? But it's more likely the railway repairs.

To say we're absolutely baffled as to what could be so deafening (her words), I think this anecdote is absolutely perfect!
OP posts:
Original poster
killerjane · 17/12/2020 13:40

@ChickenyChick

We had this

It was very annoying

Every day around the same time, the kitchen wall was vibrating and making an irritating noise

I went to have it out with the neighbours, but they could not find anything

One day the noise happened, and my teen DS walks straight to a cupboard we never use, it has a "drawer of doom" and in that drawer was his old phone, they type with a battery that lasts 30 days, and the alarm (with vibration) was still set. The phone was wedged against the wall....

We also had an electric toothbrush that I accidentally switched on during cleaning which made the sink (and pipes) vibrate...I was so alarmed I called an emergency plumber

Maybe your neighbours are a bit stupid, like me Grin

CAN. YOU. IMAGINE. Although at least it's a bloody solution rather than me looking like the montrous vibrating neighbour...
OP posts:
RandomUser18282 · 17/12/2020 13:40

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

TooManyDogsandChildren · 17/12/2020 13:43

If you find out what it is OP please let me know.

My busybody neighbour grabbed me at 8.30am the morning after we moved in early evening the night before and said that her (uni age) daughter had been up all night terrified by the humming noise coming from our house and demanded we stop it.

There are many things wrong with this (i) there was no noise - I sleep very lightly and especially in a new place (ii) uni age daughter terrified - really? (iii) let's say there had been some noise, would you not cut your new neighbours some slack on their first night and assume it was probably temporary?

This woman is queen bee of our residents association and I think it was all about establishing her authority. I try not to speak to her at all now and am really looking forward to moving next year.

MissMaple82 · 17/12/2020 13:45

Old boilermaker horrendous noise

Original poster
killerjane · 17/12/2020 13:46

@Handsoffstrikesagain

My mum had a neighbour like this. Unfortunately it turned out she had dementia. She swore blind her family could hear it (they couldn’t).
I did wonder about this, they are slightly older so could be a possibility. It's also strange her husband hasn't spoken to me, like today when we were having our slight 'to do' he arrived home in the car but didn't bother coming to back her up or get involved. Just disappeared inside...
OP posts:
Molecule · 17/12/2020 13:47

When I was a child we lived next to a railway track. The goods trains came through at night and the whole house would shake and the windows rattle. They were very long and seemed to go on for ever, but was probably only 10 minutes or so. Very definitely a possibility and no doubt would upset the dogs if they haven’t heard it before.

HijabiVenus · 17/12/2020 13:47

If there is a railway nearby, it could be a special railhead treatment train. They run during the night to treat the rails surface with something to stop passenger trains wheels slipping. They can be noisy and use older engines. Somewhere on line there are whats called working timetables that show all trains, not just passenger ones

IMNOTSHOUTING · 17/12/2020 13:50

I don't see what else you can possibly do, if she comes round when she can actually hear it then I do think you should investigate but until then I'd just carry on as you are.

waltzingparrot · 17/12/2020 13:52

Anything on thy roof that could be vibrating and sending shock waves down the wall? Solar panels, wind generator, weather vane

JustLikeStitch · 17/12/2020 13:53

If it’s shaking the wall on her side (how does a solid wall shake?) then surely it’d be shaking on your side too? Are you sure this is a real problem and she’s not having some kind of detached from reality situation going on?

TableFlowerss · 17/12/2020 13:53

@SoWhatNo

You do need to hear it for yourself.

One possibility is that there is a noise coming from somewhere eg a neighbouring house, and it's bouncing off surfaces so it sounds like it's coming from your house. In addition, some people with hearing loss or tinnitus can find it difficult to work out where a sound is coming from anyway.

Although if the son heard it too ...

The other possibility is that her house is haunted. Or your house is. Or that your neighbour is possessed. Can happen to anyone.

I was 100% agreeing with your post until the last paragraph.

I can’t believe adults in this day and age actually believe this stuff, blows my mind. There’s as much chance they elf is responsible as if being haunted!!

longwayoff · 17/12/2020 13:54

I worked in an office which was in a mostly residential street. Every so often, one of the neighbours would come in and complain about the unbearable noise from our machinery. There was no machinery but he was convinced the noise came from us. He was a pleasant man, always polite and we humoured him with tours of the building and reassurances but he remained unconvinced. One week after the little cafe along the road closed down, he dropped in to thank us for finally solving the problem. We didn't tell him the cafe had obviously taken their massive industrial extractor fan with them. Accepted his thanks and he went away happy.

Star81 · 17/12/2020 13:55

Next time the son pops over could you have a 2 min chat and see if he’s got any ideas on what sort of noise it was ? If she’s not overly willing to tell you when it’s happening maybe he could help ?

FatCatThinCat · 17/12/2020 13:56

I had an issue with a deafening machinery noise but nobody else could hear it. Went to the Dr's who syringed my ear and the problem went away. So it might not be anything to do with you and be, quite literally, in her head.

FitterHappierMoreProductive · 17/12/2020 14:00

I’d bet it’s the trains. We live pretty near a Trainline - can’t see it from the house, so forget it’s there, but probably only a couple of hundred metres at it’s closest. During the day, never think anything of it, but at night, when everything else is quiet, it suddenly seems loud - and sometimes (I suspect it’s when a freight train goes past) you can feel the house kind of vibrate.

Madcats · 17/12/2020 14:01

It sounds as if you are sound asleep when the annoying noise occurs so, unless you are running washing on economy seven or do computer back-ups at night, the noise is more likely to be external (from the back, so you wouldn't hear it) or from your neighbour's house. Some of our central heating pipes bang a bit when they get hot or contract?

The house always vibrates when the quarry trains go past at night (and we are a good 500m away from the viaduct).

Why not ask another neighbour or ask their son to describe/record it next time he visits.

explorerdog · 17/12/2020 14:01

We had network rail chopping trees down either side of the railway line. We had letters and meetings about it though.
Sometimes there is a noisy train at night, never seen it but figure it's checking the tracks or cleaning them

Keratinsmooth · 17/12/2020 14:02

Saniflo toilet?

CyberPixie · 17/12/2020 14:07

I had a similar problem with a past neighbour, it was all in her head. She made my life hell over it for years.

Tell her to get environmental health to investigate. They are very used to dealing with people with different types of tinnitus and other issues that cause them to accuse others of creating a noise, it's very common apparently. At least if there is a genuine noise they can work out what it is and where its coming from with their gadgets, if not they will put her straight.

Peppafrig · 17/12/2020 14:10

Maybe her son is in a support bubble with her don’t be quick to judge

andyoldlabour · 17/12/2020 14:11

This is a strange but relatively known thing called the "hum"
Some people cannot hear it, but I can, usually in the early hours of the morning. If it wakes me, I cannot get back to sleep. It is like industrial drilling underground.

science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/the-hum.htm