New neighbour, terraced house, seems to expect silence

[Bahhhhhumbug]

New neighbour to my empty (atm) terraced property. As soon as moved in started sending me texts (got my number by asking previous neighbour she bought house off but that's a whole other thread) informing me there seems be a tv left on in the property.
She said l hope l didn't mind her texting me and she askedfor my number.
I texted prev. neighbours and queried whether their buyer knew my house was empty and she said yes as she had told her.
I have always got on very well with former neighbour so didn't 'pull her up' on giving out my number as was very out of character and just figured she got caught on the hop in what was a very stressful house move for unconnected reasons to this tale.
So l text back to new neighbour that yes l was aware and it was a radio left on a talking channel as the house was empty but thanks for letting me know.
Next day l get a phone call from her and she's all 'Hi (insert very shortened version of my name, which even the old neighbour never called me) and she tells me again the radio has been on all night (it hasn't its on a timer goes off about 11pm and a lamp comes on) because she ' can hear it ' l was l admit a little frosty with her as l was annoyed at these chummy texts and calls from someone who shouldn't even have my number and shouldn't have even asked for it imo though l accept old neighbour partly to blame.
I had to read between the lines at this point that she found it too loud so l said (without being asked) l would call next day, (which l did) and turn it down and move it to the far wall in the kitchen (no neighbours that side).
I've had another long text off her today after ld done all that saying can l please answer and confirm that l am going to turn it down (she wasnt in when l went round and obliged so obviously at this point didn't know l had already done so
) Whilst there l also checked upstairs l couldn't hear it wafting up the stairs which l couldn't whatsoever and l have good hearing. It is quieter than a normal volume speaking voice and you can only hear it after you've gone two doors into the house, it's about a volume 3 on Alexa equivalent.
Old neighbour when asked said couldn't hear it when l was in there and neither could l.
Shes rang me twice again now and l just ignored her in the hope she will text me and tell me what the fucks wrong now. She did then text saying she wants it switching off as she can still hear it.
She keeps bringing up that she works from home and l get impression she seems to think that means should be almost silence from neighbouring properties. Or maybe because the vendors told her my house was empty she had an expectation of it being completely silent.
If people moved in they would be entitled to watch tv, talk, have radio on etc and all at a higher wolume than one quiet radio. WWYD as she is really getting on my nerves now.
If l was a rude person l might suggest she should've bought a detached house maybe, but lm not.

Subject:
New neighbour, terraced house, seems to expect silence

Message:
New neighbour to my empty (atm) terraced property. As soon as moved in started sending me texts (got my number by asking previous neighbour she bought house off but that's a whole other thread) informing me there seems be a tv left on in the property.
She said l hope l didn't mind her texting me and she askedfor my number.
I texted prev. neighbours and queried whether their buyer knew my house was empty and she said yes as she had told her.
I have always got on very well with former neighbour so didn't 'pull her up' on giving out my number as was very out of character and just figured she got caught on the hop in what was a very stressful house move for unconnected reasons to this tale.
So l text back to new neighbour that yes l was aware and it was a radio left on a talking channel as the house was empty but thanks for letting me know.
Next day l get a phone call from her and she's all 'Hi (insert very shortened version of my name, which even the old neighbour never called me) and she tells me again the radio has been on all night (it hasn't its on a timer goes off about 11pm and a lamp comes on) because she ' can hear it ' l was l admit a little frosty with her as l was annoyed at these chummy texts and calls from someone who shouldn't even have my number and shouldn't have even asked for it imo though l accept old neighbour partly to blame.
I had to read between the lines at this point that she found it too loud so l said (without being asked) l would call next day, (which l did) and turn it down and move it to the far wall in the kitchen (no neighbours that side).
I've had another long text off her today after ld done all that saying can l please answer and confirm that l am going to turn it down (she wasnt in when l went round and obliged so obviously at this point didn't know l had already done so
) Whilst there l also checked upstairs l couldn't hear it wafting up the stairs which l couldn't whatsoever and l have good hearing. It is quieter than a normal volume speaking voice and you can only hear it after you've gone two doors into the house, it's about a volume 3 on Alexa equivalent.
Old neighbour when asked said couldn't hear it when l was in there and neither could l.
Shes rang me twice again now and l just ignored her in the hope she will text me and tell me what the fucks wrong now. She did then text saying she wants it switching off as she can still hear it.
She keeps bringing up that she works from home and l get impression she seems to think that means should be almost silence from neighbouring properties. Or maybe because the vendors told her my house was empty she had an expectation of it being completely silent.
If people moved in they would be entitled to watch tv, talk, have radio on etc and all at a higher wolume than one quiet radio. WWYD as she is really getting on my nerves now.
If l was a rude person l might suggest she should've bought a detached house maybe, but lm not.

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Has anyone suggested to OP that she turn off the radio?? If not - turn it off!😉😂

@Bahhhhhumbug

Previous neighbours were lying in bed next door though every night and weren't backward in coming forwards if there was a problem as lve said

Yeah but you've said the radio goes off at night, so they wouldn't have heard anything?

Also, maybe new neighbour doesn't have the TV on through the day when she's working so the noise is more noticeable? I can understand why she's annoyed when it's totally unnecessary since the property is empty. I'm sure she wouldn't complain like this if it genuinely was the sound of people living nextdoor, but it isn't. She's basically just being irritated for nothing.

Is she sure the noise is coming from yours and not the other neighbours? Sound does travel so could well be the other side of her she can hear.

Also, if she was moving into a house that had people who didnt work then the TV would be on all day anyway so a bit of noise during the day is totally acceptable and expected.

Bloody hell, on a number of levels

@LalalalalalaLand123

The radio is serving the purpose of making the house seem occupied to would-be burglars (same with the lights). We always leave a radio on when we are out, it is common sense and a basic recommendation for anyone leaving a property unattended in order to deter burglars. So it is perfectly reasonable for you to have it on (at a reasonable volume) to protect your property. Your neighbour is being ridiculous. If someone were living in your house, the neighbour would probably have more noise than a single radio to deal with. We live in a terrace, and you can hear talking, tv, radio etc through the walls, so expecting silence is totally unreasonable.

The worlds most outdated thinking... your not being robbed by the wet bandits lol.

Its actually modern advice NOT to do this as every single burgler knows that trick and can identify it instantly.

I don't understand what purpose it's serving other than annoying your neighbour?
If your worried about break ins then just get a burglar alarm at least then if anyone did break in you'd know about it.

She can hear it or she wouldn't be contacting you about it. She's annoyed every single day by your radio and you're leading your life completely away from this, not being affected at all. I feel so sorry for your neighbour. Turn it off. If she complains after that then she doesn't have a leg to stand on. People break in even when there are occupants in the house and if they never see anyone going in or out, they'll know you're not there. The radio will not stop break-ins and you may well be subjecting your new neighbour to slow torture via radio. That's why she got your number and is trying to be friendly but she is secretly distressed that she has bought a whole house and now is distracted for 8 hours a day by your radio. It's good you asked what mumsnet thinks. Really really turn off your radio.

Wow lots of responses, I'll try and answer some of them.
Firstly the trivia, I copied and pasted my long OP as I thought it had disappeared at one point so in case that happened again. l obviously then accidentally pasted it as well as posting OP. Its not from an email.

I am very surprised that so many PP think it odd/mad/pointless/stupid etc to leave a radio on ,it is a common tactic and a quick google brings up this as a suggested burglar deterrent by such bodies as county councils, several major insurance companies etc. They do say though don't have it on continually but use a timer, which as I have already pointed out l have done.

l'm not sure either why so many PP are saying l am being selfish/ stubborn/spiteful/whatever . As I said in an early pp , l said to the woman that I would go round and turn it down/move it further away from adjoining wall, which I did within a day of her contacting me.

My ex neighbour certainly did not move away because of me or my behaviour, it was my ex tenants that were causing a noise nuisance to her that she complained about and I dealt with.
My ex neighbour and l have always got on very well and always been very mutually helpful to each other and we have become friends over the years. She gave me their new address and we are going to meet next week.
As l said the ex ndn is going through a tough time atm which l wont go into as outing and is the main reason she moved because of a change of circumstances.
I feel the new ndn asked her at a time she was under extreme stress for my number ( from what ex ndn has said since ) and because in the past she has always text me and said is it ok to do this or that to the fence/give your details to someone etc etc I will speak to her properly when we meet but it was out of character to do this without checking with me first.
Ex ndn had a key (and the alarm code) and l told her feel free go in if she felt the need so that would include turning the radio down if it was bothering her ,which again as l've already said l did check with her it wasn't a nuisance.

I won't be doing any refurbing/noisy work to the property, which some of you have said means I should consider being more considerate now because of future noise assault . House is already refurbished and what l said was l am letting some friends of mine that are having a refurb done to their house ,move in temporarily for a few months and then l am selling.
I have never at any point said l am not going to turn the radio down or even off like some of you are 'betting l will come back and say' and as l said above l have already responded quickly to new ndns complaint , even though she didn't 'complain' but initially said she was ' letting me know ' there was something left on . I read between the lines and was proactive voluntarily in turning it down /moving it away.
I am now waiting to see if she still complains and l will take it from there. l am not at all convinced that she had been home ( when she last text/rang) to see whether she could still hear it in its new position at lower volume. l think she was just carrying on with her rant and sounded as if presuming l wasn't going to go round .
Anyway l'm going round later today so I'll see then whether it was still a problem to her last night and take it from there and update.

ComeFromAway In which case live in a detached property.

Simples. Problem solved. #irony.
You sound like the sort of person who would say 'move to Europe then' to anyone who objected to Brexit.

@Definately

Having to listen to someone else's radio all day every day for no reason would drive me fucking insane. Imagine the monotonous radio noise always in the background ...never ever getting a break from it. Even if it is quiet clearly she can hear it, why would she lie? YABVU OP, and she sounds really nice, I'm sure she would keep an eye on your property for you if you asked her (and turned the radio off)

This!

And there’s a huge difference between the normal sounds of people living in a house, and a radio playing in an empty house which serves no purpose other than to shred your nerves!

I would put up with normal 'human' noise, but radio, even v quiet, for 12h, would drive me nuts. Buy RingO camera if you worried about security.

I think if I were her I'd be trying to contact some local burglars to see if they wanted to nick a central heating system and a radio.

Have a house for sale and presently advised to have lights and radio on timer. Hubby is serving Police Officer and the empty house insurance I have, also advises additional measures like leaving the radio on. It is about your piece of mind too.

I would move the radio away from any adjoining wall/room and leave it on the timer but ensure the timer is working to turn it off at 11.

Then I would ignore her.

It's quite outstandingly rude to leave a radio on in an empty property. I feel incredibly sorry for your neighbour. You are making their life hell.

They do say though don't have it on continually but use a timer, which as I have already pointed out l have done.

OP, you don't need the radio on till 11pm. The lights should be on then.

If you do want the radio, limit it to a couple of hours a day.

If she can hear it at all then it’s too loud.

You seem very irritated by her attempts to be friendly, which is strange I think.

Just turn it off - that sort of low level noise all day would be very irritating.

I'd expect burglars to be interested in houses with lots of phones, ipads etc where as an empty house is more likely to appeal to squatters. A radio isn't going to deter anyone. Anyone interested in the house would soon figure out it's empty.

Maybe switch the radio off but don't tell her. If she still complains about the noise, then you know it's not the radio.

She probably isn't psychic so she can hear it. Til 11pm! I'd break into your house myself and switch the thing off, it would drive me nuts. What's the big deal to you? Turn it off.

Sorry if you've already mentioned this - is the house furnished?
If it's not, the house will be acting as an enormous soundbox, enhancing the radio.

I also have never heard of keeping the radio on as a burglar deterrent.

So you have a radio on a timer to give the illusion someone is home and so reduce the chances of someone breaking into the property? But the volume of said radio is set so that it can only be heard when you are two doors inside the property? So a burglar would have to break I. To hear it. That sounds like a fairly crap deterrent and not worth falling out over.

Go round there and unplug the radio. Invest £16 each in motion activated intruder alarms and ask the neighbour to contact you if one goes off. A happy neighbour is a good neighbour and a much better protection for your property than an inaudible radio.

www.amazon.co.uk/Yale-SAA5015-Wireless-Outbuildings-Wall-Mounted/dp/B0781ZTCS8/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&psc=1&crid=1G2FOAF8UK3NE&keywords=intruder+alarm&sprefix=Intruder+%2Caps%2C161&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNlBKS0MzOUFUOEo1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTE1NTc5MUlIUFNWRUFYMVEyQiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDA5MTc2MUNXNTA2Nkg4NVBJSCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU)&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1621417462&sr=8-3-spons

Don't sell the house op. Rent it, but make sure the tenants have really screechy, screamy children, and a trampoline, because apparently that noise is completely allowed, and even be encouraged 👍

Could you vary the station a bit so it isn't the same jingle?

Usually, I would think a neighbour complaining about anything less than permanent drum and bass from a terraced house wbu, but something about this doesn't ring true.

As a PP have said, your previous neighbours have complained about tenants in the past and probably thought a soundtrack of near constant talk radio was the preferred option. They also moved away and passed on your number, which most people would not do (unless they anticipated issues). Turn off the radio, you have an alarm, it would take me about thirty seconds to realise that a house with an alarm going off probably didn't have people in it or if the alarm didn't go off about thirty seconds to realise that there weren't two people having a chat about current affairs in the room but a talk radio show on.

Turn it off and stop being so weird about it.

Turn it ofc, if you can't hear it from outside the property it serves no purpose as a deterrent. If you can only hear it two doors in as you mention then it will only accompany the burglars as the stake out the property.
You would be better off with lighting on timers than can be seen from a greater distance.
I get your frustration at having you details passed on but why annoy a neighbour for something that is pointless and ineffective.