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AIBU?

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New neighbour, terraced house, seems to expect silence

779 replies

Bahhhhhumbug · 19/05/2021 01:34

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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OP posts:
TurquoiseDragon · 19/05/2021 15:43

Turn the radio off and don't tell your neighbour. That might be a way to find out if it really is the radio causing a problem.

The radio is irrelevant to security, though. It won't do a thing to deter anyone.

Pinkylemons · 19/05/2021 15:44

She is being unreasonable. If there were people in the property it would be a lot noisier!

SinkGirl · 19/05/2021 15:52

If someone breaks a window then the alarm will go off - that’s more likely to send a burglar running that hearing voices. Just turn it off!

nathanandfanny · 19/05/2021 15:54

Turn it off. It’s bothering her and serving you no real purpose.

Meirou90 · 19/05/2021 15:55

Just turn it off and be done with the issue.

sparemonitor · 19/05/2021 15:57

Replacing 11pm with 9pm would be a good start. Many people are in bed long before 11.

sillysmiles · 19/05/2021 15:58

To all the people saying about having the radio on is not ok - what would happen if there was someone living in the house.
First thing I do in the morning is turn on the radio, and it stays on all day until I'm settling to watch TV.
The radio is a pretty normal household noise I would think.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 19/05/2021 16:00

I'd be royally fucked off at a radio being on for that many hours a day. Rude and inconsiderate AF.

Bahhhhhumbug · 19/05/2021 16:02

Yes @sinkgirl but l would still have a broken window/door and insecure property, if they thought someone might be in there tthey might just go away and abandon their burglary mission. Much better result. I can't emphasise enough what a bad area it is for break ins and yes they would break in to an empty house.

OP posts:
skybluee · 19/05/2021 16:07

Sound can travel in unusual ways and sometimes not in the ways we predict.

There is so much bad and strife in the world at the moment - this is something that can be solved.

Please, OP, switch it off.

Radio has jingles and set, pattern type noises - it can be so, so aggravating and it's not worth upsetting your neighbour like this.

There are other options like the wifi/motion activated radio that has been suggested.

Life is short and it's not worth upsetting someone like this, when you have the lights flickering on as a deterrent anyway.

lakesidelife · 19/05/2021 16:07

It seems more likely your neighbor will start complaining to others about a radio being left on in an empty house.
Increasing the number of people who know it is empty.

I would ditch the radio, which seems to be mostly just winding your neighbor up and ask her to keep an eye on the place instead.

Bahhhhhumbug · 19/05/2021 16:10

@sparemonitor that is my next plan of action if she's still not happy. But l haven't heard from her at all today so maybe what lve already done is enough but l'll probably make the cut off time earlier either way I am going there this evening in a few hours so will update.

OP posts:
Taoneusa · 19/05/2021 16:11

Spread the love! Give someone what they want, it’s in your power to give peace, so do it.

ZoomingCockerel · 19/05/2021 16:13

Bloody hell, just turn the ruddy thing off. It's obviously annoying her and she can still hear it - if you'd turned it off and she was complaining then you'd have a point but it's clearly very irritating.

YouShouldSeeMyNewHouse · 19/05/2021 16:14

Page 17 and still there are people likening this to the normal noise of people living next door, despite dozens of posts pointing out that it is completely different and why.

Sally872 · 19/05/2021 16:15

Yabu. I wouldn't mind normal day to day noise but listening to a radio nobody is using would be very frustrating. Neighbour can hear it so be courteous and turn it off rather than querying if it is noise or not.

The lights and motion sensor burglar alarm will protect your house as much as possible, I can't see any additional benefit of radio. Alarm going off is much better deterrent if door opened than a radio.

Also a helpful Neighbour around most of the time and with a good relationship who would let you know of anything suspicious is much more useful than a radio.

sillysmiles · 19/05/2021 16:18

@Sally872
I wouldn't mind normal day to day noise but listening to a radio nobody
is using would be very frustrating

Can I ask why? Ultimately is is just a radio being on. In my house the radio is on in the kitchen all day. If I was there, there would still be noise from the radio.

Meirou90 · 19/05/2021 16:18

Sod plans of actions. Just turn it off and get on with your day.

Sally872 · 19/05/2021 16:21

@sillysmiles because people have to live and an amount of noise is expected. Pointless noise would be more frustrating.

netstaller · 19/05/2021 16:24

@Providora

Just turn the bloody thing off, it serves no purpose and it's annoying her.

She can obviously hear it or she wouldn't have said anything. Of course, if you go there and you're moving around it's understandable you can't hear it. Sometimes, ears don't tune into background noise until you've been sitting quietly for a bit. I imagine it's at its worst when she's lying in bed at 10pm and knows it has another hour to go.

Yes it's unreasonable to expect total silence but it's not unreasonable to expect neighbours to curb unnecessary noise, and a radio in an unoccupied house is completely unnecessary!

Exactly this you're not in it so turn it off. She can obviously hear it.
Fupoffyagrasshole · 19/05/2021 16:30

Seriously I’d just block her and forget about it 😂

Tabitha005 · 19/05/2021 16:31

I once lived in a Victorian terraced property - the middle in a terrace of ex-farmworkers cottages. You could hear clearly hear neighbours on both sides having conversations if they were talking above a relatively 'normal' volume (and even more clearly if they were calling to one another from different rooms), and there was the ever-present muted sound of muffled conversation any other time - the sound insulation been the houses was non-existent. Consequently, that also meant that neighbours could hear our conversations. Everyone who lived in the terrace was well aware of this issue and moderated noise where possible.

We put up bookcases along one whole wall of our lounge, which helped - books are a brilliant absorber of sound. The other side, where the chimney joined the chimney of the neighbouring house, wasn't quite as bad, but we still lined the alcoves either side of the chimney breasts with acoustic panels and then mounted shelves over them - that helped enormously.

It sounds as though your house, OP, might be similar - ie: no sound insulating properties at all.

It also sounds as though the neighbour is probably one to complain about any sort of noise, so selling up is probably a good idea!

She's surely going to be in for a massive and unpleasant shock once someone does move in next door to her, though!

tiredanddangerous · 19/05/2021 16:32

Well she can obviously hear it or she wouldn't know it was on. It must be very frustrating for her.

TableFlowerss · 19/05/2021 16:37

@AlmostSummer21

Your neighbour does seem like a pain in the arse

@TableFlowerss

Really

For not wanting to listen to the OP's bloody radio for hours every day? When she's not even living in the house?

She's asked nicely - she shouldn't have had to!

Yes really! As I said.... if it’s loud enough for her to hear it then it’s too loud!

And yes she does sound like a bit of a pain imo

Boosterfeat · 19/05/2021 16:40

Think you’re looking a gift horse in the mouth here, a nosey always present neighbour is always best kept on side if your worried about burglaries etc.
Much more useful than a radio left on until 11pm, which is ridiculous frankly.
Do you really want a pissed off neighbour moaning to all and sundry about an empty house she’s living next to having a radio on to discourage burglaries. That info will get in the wrong hands which I’m sure you must have twigged about. Stop digging your feet in to piss this neighbour off and turn the thing off.

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