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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Next door neighbour and normal volume of household noise?? (Sorry, a bit of a saga!)

127 replies

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 23/10/2022 22:13

New neighbour, 50 year old divorcee moved in about a month ago. There's a thread on here about an incident where I had my TV on at 11.15 pm not realising how late it was and she came round to knock on the door and say it was too loud, so I turned it down, and all seemed OK after I'd apologised. We live in mid terrace houses and both our houses have a dividing wall on both sides and my TV is on the wall. All fair enough.

The following morning I saw her and she said that her daughter thought she'd been a bit OTT but as far as I was concerned and her too, it seemed to be resolved. She then involved me in a lot of chat, asking me if I swear because she does, asking if I own or rent the property (I own outright, she rents it privately, I know the landlord) and asking about my relationship status all whilst telling me how she's a private person and keeps herself to herself but went on to tell me about her exes, her bitches of sisters and her parents who are dead and said she didn't care a fig about her mother and didn't want another man again. All TMI for me and certainly for someone who claims to be a private person. This was the third time I'd met her, the first two being a brief encounter on the doorstep when I was leaving for work the day after she moved in and the second when I dropped a welcome card and flowers round.

Since then I've been overly conscious about the TV and have had it on too low, in fact, and been a bit paranoid if I'm honest and have strained to hear it. I work full time, leaving the house about 7 am and often I don't get home until 8 or 9 because of late sessions at work, visits related to my small business after work and the gym or social stuff. I will run the vacuum over the downstairs at that time when I get back, but not for long. (I have 6 cats). I usually load up the washing machine at night (not every day, obviously) and switch it on about 6am because I have the Economy 7 tariff. I put the TV on but keep it below 24 volume.

This afternoon I was doing some tidying outside the front of the house and she walked up with some shopping. I'd thought she was in, as her car was outside, but she said she liked to walk to the local Sainsbury's, and she started chatting. I asked her if she'd settled in and she told me about how she was putting her own stamp on the place, and she liked the house to be perfect, cleaning every morning and every evening and she liked girly bling and glitz and pink glittery stuff around.

For conversation I said I was catching up on housework because I'd been out a lot in the evenings recently, and she told me how she likes to be on her own at home and quiet, and doesn't drink or smoke (I don't smoke either, and very occasionally drink) and she is a very quiet person, doesn't have her TV on loud, only puts the washing machine on after 10am because you never know who is having a lie-in on the street, is considerate when she does her vacuuming, is quiet as a mouse shutting her door and the car door and likes to be on her own and quiet.

She told me (again ...) she doesn't want a man in the house, in her kitchen, bed, bathroom or at her table ... for conversation I said that many of my friends are happy single too, and then she told me it's "bloody lonely".

Went on to tell me how she doesn't do the neighbour thing but then told me how she gave a birthday card with money in it to the 2 year old girl across the road, a family I don't know well since they moved in over lockdown. More revelations about swearing and how she was brought up in a swearing family, that made me cringe.

I'm not noisy, I don't slam doors or make noise in the house nor have people round for loud social events but I do have things to do around the house and I consider what I do normal. I've no intention of changing my routines either (I can't, not related to work) and I'm not planning my household or social schedule to fit in with the woman next door.

I appreciate this is a long tirade, but do you think she is passively aggressively (or however you say it) trying to set out how people should behave around her? Apart from the loud TV that one evening, I've done simply normal things around the house. Now I am watching TV on a sound level of 15 that I can hear and that is to me normal. I have no idea how she can hear my washing machine that is next to the wall that divides with the bloke next door, not her.

There just feels something off about this. Or I am massively overthinking. What do you think?

OP posts:
Forgottenmypasswordagain · 23/10/2022 22:32

I think it is just her, you sound considerate.

Mindthegap725 · 23/10/2022 22:38

No from what you have written I think she is not very self aware and you are reading too much in to it. She’s over sharing bc she is lonely. You are being polite and reasonable op and I would just keep doing that and slightly keep your distance if possible!

Pixiedust1234 · 23/10/2022 22:43

I tried to read your post but I'm getting confused so...

Apart from the first TV noise when she actively told you about it, has she asked you to stop doing anything else? If not then ignore. Shes not the type to hint.

I would also start avoiding or cutting short the conversations.

Mindthegap725 · 23/10/2022 22:44

Why didn’t you raise the subject of wms when she mentioned it btw? I think I would have said something like “well I have to put my wm on early because of the economy tariff” and see what she said.

I think hoovering at 9pm at night could potentially disturb a neighbour with small dc but that’s not the case here.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 23/10/2022 22:47

Pixiedust1234 · 23/10/2022 22:43

I tried to read your post but I'm getting confused so...

Apart from the first TV noise when she actively told you about it, has she asked you to stop doing anything else? If not then ignore. Shes not the type to hint.

I would also start avoiding or cutting short the conversations.

Yes, she said my TV was too loud so I turned it off (it was late and I was going to bed myself).

Since then she's not said anything to me directly about noise but said she is very quiet, doesn't have the washing machine on before 10am (I do) and she vacuums during the day when everyone else is out (I don't). She does work but I am not sure what hours.

It seems a strange topic of conversation every time I see her.

OP posts:
Vapeyvapevape · 23/10/2022 22:54

She could be passive aggressively telling you that she can hear you but from what you've said , you are just making normal 'living' noise. I'd just nod and smile and turn your tv up so that you can hear it properly.

Pixiedust1234 · 23/10/2022 22:55

Shes obviously not shy about complaining then. Take the other bits about noise as general chitchat, talking about her day type of thing. She sounds lonely rather than complaining imo.

NoSquirrels · 23/10/2022 23:00

You’re overthinking. If she needs to talk to you directly about hoovering, washing machine noise or car doors, then presumably she will, much like she did with the TV. Otherwise she sounds a bit odd and I’d just try to carry on not seeing her or being drawn into conversation as far as possible.

NoSquirrels · 23/10/2022 23:00

And have your TV on a normal volume!

TheLoupGarou · 23/10/2022 23:03

I think you are over thinking. She's probably lonely but you don't have to be friends or anything

Clearthinking · 23/10/2022 23:06

Dont over think it. She sounds like she can talk away and doesn't seem to know when to stop. If it was loud she would tell you. Don't worry.

LuckyLil · 23/10/2022 23:08

I remember your last thread. I think you may be reading a little too much into her eccentricity. I thought before she may have had problems where she lived before as you sometimes tend to find people who have had serious noise issues with neighbours in the past become over sensitive to any kind of noise afterwards and expect the whole planet to tip toe around them. We moved into a nuisance tenants house and next door was like this as soon as we moved in, expecting the rest of the world to tip toe around him because of all the trouble he had before. Took a while to convince him I wasn't the previous neighbour and he needed to let that go and move on.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 23/10/2022 23:09

She sounds bonkers; I'd avoid like the plague

Name99 · 23/10/2022 23:11

I think she sounds like she's socially awkward and maybe got a few issues
She seems nice enough, I wouldn't read too much into the TV thing, I'd be polite, friendly but keep a bit of a distance

FredaFox · 23/10/2022 23:13

NoSquirrels · 23/10/2022 23:00

And have your TV on a normal volume!

Yes this! You mentioned it wasn't over 24!!! That's really loud in my tv!!

Cats23 · 23/10/2022 23:15

Id just carry on as you are and put your tv on a normal volume, Mine is never more than 18

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 23/10/2022 23:17

FredaFox · 23/10/2022 23:13

Yes this! You mentioned it wasn't over 24!!! That's really loud in my tv!!

It's 15 tonight.

OP posts:
mondaytosunday · 23/10/2022 23:32

I just turned my tv up to 15 and it was way too loud! It's normally about 9 - maybe your tv is different.
Frankly I don't care what my neighbours do. My daughter plays piano for about half an hour a day, but never past 8pm, usually around 6pm. But that's life - one side has two kids, 2 and 4, and the parents are quite loud when they talk to each other. I have dogs that bark when someone rings the bell, my other neighbours occasionally play loud music in the day or early evening. So what? You have to live, not walk around on tippy toes.
She sounds a bit weird and lonely. Let her carry on - and you too, as normal.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 23/10/2022 23:40

@mondaytosunday I just read your post and put it on 9, I can hear it fine. I do watch a lot of dramas and there is a lot of mumbling so I've probably become used to a higher level because of that.

OP posts:
ChiefWiggumsBoy · 23/10/2022 23:45

She's just a person who can't stop her mouth running off. You're way overthinking it, especially with regards to your tv. You had it on downstairs to hear it upstairs before; so long as it's not overly loud you're fine.

My tv has levels up to 100 so 24 isn't loud. Different brands are different.

Rockchick1984 · 23/10/2022 23:45

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 23/10/2022 23:40

@mondaytosunday I just read your post and put it on 9, I can hear it fine. I do watch a lot of dramas and there is a lot of mumbling so I've probably become used to a higher level because of that.

@ImJustMadAboutSaffron can you get a sound bar to go under the TV? The majority of televisions have the speaker on the back, so if you’ve attached it to the wall then it’ll sound nearly as loud in her house as it does in yours! A sound bar will mean it plays into your room instead - you won’t need it as loud, and you won’t be disturbing her so much.

HundredMilesAnHour · 23/10/2022 23:57

Putting your washing machine on at 6am is a bit much though OP (unless it's silent and doesn't vibrate).

My upstairs neighbour used to put her washing machine on late at night or early in the morning and it always woke me up. It drove me nuts, especially when it might go for 2 hours and I'm trying to sleep. You can guarantee that the one day you can have a lie-in is when your neighbour decides to do laundry at 6am. I was so happy when she moved out!

Pixiedust1234 · 24/10/2022 00:01

Dramas are terrible for mumbling. We have subtitles on permanently as we can't be bothered to turn it up for the speaking then back down for the mood music thats twice as loud as the talking. Heaven forbid there's an explosion on it. No idea why programme makers do that. Its annoying.

My DH works nights and on his nights off he wears headphones for the TV so the rest of us can sleep. Any possibility of that for after 9/10pm ?

HereComeTheGrannies · 24/10/2022 00:09

If she didn’t have a problem with asking you to turn your tv down why would she suddenly switch to a passive aggressive approach? Doesn’t make sense so I think this is all in your head, she sounds like a waffler though.

That being said, our next door attached has been empty for about 2 years, it’s not long sold so I’m dreading having attached neighbours again 🙈

PanicAtTheMortgageRates · 24/10/2022 00:11

@HundredMilesAnHour I have recently got a new machine and have it on a delayed start so it's finished when we get up. I hadn't considered it'd be a potential issue for my neighbours as it would never wake us up. I'll definitely monitor it on a day wash as am now paranoid!