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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:
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 00:32

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!

I leave the house at 7. I get home often 9pm. I'm usually out of the house most of the weekend. The washing machine is nowhere near this woman's house and the guy on my other side has said absolutely nothing. I do have to do laundry at some point!

OP posts:
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 00:35

@PanicAtTheMortgageRates The times I've had the washing machine on when I've been in , it's not been excessively noisy at all.

OP posts:
OnlyTheBravest · 24/10/2022 01:02

I have my tv between 6 - 8 but have to turn it up to 10 for some shows and use subtitles. Just got my first soundbar and I can hear speech so much better. No idea what it sounds like on the other side of the wall. However TV is on a stand and is not attached to a wall.

VioletLemon · 24/10/2022 02:02

It sounds like you've been very reasonable by turning TV down but then overly tolerant in listening. Keep this odd woman at arms length, there is no need for a clingy neighbour to start dominating your life. You've no need to develop a relationship with her atall. Be polite but v brief with a hello, as you are walking. Just don't stop.

LicoricePizza · 24/10/2022 05:44

I don’t blame you for wondering given that after complaining already she’s talked non stop about her preferences for quietness. At the same time she seems to contradict a lot of what she tells you she does & seems to be an oversharer as well as having by the sounds of it gone through a lot.
Don’t be paranoid though - everyone is entitled to making acceptable & reasonable amounts of noise & she doesn’t get to dictate what those are. And give her a wide birth if you can.

Aprilx · 24/10/2022 05:49

No I don’t think anything other than she is chatting. But you seem to have carefully worded this thread to make yourself out to be a saint, with your little details about bringing flowers. However I remember your first thread and you have a TV that hangs on the other side of her bedroom wall and you had it on very loudly at all times of night and it hadn’t occurred to you that this might be a problem.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 24/10/2022 06:04

Im currently sat watching tv at volume 8 and i have awful hearing! 24 is LOUD.

Tashface · 24/10/2022 06:06

Does your washing machine have a timer that allows you to delay what time the cycle starts? If so, you could set it to begin at some point during the day.

loudbatperson · 24/10/2022 06:11

I don't think she sounds shy about coming foraged, so I wouldn't assume passive aggressive digs.

I would wonder if she had issues with neighbours previously, and is trying to highlight she is a nice neighbour to avoid complaints to her landlord. Or maybe trying to highlight she is a good person, as it seems like she may be lonely.

For the TV though, on most models 24 is very load these days. Mine goes from 0-100, but we very very rarely have it above 9. At around 14/15 it's quite uncomfortable to be in the room with.

As it hangs on a joining wall I would look into getting speakers, to deflect the noise away from the neighbours property.

40andfit · 24/10/2022 06:23

24 would be far too loud on my TVs. Have you had your hearing checked?

I wouldn’t be hoovering at 9 at night, too inconsiderate.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 07:16

Aprilx · 24/10/2022 05:49

No I don’t think anything other than she is chatting. But you seem to have carefully worded this thread to make yourself out to be a saint, with your little details about bringing flowers. However I remember your first thread and you have a TV that hangs on the other side of her bedroom wall and you had it on very loudly at all times of night and it hadn’t occurred to you that this might be a problem.

I'm no saint and have not carefully worded anything. On my original thread about the TV some posters suggested that after my apology about the TV I take flowers to her. I said I'd done that when she moved in and some posters suggested I took another bouquet. I thought that over the top.

I'm not a saint, just a normal very busy person who'd like to continue to be one in my own house.

OP posts:
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 07:17

Tashface · 24/10/2022 06:06

Does your washing machine have a timer that allows you to delay what time the cycle starts? If so, you could set it to begin at some point during the day.

I do the laundry when I do to take advantage of an Economy 7 tariff.

OP posts:
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 07:20

40andfit · 24/10/2022 06:23

24 would be far too loud on my TVs. Have you had your hearing checked?

I wouldn’t be hoovering at 9 at night, too inconsiderate.

You would if you had six cats and no other option when to do it. My other possibility is 6 am. Then there would be fur around when I got home so it would be pointless.

I need to run a house normally, the same as anyone else.

OP posts:
ChagSameachDoreen · 24/10/2022 07:24

She sounds like an emotionally incontinent nutcase. I would be giving her a very wide berth.

PinkSyCo · 24/10/2022 07:24

She sounds unhinged to me. You don’t sound like you’re doing anything wrong at all. Carry on as you are and ignore her indirects.

custardbear · 24/10/2022 07:25

Just go about your business as normal, she moved into a terrace so neighbour noise is expected, you sound considerate so don't fret

Tashface · 24/10/2022 07:29

oops sorry OP, you did mention that before!

Tashface · 24/10/2022 07:30

custardbear · 24/10/2022 07:25

Just go about your business as normal, she moved into a terrace so neighbour noise is expected, you sound considerate so don't fret

Definitely this

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 08:02

It did feel odd when I said I'd been out two consecutive evenings and she told me she doesn't drink or smoke. I did neither of those as I was driving and I hate smoking anyway! Felt a strange mix between oversharing, judging in advance and setting out expectations.

OP posts:
Brefugee · 24/10/2022 08:24

maybe she is dropping hints about noise, maybe not. If you think you aren't noisy ignore it.

In your shoes the only thing i would do is rearrange the room where the TV is so it's not on the party wall.

MichelleScarn · 24/10/2022 08:31

Does she know you are friends with her landlord? Maybe it's a fear factor and she wants to ensure he knows she's a good tenant?

StillNotWarm · 24/10/2022 08:32

I wouldn't be complaining, but I wouldn't be impressed with a washing machine regularly at 6am, or hovering regularly at 9pm. Both are verging on antisocial times.
You say the washing machine isn't near her wall, so does that mean you are annoying the people on the other side too?

Also echoing others, it obviously depends on your TV, but volume around 9-13 is typical for us. If you like it louder, have you considered wireless headphones for later in the evening?

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 08:33

MichelleScarn · 24/10/2022 08:31

Does she know you are friends with her landlord? Maybe it's a fear factor and she wants to ensure he knows she's a good tenant?

I'm not friends with the landlord. I said I know him not that I'm friends with him. My friend is friends with his daughter that's all. I only know him to chat to when I bump into him.

When she said she didn't want a man in the house she also said "no pets" with a visible shudder knowing I've got several cats.

OP posts:
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 24/10/2022 08:36

StillNotWarm · 24/10/2022 08:32

I wouldn't be complaining, but I wouldn't be impressed with a washing machine regularly at 6am, or hovering regularly at 9pm. Both are verging on antisocial times.
You say the washing machine isn't near her wall, so does that mean you are annoying the people on the other side too?

Also echoing others, it obviously depends on your TV, but volume around 9-13 is typical for us. If you like it louder, have you considered wireless headphones for later in the evening?

When do you suggest I vacuum and do laundry, given that I'm generally out from 7-9 all day and most weekends?

I'd have to be careful I didn't vacuum and have the washing machine on on Sundays then wouldn't I in case I spoiled her weekend?

I know. I'll re-home all my cats and take everything to a laundry instead.

OP posts:
WeepingSomnambulist · 24/10/2022 08:41

Are you sure you have a normal Level of noise?

When she came round to complain about the TV, didnt you mention in your post that you had put the TV on and turned the volume up loud enough for you to listen to it when you went upstairs? And you hadn't thought there was anything wrong with that and hadn't considered that if it was loud enough for you to hear clearly when you were upstairs, then all your neighbours could hear it too.

So, are you sure that you're actually living at a normal level of noise? Because you thought that having the TV on downstairs but listening from upstairs was normal.

Hoovering after 9PM is a pain. Cant you get a carpet roller? The mechanical vacuum things you just push around rather than an electric vacuum?

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