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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:
Brendabigbaps · 25/10/2022 07:09

I’ve got a neighbour who’s the same, they constantly make passive aggressive comments that blame us for everything they need doing in their house!
smile and ignore

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 25/10/2022 07:11

@Tiani4 She came from a flat complex she was renting and I already know more than I will ever need to know about those neighbours, her arguments with them and their penchant for noise, sex, drugs and rock & roll.

OP posts:
Spellcheck · 25/10/2022 07:24

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 25/10/2022 07:08

I never hear him. He's out at work and I've only ever heard his TV once. Same with the people who lived there before. I don't see a lot of any of the neighbours tbh as I'm out so much of the time.

In that case it’s all her! Avoid wherever possible. Please don’t let her ruin your equilibrium!

LookItsMeAgain · 25/10/2022 09:27

I would be giving her a wide berth here. She shouldn't be contacting you about your windows.
I'd even consider replying to that message saying something like "Hi Neighbour, I gave you my number for emergency type messages/calls. Asking about whether I want my windows cleaned doesn't fit the category of emergency. Please only contact me if you have a genuine emergency. Have a nice day @ImJustMadAboutSaffron "

Then if you see each other as you're leaving your respective houses, keep the conversation to an absolute minimum and don't get drawn in.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 25/10/2022 23:06

LookItsMeAgain · 25/10/2022 09:27

I would be giving her a wide berth here. She shouldn't be contacting you about your windows.
I'd even consider replying to that message saying something like "Hi Neighbour, I gave you my number for emergency type messages/calls. Asking about whether I want my windows cleaned doesn't fit the category of emergency. Please only contact me if you have a genuine emergency. Have a nice day @ImJustMadAboutSaffron "

Then if you see each other as you're leaving your respective houses, keep the conversation to an absolute minimum and don't get drawn in.

Confused she seems like she’s trying to make friends. Sure OP doesn’t have to respond, but ‘shouldn’t’ be contacting her about windows? Why not? Isn’t it neighbourly to ask?

@ImJustMadAboutSaffron i’ll repeat what I said earlier. You resolved the issue with your other thread; stop giving this so much headspace. She clearly isn’t shy about letting you know your tv is too loud, so why would she be being all coy and passive now? She’s just chatty and an oversharer.

Just avoid her if you don’t want to talk to her. Otherwise just carry on living your life.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 13/11/2022 11:11

Oh the irony! Just arrived home and when I was still in the car I could hear Toploader blasting out Dancing in the Moonlight from her house!

I'd have preferred the one by Thin Lizzy but well you can't have it all.

OP posts:
Fattoushi · 13/11/2022 11:24

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?

Bizarre. Quite apart from the fact that newer washing machines barely make any noise, you can't control when your neighbours do their washing and cleaning! Anto social noise such as music, barking dogs, shouting or banging, sure. But washing? Go find a detached house if you don't like normal noise!

As for the volume of your tv...what has that got to do with anything else? Neither TVS or ears have universal settings. Have you considered minding your own business?

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 13/11/2022 11:35

@StillNotWarm I've already said that the guy on the other side of me has never said anything about noise. The washing machine is under my kitchen window and there's my sink and the guy next door s sink between us so I doubt anyone can hear it. This is normal household activity.

I'm not doing laundry every single morning at 6 or vacuuming every single night at 9. However sometimes I am. The TV is currently on at 13. The washing machine is on too as I'm catching up with housework today.

OP posts:
zingally · 13/11/2022 12:30

She just sounds like a lonely older person, with limited social graces. I'd continue as you are - distantly polite.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 13/11/2022 13:28

zingally · 13/11/2022 12:30

She just sounds like a lonely older person, with limited social graces. I'd continue as you are - distantly polite.

She's only 49! 50 at the end of the month.

OP posts:
LookItsMeAgain · 13/11/2022 13:57

I'd go around and ask that her music be turned down. She can't complain about your noise while creating the same level of noise herself.

Ask politely...

Priminister · 13/11/2022 13:59

That was a massively long and detailed post just to say that she’d asked you to turn your tv down.

I think you’re very much over-thinking this.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 13/11/2022 14:15

Priminister · 13/11/2022 13:59

That was a massively long and detailed post just to say that she’d asked you to turn your tv down.

I think you’re very much over-thinking this.

No it wasn't just about her asking for the telly to be turned down. In fact that had a line drawn under it. It was about what came next- weird conversation, oversharing and the possibility of passive aggressive behaviour.

OP posts:
daisy46 · 13/11/2022 14:47

she's an oversharer. As she's demonstrated, she has no issue being direct and telling you that your TV is being too loud. All her other conversation is her being lonely, trying to make a friend.

It's natural to be searching for a passive aggressive message, but don't overthink it.

Priminister · 13/11/2022 20:48

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 13/11/2022 14:15

No it wasn't just about her asking for the telly to be turned down. In fact that had a line drawn under it. It was about what came next- weird conversation, oversharing and the possibility of passive aggressive behaviour.

Your OP was nearly 900 words and went into a huge amount of pointless detail. I don’t mean to sound critical but your question and concern is almost lost in the torrent of detail.

The subsequent conversations with her just seemed like two slightly eccentric people having slightly awkward conversations that they couldn’t avoid.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 14/11/2022 20:27

Priminister · 13/11/2022 20:48

Your OP was nearly 900 words and went into a huge amount of pointless detail. I don’t mean to sound critical but your question and concern is almost lost in the torrent of detail.

The subsequent conversations with her just seemed like two slightly eccentric people having slightly awkward conversations that they couldn’t avoid.

Eccentric? Me? Well, aren't YOU a treat?

OP posts:
ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 15/11/2022 18:45

Just received a text from her telling me she's put my bin out ready for the morning!!!!!

OP posts:
LookItsMeAgain · 16/11/2022 10:49

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 15/11/2022 18:45

Just received a text from her telling me she's put my bin out ready for the morning!!!!!

Reply - "Thank you for doing that but I never asked you to do that for me. I don't need your help in putting my bin out for me. Please can you stop? I'm able to put my bin out and do things for myself without your involvement".

Don't call it help. She is involving herself in your life. She is overstepping boundaries (even if she might see it as being kind). She needs telling.

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 18/12/2022 17:59

After her coming round to ask me to move my car yesterday when I was ill in bed (and no need to have moved it) I get this.

Hi Saffron hope your feeling better, just want to say can you pls not bang your door, I've been meaning to see you but we're always busy lol, just wen you bang it shut it sounds awful in my house and wakes me up like 3am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, obviously don't want to fall out so I just thought ide mention it as I've been meaning to see you bout it for weeks many thanks NDN x 😊

I'm not replying.

OP posts:
Justmuddlingalong · 18/12/2022 20:32

Block her. Her texts are petty and intrusive so don't let her in your head. Tell her you're having a digital detox if she queries you not replying.

MadelineUsher · 18/12/2022 20:38

Block her. She's not your friend. You don't need this unreasonable shit. She is not reasonable and you can't reason with her.

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 18/12/2022 21:10

Boy oh boy she is annoying! I wouldn't do it, but I would have really wanted to slam my door every time after reading her note. I would ignore and no reply.

Bard6817 · 18/12/2022 21:42

Just reply and say must be someone else, you were fast asleep at 3am and didn’t hear a thing.

BravelyStunning · 18/12/2022 21:57

one thing that does stand out, op, is the washing machine on at 6am- I do think that's too early!
but everything else makes her look ott- as others have said- live rurally if normal noise sets you off so badly

Popplebandit · 18/12/2022 22:22

It is your house. You can vacuum and turn your washing machine on whenever you like. You can watch your TV at a fairly reasonable volume also. Life your life and avoid this woman where possible I’d say!! Including ignoring the texts and the door if you know it’s her :)