to think our neighbour is spying on me through a wall?

[gnocci]

We live in a semi but a semi that backs onto another house, so our entire back wall is another house's entire back wall IYSWIM. So upstairs we share a wall on our bedroom, the landing and our bathroom.

The only noise I ever hear from their house is that noise of a pull switch light cord. And the only time I ever hear it is just after I go to the bathroom at night before I go to bed. Whatever the time. I never hear it before or after. Without fail it is just after I leave the bathroom. I go to bed at very random times (DH works away...). it could be 8pm, it could be 1am. Whatever time it is, I always hear that cord go within 20 seconds of me leaving the bathroom...

Uuummmmmm AIBU to think I might be being spied on..??!!! How do I find out for sure?!!

[ImperialBlether]

Oh god, that gave me a chill.

Realistically, if they are spying on you, they would have their light off. If (say) they have drilled a hole, then they wouldn't want their light to be seen, would they?

[Northernlurker]

So you think your neighbour lies in wait ALL night for you to come to bed so he can see you brush your teeth and do a wee and ooh maybe be naked? Then he puts out the light and goes to bed?

I think you need to calm down.

[HeadfirstForHalos]

You do hear about these kinds of things but they are very unlikely. If the idea was in my mind I would have to check it out and put my mind to rest. I don't know how though, apart from checking for obvious anomalies in the walls/ceiling?

[HeadfirstForHalos]

I do suffer from anxiety though and paranoia creeps in sometimes.

[KittyFane1]

Brrrr... Making me shiver.
When your DH is home does this happen?

[Queenofcake]

Wallpaper the walls?? Block him/her out??

[cmt1375]

Is this just after you have pulled a light cord/ operated a light switch? Is it an echo of your own bathroom light switch?

[Gibbous]

I'm confused. Do you think the neighbour is turning the light off twenty seconds after you leave the bathroom? If so do you not ever hear it being turned on? It doesn't make sense if you don't. If you think it's being turned on after you leave that doesn't make sense either. Aside from the fact that yes you'd need the light off to spy.

I think it more likely that they have sharper hearing than you and when you go to the bathroom you wake them up so they think they may as well have a wee.

[LoopyLoopsCorgiPoops]

So do you think it's their light going on or off?

[LoopyLoopsCorgiPoops]

ah, xposts

[EverybodysSleepyEyed]

Agree with imperial - why would they have their light on?

Are ou sure it's not the lightbulb in your bathroom? the ones in our lounge makes a similar noise about the same sort of time after we switch them off

[cybbo]

How do you know it's definitely a light pull? Could be one of those ceiling bathroom vents or an extractor

[gnocci]

I know it's a bit paranoid but it has started to get so ridiculously predictable and actually said out loud in my head tonight "and 3, 2, 1..." Ping! "There it goes!" as I was walking from the bathroom to DS's room to top up his drink for him... That's what inspired me to post on here...

You know I don't notice it when DH is here but then we are usually talking so maybe wouldn't. With just me here the house is totally silent.

[griphook]

If its exactly 20 secs every time you turn the light off it had to be something to do with your house rather than next door. Next time don't turn your light off and see if it happens

[WorraLiberty]

Maybe your neighbour has a bladder problem and you using your bathroom wakes them up?

Either way, if they were spying on you surely you'd hear the noise a few seconds after you entered the bathroom?

[StarryCole]

might be worth checking out your electrics (seriously)

[griphook]

Try turning the light on and off and see if it happens

[WorraLiberty]

Maybe you have a dodgy switch on your cord?

Pulling it probably works enough to turn it out, but it sounds as though there's some sort of 'give' or 'ping back' after a few seconds.

[Northernlurker]

I can think of a lot of possibilities:

It's not a light at all but some noise in your floorboards/pipes

You wake them up and they put on their light

It's a complete coincidence and they are pulling their light on and off all evening and you only hear when you're standing there. Probably due to thinner insulation at that point in your loft or other reason for sound transferring better.

Do you even know who lives there? Does your dh hear it too? Surely if they were spying on you theywouldn't know when he's away so he should get spied on as well?

[gnocci]

100 per cent definitely a light pull cord and not in our house or anything to do with our lights. I can't explain why I only hear it once... That did cross my mind as being odd. It's that "chug ping" noise. Very difficult to put into words but you know what I mean!!

[Gibbous]

Gnocci, could you answer my questions, sorry, I am genuinely confused.

I am also wondering if it's not their pull cord but yours clicking in with something 20 seconds after it's turned off.

[quoteunquote]

do you have a fan that activates when you put your light on?

[gnocci]

Not exactly 20 seconds but within 20 seconds or so. Definitely nothing to do with out house. Definitely their house.

[MindTheElephant]

Go to the bathroom in the dark and see what happens.

[Booette]

So does it turn on when you go in, and then turn off when you leave?

Go to the toilet in the dark.