Next door

[CommunistLegoBloc]

Eek I feel a bit guilty. Next door have suddenly started putting up ‘engagement celebrations’ bunting in their garden and cranking up the BBQ, clearly preparing for a party.

DP and I have paid a man to do quite a lot of work to our garden this weekend (and earlier in the week, when the majority of the noisy stuff was done). DP has also shifted his shifts (he works a lot of weekends) so he can do some of the work with the man. Work involves some banging, sawing, a few power tools. Nothing constant or truly awful but I feel guilty.

On the one hand, they didn’t mention the party. On the other, not hugely nice for their guests. On my —invisible— third hand, we’ve got no other reasonable timescale to get this work done and we’ve paid for it.

Should I just call it off?

[Gizlotsmum]

Nope. Just part and parcel of having neighbours.

[CommunistLegoBloc]

(The work was booked a long time ago, before we knew the weather was going to be so nice. Hardly any ever uses their garden round here - we and next door are the only people out, Sod’s law)

[JenBarber]

Nah, carry on.

A bit of noise wouldn't dampen a true celebration.

[EssentialHummus]

They should've warned you. But have a think about how you'd like to handle it if they knock and ask for quiet.

[PuppyMonkey]

No chance - they didn’t even mention this party to you, so why should you inconvenience yourselves.

I’d be going out to the pub for the rest of the day and leave the workmen/women to it.

[BloodyWorried]

Go have a quick word with them. They’ll understand but if you don’t explain to them they may feel quite disappointed (might spend the time complaining, but if you’ve explained they’ll explain to the guests and that’ll be that - all part of living near people).

[ToManderleyAgain]

I wouldn’t call it off, but I would pop over to forewarn your neighbours, and perhaps take a little something too if they wouldn’t think it OTT (posey from your garden, bottle of wine, etc)

[CommunistLegoBloc]

See my instinct was to explain and offer a bottle but then I thought maybe I might come across as quite unreasonable. ‘Sorry but we’re not going to be accommodating to you and your celebration’

Also they’re not the friendliest so I also worry I’d come across as a loon if I proffered some champagne, especially as we’re not invited. Might look like angling!

[weemouse]

Don't say anything, just get on with your plans.

Exactly the same as they are.

If they say anything just reply that you've had this planned and paid for, for a while, and as they've never mentioned the party, it's just how it is.

[ToManderleyAgain]

In that situation my dh would always say that a bottle is unnecessary but I think you generally can’t go too far wrong when proffering wine!

[Knittedfairies]

Your neighbours will know you had work done earlier in the week. If they were going to be bothered by the noise, they would surely have asked if it was finished. Carry on with the work - you won’t be able to hear their party and their noise won’t disturb you either. The rest of the neighbours get all the noise over in a weekend too!

[PuppyMonkey]

I wouldn’t go round and talk to them, they will probably just try and persuade you to rearrange and I don’t think you should. Go out and forget about it. These things happen in RL, they could have warned you/invited you if their event was THAT crucial.

[CommunistLegoBloc]

Thanks gang. What do you think I should say if they ask us to knock it off? Throw wine at them and run?

[CommunistLegoBloc]

I wish I could just fuck off to the pub but alas I’ve got work to do myself. If I can manage that in the garden, they should still enjoy their party!

[Waffles80]

If they ask you to knock it off say “congratulations! If you’d mentioned it last week we wouldn’t have paid for the work to be done today. Afraid the workers can’t reschedule without charging us twice. Have a wonderful party.”

[MeMyShelfandIkea]

Explain exactly what you've said here, the work was already booked and paid for.

[AlonsoTigerHeart]

"Sure if you pay for the workmans missed hours"

[stayathomer]

See my instinct was to explain and offer a bottle but then I thought maybe I might come across as quite unreasonable. ‘Sorry but we’re not going to be accommodating to you and your celebration’

It's lovely of you to even be worried about any of this. They might roll their eyes and rant a little but it has to be done. The bottle is a nice idea though, I probably would do that (if I was nice enough to think of it in the first place!!);)

[Amanduh]

I’d pop in with a bottle

[Bluetrews25]

Aren't they likely to make as much noise as you are, and go on for longer??
Please stop hammering, you are interfering with my party music?
How about stopping your party music and loud drunken chatter, as I keep missing my nail with the hammer!
You are both going to make a racket, and likely neither side will be that bothered or even notice!
Likely total non-issue.

[MikeUniformMike]

Part and parcel of having neighbours.
You booked the work ages ago.

[CommunistLegoBloc]

I wish I could just fuck off to the pub but alas I’ve got work to do myself. If I can manage that in the garden, they should still enjoy their party!

[YoThePussy]

How noisy is noisy will it be with your workmen? After 1pm and not at all on Sundays and Bankholidays is the normal council ruling. Indoor works and fairly quiet are usuallly OK.

If they say anything and the party is still going at 11pm get on the phone to the noise squad at 11:01pm.

[2blueshoes]

I'd send them a congrats card and say as a ps. You could always knock on their door and talk to them even.

[YoThePussy]

Talk to your neighbours! Come on that is not the MN way of doing things.