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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would this annoy you? Neighbours copying everything you do.

81 replies

thinktoomuchtoooften · 19/02/2026 22:52

We have nice decent neighbours and we get on ok. I am also very mindful that they can do whatever they want to their property without our permission, and a lot of improvements/ adaptions are led by fashions/trends. But everything we do, they do. It’s just a long list of mostly minor things. Same fences, same outdoor lights, same garden furniture, same drive block paving. We had our kitchen roof changed to sky lights.. they did the following year. Changed our patio doors to bifolds, so did they. We had a big pergola built… now so have they. It’s become a bit of a family joke tbh. Would it irritate you?

OP posts:
thinktoomuchtoooften · 19/02/2026 23:02

I’m not sure how I feel tbh. In part I don’t really care; it doesn’t detract from my home, and I don’t feel in any sort of competition. Shutters is another example.. they dissed ours and then went on to have them too. But it does sort of irritate me..

OP posts:
ForFunGoose · 19/02/2026 23:02

Your home improvements are fairly standard so not very surprising they chose the same.
Enjoy the joke but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.

Manglewangle · 19/02/2026 23:00

Bifolds, garden furniture and pergolas are fairly generic. As is block paving really. There aren’t a lot of options with these things.

Lonelycrab · 19/02/2026 23:00

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

waterbobble · 19/02/2026 22:56

Sometimes it’s a case of reminding them eg both neighbours have recently had shutters fitted, I’m still gathering quotes but my motivation wasn’t the neighbours.

Sometimes they may be inspired & think something looks nice.

The weirdest element is that everything is exactly the same but it’s because it’s all quite generic?

Ferrissia3 · 19/02/2026 22:53

No. Does it annoy you? If so, id be curious to hear your reasoning...

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