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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If you have a wind chime do you consider your neighbours?

166 replies

BringBackCatsEyes · 12/03/2026 13:17

It's windy today.
I can hear my neighbour's wind chime. It's not a mellow wooden one, or a light twinkly one, rather it sound tinny and tuneless.

I wonder whether people with wind chimes consider whether their neighbours want to hear the noise?

If the wind picks up maybe it will blow down and break.

OP posts:
MayaPinion · 13/03/2026 08:52

Solitario · 12/03/2026 23:15

Light pollution drives me insane.

I agree with this. We live in a rural village in a National Park. In recent years so many powerful lights on sensors, lights left on all night and even flashing lights have appeared. They are disturbing and intrusive, spoil the night sky and really confuse wildlife. A monstrosity of a very large house was recently built and, instead of the beautiful dark sky, half the village gets a view of their outside lights and huge lit up windows as they never seem to close curtains and blinds. It's very inconsiderate and 'look at us'.

But at least they don't have windchimes...

It’s not either/or. Bright lights are shit. Wind chimes are also shit. Both are shit.

BringBackCatsEyes · 13/03/2026 08:49

Reporting all quiet here today again.
Bloody thing.

OP posts:
JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 12/03/2026 23:48

A friend of mine had one. After a particularly windy night she found it cut down and placed on her deck. Serves her right for being so inconsiderate. Lol.

Akitamum · 12/03/2026 23:48

I really wanted a wind chime but once I hung it up I felt too guilty for my neighbours. It is always windy here (or seems like it 😂) so I straight away hushed it by tying it closed with a hair bobble. I think I might release it on a nice summer day with a light breeze and only for a little while!

stickydough · 12/03/2026 23:38

I like them but would never put one in my garden, because I’m not a dick!!!

Solitario · 12/03/2026 23:24

Windcrimes.

MelancholyEnchantment · 12/03/2026 23:20

I bought one when we first moved into our house. It was our first garden and I thought the tinkling bells would be relaxing and really lovely for the kids. The bastard thing lasted 30 minutes. Drove me mad and I hated myself on behalf of my neighbours whilst I took it down.

Solitario · 12/03/2026 23:15

Light pollution drives me insane.

I agree with this. We live in a rural village in a National Park. In recent years so many powerful lights on sensors, lights left on all night and even flashing lights have appeared. They are disturbing and intrusive, spoil the night sky and really confuse wildlife. A monstrosity of a very large house was recently built and, instead of the beautiful dark sky, half the village gets a view of their outside lights and huge lit up windows as they never seem to close curtains and blinds. It's very inconsiderate and 'look at us'.

But at least they don't have windchimes...

lifeisgoodrightnow · 12/03/2026 23:04

Hanging offence - hoisted by their own wind chimes

CoralOP · 12/03/2026 23:04

I remember my mum leaned over the garden fence and cut out neibours down with a pair of shears 🤭

Forthesteps · 12/03/2026 23:01

My neighbour is fine with it.

JudgeJ · 12/03/2026 22:59

BringBackCatsEyes · 12/03/2026 21:10

Ha ha! When the lack of apostrophe makes it much funnier!

I too had visions of a blood bath over the wind chimes, an apostrophe is a little thing but can create a good deal of humour!

JudgeJ · 12/03/2026 22:55

MiddleAgedDread · 12/03/2026 14:40

better to have a lawn mower than an overgrown garden!
I assume you're a wind chime owner?

Used to have, not sure where they are now but I'll certainly seek them out at the weekend!

SunnieShine · 12/03/2026 22:31

JudgeJ · 12/03/2026 14:01

If you get new neighbours who have a few noisy dogs and screaming children, you'll miss those wind chimes! I've never understood the MN obsession with wind chimes yet screaming children are considered to be acceptable!

My thoughts exactly.

Solitario · 12/03/2026 22:25

We don't have any and thankfully neither do our neighbours, although they would be preferable to one side's seemingly never-ending DIY, garden and building work.

I regularly walk past a row of little terraced cottages. One cottage have hung a large set of windchimes up on the front of their house in very close proximity to the neighbour's windows and door. That would drive me bonkers and a mysterious accident would soon befall them.

Benshawsberries · 12/03/2026 22:24

No they sound lovely. If neighbours complained and then agreed to stop their son screaming 24/7 at his computer I would possibly take them down

BringBackCatsEyes · 12/03/2026 22:09

So many awful neighbours around.😕
I feel quite fortunate.

OP posts:
sweetsilence · 12/03/2026 21:59

BringBackCatsEyes · 12/03/2026 21:23

OK - 'children playing reasonably'.
My sister lived next door to a fence kicker. Thankfully the parents understood and limited it.

Good neighbours then. My neighbours have set a precedent though, so the wind chimes aren't up for negotiation.

BringBackCatsEyes · 12/03/2026 21:23

sweetsilence · 12/03/2026 21:12

Is it also reasonable to kick a ball hard against a fence right by your windows for hours every day? That's children playing.

After years, it looks like my neighbour's kid might finally be outgrowing it but I'm not going to outgrow my wind chimes.

OK - 'children playing reasonably'.
My sister lived next door to a fence kicker. Thankfully the parents understood and limited it.

OP posts:
Itiswhysofew · 12/03/2026 21:19

Where I used to live, my next door neighbour had one of those wooden ones outside that I could hear. I absolutely hate them and asked her to take it down, which she did.

They're a noise nuisance and need banning.

Fedupcommuter · 12/03/2026 21:17

My last neighbour was the biggest arsehole I’ve ever met. Our bedroom is at the rear facing onto garages. He used to come out at all times of the day banging and crashing around, parking like a dick and generally being an absolute knob for no reason. Our petty revenge was to hang some chunky windchimes of an old satellite dish at the front of our house on the side so it was next the master bedroom, which was at the front! We couldn’t hear it but knew it was busy chiming as the wind tunnelled in front of the street. We came back after a weekend away and it had mysteriously fallen down and became damaged 🤣🤣. Didn’t bother replacing it. Super petty but if you ever met him you’d do the same!

SerafinasGoose · 12/03/2026 21:15

I'm quite noise intolerant as a rule but I like them. I find them a pleasant sound and if the neighbours hung some it wouldn't trouble me at all.

sweetsilence · 12/03/2026 21:12

BringBackCatsEyes · 12/03/2026 21:09

This surely comes under 'children playing', which comes under acceptable outside noise IMO.
All the best to your wee boy.

Is it also reasonable to kick a ball hard against a fence right by your windows for hours every day? That's children playing.

After years, it looks like my neighbour's kid might finally be outgrowing it but I'm not going to outgrow my wind chimes.

abracadabra1980 · 12/03/2026 21:12

I'm noise sensitive and it would drive me so mad I'd have to dismantle the fucker politely and place on their doorstep. They don't even make a nice noise.

Whereissummer24 · 12/03/2026 21:11

Ours don’t… I’ve had very unholy thoughts about what I’ll do to them with said chimes

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