AIBU to think our neighbours' pool and garden noise is excessive?

I would invite them over to listen to the noise coming from the pool heater. I would ask them how they would feel & politely ask them if they could place it elsewhere.

@Foxy200 OP - how are things since you
posted last month?

Those who advocate moving - trouble is, you never know what your new neighbours are going to be like. It’s hard to catch loud neighbours at the back when visiting houses, unless they’re being noisy when you view the house or are so loud, you can hear them from the front when you check out the area. Even if there are no telltale structures when you view, anyone can build a pool or install a hot tub at any time and may use them considerately or noisily

As the family who are the ones making the noise I think there are absolutely some areas you can challenge and some you have to accept.

The pool pump is probably your best bet for getting some change, I would speak to them, invite them over to hear and see if there is any way it can either be relocated further away or if it can be boxed in the try and reduce the noise.

In terms of the kids playing and socialising noise this is going to be far more difficult. They are unlikely to stop having friends over etc but you might be able to get them to be a little quieter after say 9pm.

We are lucky enough to have a neighbour one side who has kids the same age and socialise just as much as us (regularly have evenings together), the neighbour the other side has kids a few years older who love being outdoors and the houses backing onto us all have kids too. Most of the houses have dogs as well so the whole area is loud and no one house stands out.

Our new neighbours have recently erected a massive garden room close to our fence. Nothing we can do, except plant more trees along the fence, which we have done. We don’t want to fall out with them, but I wish I’d known how big it was going to be. They’re also building a pergola. I’m sure, when it’s all finished, there will be weekend gatherings, with noise. They have a dog too, which has recently begun barking at anything and everything.

This is a small cul de sac, which we expected to be fairly quiet.

We have someone with a hot tub near us. Not an adjacent garden but probably the next one or two over (I don't know exactly).

The noise of the pumps is pretty loud. God knows what it is like living next to it.

I’d speak to them first about how it could be reduced, whilst they still enjoy their garden, and if you don’t get any understanding from them, go to the council re noise nuisance.

Unfortunately the council will probably come back and say that this is acceptable noise within normal docestc hours. Unless it is noisy DIY or after 11 pm they are unlikely to be doing anything wrong so far as the law is concerned.

Like one poster upthread I am reluctant to move from my 3 bedroom detached although there is only me here. I use one bedroom as an office and one as a storeroom for my business. The small area between my house and next door shuts off the noise of the grandchildren playing in the garden.

I'd try to speak to them initially. If there wasn't any improvement it would be through asbo route.
They might be oblivious they bought in a quiet residential street and realise their mistakes and move.

be careful of willow, the roots go under your house..

I would speak to the council about what is an acceptable noise level.

At the very least I suspect the neighbours may need to put a noise reducing box around the heater - our neighbours were required to do that for their air con outdoor unit.

The repeatedly kicked ball and social life, not sure. You might be able to argue it’s a statutory nuisance but depends how often and how loud.

It sounds miserable. To give you some hope though, our neighbours were similar but have quietened down as the kids got older and maybe the novelty of house/pool parties wore off. It has taken a few years though.

You should hopefully be able to do something about the noise from the heater. I live somewhere a lot of people have pools (Aus) and the usual solution to pump/heater noise is to put equipment in a noise proof cupboard. I would talk to your neighbours and explain the noise thing and hopefully they will deal with it without having to resort to Council as any dispute will have to be declared if you do decide to sell at a later stage. Kids bouncing balls off the fence, similarly a friendly “ can they not do that” is the best way to start.

Ultimately though you might just need to adjust to the fact that you no longer have quiet neighbours but noisy ones. Most kids’ noise will not be termed unreasonable and unless it is late at night having friends around is unlikely to hit the threshold of unreasonable noise. This is one of the reasons we are so reluctant to move from a house that will soon be too big for us - I know noisy neighbours would drive me nuts.

Speak to them

If they are dicks and wont meet you half way....
Research carefully and plant THE most annoying trees (think shedding)
Poplar or willow (fast growing and huge amounts of shedding)

I'm in the play stupid games win stupid prizes camp.

If they want to inconvenience you inconvenience them right back.

It sounds awful OP. We have some (much less significant) issues with our most recently moved in neighbours and over time it's really chipped away at my mental health. Sounds daft so some I'm sure but the constant noise is so wearing and I find I'm on edge expecting it. We are prepping the house for sale.

I don't think it would be unreasonable at all to speak to them based on what you say, it seems excessive and intrusive as well as antisocial late at night - but with that being said these things rarely go well. I'm sure they already know they are making noise and can be heard, and likely just don't overly care.

Environmental health, should give you a noise app to download and log the level of noise. Then take it from there. The heater alone should get them on board.

I've been thought vaguely similar with neighbours noise and also a noisy pump machine thing from neighbours renovating.

-If you can speak to the neighbours firstly it 'might' help
-Check your councils noise pollution info and what times are considered unacceptable
-Start a noise diary
-Install a free decibel counter on your phone and measure the pump noise from say 1,2, 3m away and record
-Do you know any of the neighbours either side of their property who might also being affected by the noise? Speak to them too.
-If no change, complain to the council with supporting evidence and ideally with other neighbours on side and also complaining.

@Foxy200 how big are your gardens?

We have a pool which is next to boundary with neighbour, but their garden is huge so they don’t have to sit directly the other side of the fence.

That sounds unbearable to me and I would be putting my house on the market later in the year, but just a word of caution. If you decide to move, try not to get into a dispute with them as that has to be declared and could jeopardise any sale.

Does the pool have a cover? Lob a bag of bird seed over... Or bath bombs.

Would a pool without planning permission be OK? I'm not sure, worth checking.

Noise complaints need records and times over a period, and if stopping by 11pm I doubt there is much you can do.

Sympathies. My neighbours basketball hoop and screaming (and I mean full on high pitched screaming during fun play) kids made me move.

I’m sorry that you’re going through this. Some people are oblivious to how annoying they are or just really inconsiderate. Having a similar issue with a neighbours hot tub. It’s so loud and they are talking very loudly with music being played loud every night.

Omg that's so annoying

Who's fence is it? Yours? I'd be leaning over and painting it with anti climb paint.