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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to resent neighbours doing DIY on bank holiday Monday?

266 replies

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 16:20

It feels like every time the stars align and we all get the day off and the weather is good, the morons appear with their power tools/bonfires.

AIBU to expect them to knock it off for the day so for once we can all just bloody relax? This racket has been going on for 3 hours now and shows no sign of stopping (neighbour with his work bench and drills out)

OP posts:
Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:33

cravingicedwater · 25/05/2026 17:28

So you want to get in from work at 7pm and break the power tools out? Then you’d be whining about them doing it too late/on a weekend. Suck it up buttercup. If you want quiet, move to an isolated house in the country.

Oh come off it, most people have the weekend and get home from work by 6pm.

Many people will not be having a summer holiday this year, and these few days off with family and children (especially when the weather is amazing) is a rare chance to unwind and have some relaxation time.

Ruining it with power tools because putting up a shelf is ‘urgent’ is a dickhead move. It just is.

OP posts:
Wamid · 25/05/2026 17:33

I really hate the car door slammers! They go out to do something with their car: fine. Door one opened and slammed shut (nobody getting in), door two opened and slammed shut (nobody getting in), all four doors in turn the same, maybe multiple times, then the boot, bonnet etc. Why don't they just open all the doors at the same time and leave them open until they have finished?

This also happens on caravan and holiday sites, early morning (7am).

Total bloody Morons.

If it's raining/snowing that is different. Not talking about leaving the car unattended.

TheCurious0range · 25/05/2026 17:31

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 16:57

Enjoy your garden bday! Fingers crossed nobody will be mowing and strimming all day. Although I’m sure you won’t complain if they do.

No I won't! People have the right to live their lives, people mowing or doing DIY is part of that.

BCBird · 25/05/2026 17:30

I heard a lawnmower at 9.36 am. I.think.that is too early. I.am always up, but some people might be trying to have a lie in.

LibertyLily · 25/05/2026 17:30

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:16

If it needs doing then why wait til BH weekend? It’s an arsehole move, sorry.

Btw I’m not stamping, I’m cooking in the kitchen and hallelujah the noise has stopped!

Because for some people, that's the only time available!

I'm assuming you bought a house that didn't need anything noisy doing @Twisterlollies? Or had builders do everything either before you moved in or during the week whilst you were at work?

We don't have the luxury of being able to do that - we've only ever purchased project houses and mostly had to DIY the renovations. I've been without a fully functioning kitchen for 15 months (no boiler, no tap, no oven/hob) and have to make the most of any free time (ie evenings, weekends and yep, bank holidays!) to get the work done including removing walls/fitting steels, involving lots of noisy power tool usage. We do always ensure we do the noisy stuff when our one near neighbour (40-something bloke) is out at his GF's, doing painting/decorating in the evenings. He's also been renovating (same as many in our street), and has never complained about the noise.

That said, this weekend DH was working for others on Saturday and today, finishing their building work (he's on his third career - as a conservation builder). Yesterday was spent in meetings with new clients. Meanwhile, I've been reupholstering a chair (quietly - hand sewing), so no noisy DIY here till next weekend 😆

outerspacepotato · 25/05/2026 17:28

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:25

I don’t care! There’s a handful of bank holidays and hundreds of other days to do this shit.

Are you dumb? It's a safety issue to do some of this stuff in the rain. Your lawn mower won't last long if you cut wet grass.

No, there aren't hundreds of other days. You work with power tools outside when the weather is nice and on your day off. You're being very unreasonable.

cravingicedwater · 25/05/2026 17:28

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:27

And weekends and late afternoons presumably.

So you want to get in from work at 7pm and break the power tools out? Then you’d be whining about them doing it too late/on a weekend. Suck it up buttercup. If you want quiet, move to an isolated house in the country.

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:27

cravingicedwater · 25/05/2026 17:26

THEY HAVE JOBS

And weekends and late afternoons presumably.

OP posts:
HamBap · 25/05/2026 17:26

Notmyreality · 25/05/2026 16:58

Never met a woman who would know how to use an angle grinder..

Enchanté removes hat and bows

Ever heard of making hay while the sun shines OP 😜 my neighbours do all their outdoor jobs in the week, cos they're all retired, we work FT so this extra day is a godsend.

cravingicedwater · 25/05/2026 17:26

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:25

I don’t care! There’s a handful of bank holidays and hundreds of other days to do this shit.

THEY HAVE JOBS

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:25

outerspacepotato · 25/05/2026 17:24

They do it when it's nice because you don't use power tools in rainy weather. Same with mowers and chain saw.

A bank holiday is just a day off. That's a good day to do DIY. Put on headphones or use earplugs or go out somewhere.

Edited

I don’t care! There’s a handful of bank holidays and hundreds of other days to do this shit.

OP posts:
cinderswithahorse · 25/05/2026 17:25

Maybe this is their only day off to get this stuff done? If you work full time and can’t afford to pay someone then it’s just one of those things I’m afraid.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 25/05/2026 17:24

Yanbu

What fucking psychos ! 😡

outerspacepotato · 25/05/2026 17:24

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 16:47

They should do it across normal weekends, or when it rains (which is 80% of the time). Today is clearly a day for sunshine and relaxation for people.

They do it when it's nice because you don't use power tools in rainy weather. Same with mowers and chain saw.

A bank holiday is just a day off. That's a good day to do DIY. Put on headphones or use earplugs or go out somewhere.

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:24

DisforDarkChocolate · 25/05/2026 17:23

At our last house this was all-day every week and bank holiday. When one stopped another started. Wankers the lot of them!

Oh God I feel for you! Like I said the rest of the time I don’t like it but of course I suck it up. But today… arseholes! Thankfully somebody has posted a shitty message in our village FB group and made the point for me!

OP posts:
cravingicedwater · 25/05/2026 17:24

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:23

No thankfully he’s stopped. I’m going to park our car outside his house to make it difficult for him to lay the tool bench out tomorrow. Ha

What an arsehole.

hididdlyho · 25/05/2026 17:24

I work 51 weekends a year (self employed, so don't get the luxury of annual leave) but Mondays are my day off. I've been using garden and power tools on and off today because I'm getting my house ready to go on the market this week.

DisforDarkChocolate · 25/05/2026 17:23

At our last house this was all-day every week and bank holiday. When one stopped another started. Wankers the lot of them!

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:23

lindyloo57 · 25/05/2026 17:22

Do you live near me, maybe not you say 3 hours, someone near us has been using power tools all day, he still at it now.

No thankfully he’s stopped. I’m going to park our car outside his house to make it difficult for him to lay the tool bench out tomorrow. Ha

OP posts:
Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:22

Greensinkingrings · 25/05/2026 17:20

You would hate my neighbours. They have been working on a garden project with power tools pretty much every sunny weekend for the past year.

Personally I can quite happily ignore it and enjoy my garden.

oh come on 😆 if they did it at 3am would you just ignore it and go to sleep as well? No, because it’s annoying as fuck! I’m absolutely fine with it so long as it isn’t night or very early morning, or days like today.

OP posts:
lindyloo57 · 25/05/2026 17:22

Do you live near me, maybe not you say 3 hours, someone near us has been using power tools all day, he still at it now.

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 17:22

FedBeGone · 25/05/2026 17:20

When would you like them to do it OP?

Some people have limited free time and this is their only chance. Do you have a temperature cut off below which it is acceptable?

Let's say that it is only acceptable on a Tuesday morning between 11am and 2pm if there is no sunshine and the temperature is below 18 degrees.

Some people work nights, so anytime during the day is going to be a nuisance.

Some people have issues with noise 24/7.

Some people are trying to get small children to nap.

Some people are studying

Some people are trying to work from home.

Some people have a migraine.

Some people might be jet-lagged.

Some people might be grieving.

...continue with the whataboutery ad infinitum

I've been out mowing our lawn today. It helped to drown out the screaming (proper, literal screaming - not the fabled MN "children having fun") from the campsite next door.

And some people will only have today off and no summer holiday, plus fabulous weather so I don’t think relative peace is too much to ask?

OP posts:
InterestedDad37 · 25/05/2026 17:21

For what it's worth, my (female) gardener used a power tool this morning to cut back a hedge in my garden (I wanted to say 'trim my bush', but I didn't 😀)

hahabahbag · 25/05/2026 17:21

A 3 day weekend is the time to do certain projects, not everyone can afford to get a person in to do their home improvements. I personally hate diy but I’m not going to moan about others. Now I could equally whine about bbq’s, why my ability to wash 4-5 loads be thwarted by someone cooking alfresco but I take it on the chin. Can’t be bothered with all that outdoor cooking myself

Greensinkingrings · 25/05/2026 17:20

Twisterlollies · 25/05/2026 16:42

It would be intolerant if I complained on a random dreary weekend, or before 8pm. But there are masses of gardens here with people trying to enjoy some sunshine and loud drilling for hours is very selfish.

You would hate my neighbours. They have been working on a garden project with power tools pretty much every sunny weekend for the past year.

Personally I can quite happily ignore it and enjoy my garden.