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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask if I can report my neighbour's bright blue house?

591 replies

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 13:43

I live in a terraced house. My neighbours have painted the back of their house bright blue (think swimming pool blue / like the Mikanos blue). It is horrible and looms over my garden. It’s really going to spoil my enjoyment of my space to have to look at this every day. I spoke to the wife earlier this morning and said it was not to my taste and would they consider changing and she said ‘the beige of your house isn’t to my taste but it’s your house. This is my house.’ And shut the door in my face. WIBU to report them to the council? Can I even do so? Surely you can’t just paint any offensive colour and expect neighbours to live alongside it?

OP posts:
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33
Frequency · 29/06/2026 19:16

Delphiniumandlupins · 29/06/2026 19:13

If they are perfectly happy with the fence and have no desire to change it why should they pay even half the cost?

I assume it is because they decided to paint their house blue without first seeking OP's permission; therefore, they must pay to remedy it.

OP should ask for compensation also for the mental suffering she experienced from looking at the blue paint.

Heereforagoodtime · 29/06/2026 19:15

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:05

I found it quite rude!

It's no more rude than what you said!

nocoolnamesleft · 29/06/2026 19:15

I think you should focus on it being a good thing that they are properly maintaining the house.

Delphiniumandlupins · 29/06/2026 19:13

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:41

Why should I pay for their entire fence?

If they are perfectly happy with the fence and have no desire to change it why should they pay even half the cost?

worldshottestmom · 29/06/2026 19:12

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 18:30

It's funny when people get so pretentious, and so riled!

I know I love it tbh. House near me has no top windows and newspaper covering the bottom ones, and here they are arguing over a blue wall. Life is good

cookbookjunkie · 29/06/2026 19:11

MrSchubertWhiskers · 29/06/2026 19:00

I used to live in a village where there was a row of very old, very picturesque , thatched cottages - each painted a different colour. Looked lovely.

But to look lovely together they'd all need to be of a similar depth of colour, with no massive clashes. Either all pastels and sugared almond colours or all stronger and brighter. If one stood out as too dark/bright against the others it would look jarring and awful.

Wagyue · 29/06/2026 19:09

Livingthebestlife · 29/06/2026 13:59

Is her name* *Edie McCredie

🤣you have taken me back👏👏👏

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 19:06

MrSchubertWhiskers · 29/06/2026 19:00

I used to live in a village where there was a row of very old, very picturesque , thatched cottages - each painted a different colour. Looked lovely.

That's so lovely, very cheerful and picturesque.

MrSchubertWhiskers · 29/06/2026 19:00

I used to live in a village where there was a row of very old, very picturesque , thatched cottages - each painted a different colour. Looked lovely.

RisingSunn · 29/06/2026 18:55

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:41

Why should I pay for their entire fence?

Because you're the one requesting it for goodness sake!

MatronPomfrey · 29/06/2026 18:50

I don’t live in a conservation area buts still can’t paint my house any colour I like, door colours are also restricted. Check your deeds for covenants, there deeds may be the same. I can’t parks large van or caravan on my drive or keep chickens. It will depend what yours has in it.

pinkyredrose · 29/06/2026 18:46

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:15

I hoped that we could come to a compromise. It seems I’m unanimously in the wrong - I prefer to air these things and try to talk it to a resolution than letting resentment fester.

What would the compromise be, to paint half of it blue?

In my town there's quite a few streets where each of the houses are painted a different colour, it looks lovely!

JoyousWriter · 29/06/2026 18:45

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 13:59

We are in London! Not a posh part but obviously everywhere in London is expensive!! I don’t want to live near an eyesore.

She probably doesn't want to live near you now.

Laura95167 · 29/06/2026 18:44

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:41

Why should I pay for their entire fence?

Because they arent the ones wanting a new fence? You could however buy your own fence on your land close to theirs and get a 12 ft one and paint it beige

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 18:42

Laura95167 · 29/06/2026 18:38

Just out of sheer curiosity would your compromise have included you picking up the financial tab to repaint the place?

As. If.

Shinyandnew1 · 29/06/2026 18:41

Do you like in Balamory?

I think you are going to have to get used to it!

Verycivilbiker · 29/06/2026 18:40

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:08

I meant the shutting the door in my face was rude. At least we could have had a conversation about it. But it seems I Abu so I shall have to get over it.

I don't think a conversation about it would have been in any way productive. You don't like it. They DO like it. That is all.

Laura95167 · 29/06/2026 18:38

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:15

I hoped that we could come to a compromise. It seems I’m unanimously in the wrong - I prefer to air these things and try to talk it to a resolution than letting resentment fester.

Just out of sheer curiosity would your compromise have included you picking up the financial tab to repaint the place?

happysinglemama · 29/06/2026 18:38

Karen behaviour

notanothernamesurely · 29/06/2026 18:35

This made me laugh. I’m sorry you are upset but really - can you complain to the council because the neighbours painted their house a colour you don’t like?! Can they complain that they don’t like the colour of yours?! Madness.

Violinist64 · 29/06/2026 18:34

Toveylove · 29/06/2026 18:01

You are being bullying.

Don’t be ridiculous. This thread is the gift that keeps on giving. Many of us have said that we probably wouldn’t like the bright blue paint but there really is nothing that can be done about it. However, it is the sheer snobbery that drips through every single one of @Katey83‘s posts that keeps us reading for each new instalment. I think this thread should go into classics.

Laura95167 · 29/06/2026 18:34

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:08

I meant the shutting the door in my face was rude. At least we could have had a conversation about it. But it seems I Abu so I shall have to get over it.

Its not up for discussion. You arent her spouse or LL so your opinion is irrelevant.

I think her response was perfect.

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 18:30

worldshottestmom · 29/06/2026 18:22

Same I love watching people argue about paint

It's funny when people get so pretentious, and so riled!

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 18:29

TransportNerd · 29/06/2026 18:26

I think you've got to the root of the problem here. Clearly she thinks she's naicer than him.

Nooo! I bet she's got a grey kitchen island and a black and white bathroom though.

ThatPearlPoet · 29/06/2026 18:28

The neighbours are free to paint their house blue if they’d like. It’s becoming more popular to have a bright coloured house, and not something that would be deemed offensive by the council.
Although it would really annoy me if they hadn’t painted the front to match!! Depending on how friendly they were, I might ask if they had plans to do front too.
You’ve made your life incredibly awkward by knocking on your neighbours door being so rude.