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Original poster

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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Toveylove · 29/06/2026 15:15

ChequerToRed · 29/06/2026 15:08

‘Visual misalignment’!?

Oh, stop it! 🤣

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Ah. I see. As they say, ignorance is Bliss.

Original poster
Katey83 · 29/06/2026 15:14

Handling · 29/06/2026 15:07

It’s very Smurf.

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It is very Smurf!

OP posts:
Frequency · 29/06/2026 15:14

What the floof does Bristol have to do with any of this?

Smellmyfart · 29/06/2026 15:13

Its new and feels offensive, but you will get used to it and it will become a background colour eventually unless you continue to fixate on it.

Original poster
Katey83 · 29/06/2026 15:13

Bristolandlazy · 29/06/2026 15:04

I'm assuming this is a wind up.

People keep saying this. You will see that there are some posters who agree - this is not Bristol. It’s a south London street with no other colourful houses. It’s intrusive and out of keeping to suddenly have a bright blue wall looming over my garden. Just because a lot of people don’t agree it doesn’t = wind up!

OP posts:
MrsDroughtFire · 29/06/2026 15:13

Don’t get mad get even!

Buy a trampoline and put it by the fence and jump on it whilst giggling loudly at 7am on the weekends and whilst looking over their fence.

Have bbqs when their washing it out.

Take up playing the recorder/ trumpet/drums and practice until 10pm at night.

Get chickens.

StripyCarpets · 29/06/2026 15:11

YABU to ask the neighbour to change the colour because you don’t like it.
YANBU to check with the council whether they are allowed to paint it fun colours and report accordingly.

ChequerToRed · 29/06/2026 15:08

Toveylove · 29/06/2026 15:00

It’s totally different when the local norm is ‘ painted houses’. Surely you can resonate with the experience of visual misalignment?

all these comments equating a deeply saturated blue brick house in amongst other ordinary brick houses, unpainted, with The Sky … are visually obtuse.

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‘Visual misalignment’!?

Oh, stop it! 🤣

purplecorkheart · 29/06/2026 15:08

OP given their reaction to your last chat why on earth do you think that they will pay to replace the fence just because you do not like the blue paint. I doubt it will be anymore polite - although I would love to hear their reponse.

The reality is they are not going to do anything because you don't like the blue. Why would they spend money on keeping you happy.

Cosimarocks · 29/06/2026 15:07

This has reminded me of the ‘Headington Shark’ (don’t go to Oxford OP if you think blue walls are bad!). The council tried to have it removed and the local community campaigned to save it. It’s now protected.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headington_Shark

Handling · 29/06/2026 15:07

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 13:56

I would say this is the colour though their window sills and edgings are in white.

www.designboom.com/architecture/blue-house-yard-workspaces-london-05-22-2017/

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It’s very Smurf.

Skybluepinky · 29/06/2026 15:06

You live in a terrace house what did you expect.

Mangelwurzelfortea · 29/06/2026 15:05

Smurf blue.

I don't mind it tbf.

NoCommentingFromNowOn · 29/06/2026 15:05

OP said her husband is colour blind so I just had a lovely googling session to see how he would see the blue, and found out that there is an incredibly rare version of colour blindness where people just see various shades of grey 🤯.

Bristolandlazy · 29/06/2026 15:04

I'm assuming this is a wind up.

WildLeader · 29/06/2026 15:03

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:05

I found it quite rude!

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Being told NO, isn’t rude. It’s her house, her choice

you have no right to tell her how to live and her answer to you was <chef’s kiss>

you deserved it. You’re being ridiculous

Periperi2025 · 29/06/2026 15:03

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 14:57

You are my hero 🩷

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One of my friends has ochre walls with pale blue window frames. He's an award winning designer. It's stunning.

Grammarninja · 29/06/2026 15:02

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:41

Why should I pay for their entire fence?

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Because you're the one who wants it higher. It's not to suit them so why would they pay a penny towards it?

MonstrousRegimentRocks · 29/06/2026 15:02

Sartre · 29/06/2026 15:01

I believe you’re thinking about Ronnie Wood’s beautiful pink door! I loved it but he had to remove it sadly.

I generally like colourful houses, they liven boring areas up but you can complain away OP if it hurts you so much.

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Me too. I live in a very grey neighborhood, unfortunately.

Sartre · 29/06/2026 15:01

Onefairfish · 29/06/2026 13:56

I vaguely remember a case in a posh part of London where someone had painted their house pink (I think), and the neighbours did complain, and possibly took the person to court, but got nowhere. Unless the property is listed, in a conservation area or has a restrictive covenant on it, I doubt if you would get very far with a complaint about something so subjective. Maybe just learn to love it, imagining you are in Mykonos.

I believe you’re thinking about Ronnie Wood’s beautiful pink door! I loved it but he had to remove it sadly.

I generally like colourful houses, they liven boring areas up but you can complain away OP if it hurts you so much.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 29/06/2026 15:01

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:05

I found it quite rude!

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You did want her to change her newly painted house though ... I've lived in blue, light yellow and strawberry ice cream house.

Currently live in wedgewood blue house with a dark purple door... We've had lots of compliments.

I find beige houses really uninteresting.... But I don't expect my neighbour to change their house to accommodate my taste!

Lighten up @Katey83

We changed it from cream...

DontStopMe · 29/06/2026 15:00

It seems there are quite a few different polka dot houses around. I rather like them too.

Toveylove · 29/06/2026 15:00

ChequerToRed · 29/06/2026 14:55

Lol! Don’t ever move to Bristol. Lots of very vibrantly painted houses, some even have massive two story murals on their end walls/facades. There’s a pair of Victorian semis near me that are painted with a massive psychedelic geometric pattern, a house backing onto the park has a two story high realistic painting of a bumblebee, their neighbours have a Fibonacci fractal, and the local cattery is completely covered in cartoon cats.

It’s totally different when the local norm is ‘ painted houses’. Surely you can resonate with the experience of visual misalignment?

all these comments equating a deeply saturated blue brick house in amongst other ordinary brick houses, unpainted, with The Sky … are visually obtuse.

harriethoyle · 29/06/2026 14:59

Dweetfidilove · 29/06/2026 14:01

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.

😂😂😂😂 You're both funny 😁.

Good on your neighbour! She sounds fab. Reminds me of a long ago neighbour who said I should have asked her before putting a 6 foot tall fence up on my side of our garden divide. She wanted 4 foot (she was a nosy beast). She was nonplussed and unable to answer when I asked her why she thought SHE should have casting vote on MY garden choices...

She's dead now. Unrelated, of course.

FunkyFringe · 29/06/2026 14:59

Katey83 · 29/06/2026 14:41

Why should I pay for their entire fence?

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Because you’re the one who wants change! They’re quite happy with the status quo. For what’s it worth, I love the blue. You’re being very unreasonable.