In reality is there anything I can do about noisy neighbours?

[Cosmos45]

Just that really.

I live in a detached house on a rural lane and my next door neighbours have two children aged 4 and 6. We have a large garden as do they and we are not near each other with gardens running adjacent (to give some perspective). So physically they are quite a long way away from us.

There was a lot of noise a while ago, this is a whole story in itself and resulted in us (me mainly) losing it completely on the last Bank Holiday and since then admittedly the loud bellowing father and his loud music has abated completely.

However, the children haven't. I get that children make noise, I really do, however this seems excessive. We can be indoors, all the windows shut and as I said a long distance away from them but still hear the children screaming and shouting. I can even often hear it over the TV or radio that I sometimes put on low for a distraction.

I am sat in my lounge at the moment and I reckon their garden is I don't know, 30 metres away and I can hear them screaming, shouting, yelling, I can hear what they are yelling to each other. I can make out the words. That's surely not right is it? I can hear them whilst I am on conference calls, my friends hear them when they pop round to the garden and comment on it, one friends little boy even commented how loud the screaming girls are next door. i have just emailed a couple of neighbours who are opposite them on the other side of the road to try and gauge how they are coping. I can't work out if we are unnaturally sensitive (I have lived here over 10 years though and not had an issue before with children in the past) or whether there is some sort of weird amplification going on. By that what I mean is they built a large brick 8ft tall solid wall around their property and I am beginning to wonder if it is something to do with the positioning of our house and the sound is somehow bouncing off that wall.

I looked on the local council website and it basically seemed to indicate that there was nothing that could be done during day time hours with loud children.

I know a lot of people will say we just have to suck it up and live with it or move, but that again in reality is not an option. Any suggestions or ideas?

@GrannyBags - I think they'll be there a long time before moving out. The did similar to us and renovated and their house is absolutely stunning (save for the nasty brick wall). I think though the way they did it would suit them being in the middle of nowhere. We both back onto a field and I think they sometimes literally forget almost they have neighbours maybe? Or are just really selfish (I think this is more the case). In another twist they have moved a set of grandparents into a rental opposite them so it would be two families that need to move and I can't see that happening too soon.

@MrsTelford - I think this is what is happening. I think somehow the sound which is loud already is being amplified off the brick wall somehow and bounced over to us. I can't remember it ever being this loud when our old neighbours were there. They had kids and two really noisy yapping dogs but it just wasn't the same level. I can only remember one day years ago for about an hour it was bad and that was because the neighbour had encouraged them into the garden to make lots of noise because there were some strange people hanging about.

@Cosmos45 Sounds like you’re in the same situation at us. I’ve never known music / voices to echo before but it’s quite bad and very bassy.

I think you’ll need to look at how sound travels and try and build something that your neighbours won’t complain about - and hopefully it’ll break up the echo.

Is that something you can do? There must be an expert out there who knows exactly what to do!

Best of luck

PS get in your garden for a morning drink and breakfast before they come out. You need to enjoy 15 mins a day in your garden - it’ll do you good.

@MrsTelford - I am not sure there is anything we can do. It is awkward to try and explain without pictures and as you can imagine I do not want to post any. Our two properties are beside each other and split by a public footpath. We have post and rail fencing and a very thick and wide hedge and they have this huge wall. The neighbours I fear would go pretty balistic if we built a similar wall and I doubt we would get permission anyhow as our building is listed. Even though this is a garden we would still need permission (we needed permission to erect a shed). But thank you for being sympathetic. It means a lot.

I know what you mean OP. My next door neighbours' children all used to play outside in a friendly way. It could be loud but was never off putting even when they fell out. My DC on the other hand just would not play nicely at all. They were loud and I was constantly outside telling them to keep it down or come indoors if they can't behave. So YANBU noise from children can be very different.

My youngest DC plays outside in a calm and lovely way so thankfully I can now relax!

Maybe you could ask them to grow something over the wall to see if that deadens the noise?

Yes I was just going to say the same, trees may help deaden the noise. I’ve just planted some
Trees in my garden to heap absorb some of the noise from our neighbours as I think their noise is aimed in our direction by the angle of their house.

No-one is going to uphold a complaint about kids playing.

Sympathies, we have similar issues. I think it’s very possible that your neighbours’ brick wall is the problem. Sound definitely bounces off hard surfaces. Some possible solutions – Jackson’s acoustic fencing www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/acoustic-fencing, planting broadleaf evergreen trees/tall shrubs closely together can help reduce sound a bit, for example, laurel, holly, eucalyptus, also conifers (something like Thuja). There's lots of info on the internet on trees and shrubs for noise control. These could be planted in front of your current hedge? Our neighbours across the way cut down a tall, dense conifer facing our garden, and I’ve been surprised how much louder they sound when they’re outside in the garden now – including squealing child! A water feature or fountain might be helpful.

only on MN could someone be jealous of this situation - playground mentality is quite prevalent on here.

unfortunately another poster is right and you are expected to put up with the kind of parenting that teaches their brats to scream. Sound does bounce off hard surfaces and can travel a hell of a distance (as I listen to the fuckwits half a mile away who have put their dog out to bark AGAIN)...

the ideas of something to absorb the yelling are probably your only recourse. And wait a few years until they mature into drug dealers. I'm only half kidding.