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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be a little bit annoyed with new neighbours

114 replies

PeriodFeatures · 13/02/2014 19:46

We live in a semi. The house next door was recently brought and the couple are working on it.

About 4 weeks ago at about 7pm it sounded like they were hammering skirting board and drilling walls. Really noisy for ages.

I popped round and ever so nicely asked how long they were going to be, said we were trying to settle baby. They were very apologetic and decent and I wished them well with the work etc.

A couple of weeks ago a man, i assume it was the father of one of the couple popped around to tell us he would be drilling until 7pm. I said thank you for letting us know, he looked really stressed.

A few days before this a storm tore through the gardens ripping down fence between our gardens. We put a note through their letter box saying that we'd cleaned up mess but not sure who is responsible for the fence, perhaps they could look at their deeds and we'd have a look at ours. Happy to go halves. No mention of this by stressed man!

We have now replaced fencing having had no response from neighbours. Monday an abandoned sink was left in front of our house on pavement. Sheepish builder came and removed it

T9onight more drilling until about 15 mins ago. DD woke up crying.

AIBU to be annoyed? Do I sound like an arse? I get they are probably stressed and busy but is it reasonable to be doing noisy diy until 7.30pm on a weeknight? Not to respond to note about damaged fence?

OP posts:
LetZygonsbeZygons · 13/02/2014 20:08

Chaos in the last 2 boroughs I lived in that was the times.

are there really different times in other councils?

Where are you OP?

OOH, it makes my flesh crawl when people make noise that late.

Purplepoodle · 13/02/2014 20:09

When we moved into our terrace we worked in the house until 10pm each night. Though we didn't drill or hammer after about 9pm

bodygoingsouth · 13/02/2014 20:11

what about in the summer when people will be mowing their lawns, bbq ing and chatting in the garden until 9/10.

your neighbours sound very stressed and nice. sorry I think you are massively entitled and DIY is fine until at least 9.

it's a myth you need to keep the house quiet for a baby. dd4 slept through her teenage brothers house party at 4 months. you need more noise not less and she will get used to it.

IamInvisible · 13/02/2014 20:11

There are no laws covering DIY noise, there are guidelines only. These vary between councils.

Noise abatement society

MrsOakenshield · 13/02/2014 20:11

gosh, I cannot get over how selfish everyone is! Of course it's too late. I wouldn't even hoover then. I do run the washing machine up till about 9 but it's a very quiet machine (I didn't with the old one) and the kitchen is attached to next door's kitchen (rather than a living/sleeping space) so I think that's OK.

If you're doing DIY or getting builders in remember this - at the end of the disruption you will have a lovely new whatever. Your neighbours will have had to put up with all the same disruption and end up with jack shit.

God, I hope my new neighbours aren't MNers, judging by some of today's threads they are an astonishingly inconsiderate bunch!

LetZygonsbeZygons · 13/02/2014 20:11

Just trying to support you |OP. Hmm

Serenitysutton · 13/02/2014 20:12

Call 101, honestly. There are different times everywhere and a recommendation is just that . Noise pollution laws kick in at 11pm but that's a council matter, they'll visit and shut it off if they're really hot on it, maybe write a letter if not.

8pm is no big deal , I don't think.

NewtRipley · 13/02/2014 20:13

MrsOakenshiled

Me neither

But I can't swear I wouldn't have done a bit of DIY at 8pm before I had children.

CoffeeTea103 · 13/02/2014 20:13

It would be nice of you to be considerate and let it go. These people are working full time and prob trying to get this sorted out as soon as possible.

Remember in a few months your child might be making a lot of noise or have different sleeping patterns. Wouldn't it be nice to not stress about that when the time comes because you were considerate now. Yabu.

Serenitysutton · 13/02/2014 20:14

Goodness, if I work hard all say to pay the mortgage I'm not having the 4 hours a day of time I do get in the house dictated to me by the neighbours. No hoovering? How control freaky.

Twighlightsparkle · 13/02/2014 20:14

I'd suck it up, better to maintain good relations than disrupt them. The work won't be forever

BitWorriedNow · 13/02/2014 20:15

OP, my neighbours have children visit every weekend, the difference in noise is huge to midweek.

Let this go, it will be short lived and your child will make loads of noise over the years.

IglooisnowinSheffield · 13/02/2014 20:16

I am so glad to live in the middle of no where, I'd hate neighbours going by some of the people on here.

I'd watch how much you go on at them, a drill can be switched off crying babies can't.

LetZygonsbeZygons · 13/02/2014 20:18

mrsOakenshield

exactly.

Original poster
PeriodFeatures · 13/02/2014 20:18

They are really nice from what I've seen of them. I dont mind a bit of DIY noise. I'm not going to make an issue of it, they are young, nice and dont have children. But hammering and drilling shared walls at 8pm is a bit much really!

OP posts:
ReginaldBlinker · 13/02/2014 20:18

Sorry, but YABU. 8 PM is not an unreasonable time, and they're well within their rights to work on their on home before noise limits.
Your reproductive choice doesn't automatically take precedence over someone else's way of life.

RE: the fence, you said you agreed to consult your deed, but never mentioned what it said about whose responsibility it was?

ChaosTrulyReigns · 13/02/2014 20:19

The Noise Abatement Society ty says 9, Zygons.

Maybe those 2 boroughs were issuing best practice guidelines rather than laws?

Original poster
PeriodFeatures · 13/02/2014 20:23

Do you think I was being unreasonable putting a note through about the fences? Am worried now!!! We would have mentioned it but the place is mostly empty. We were just reluctant to fork out hundreds and hundreds of pounds if it wasn't our responsibility. We dont have a huge amount of disposable income (any!) and we have quite a bit of work that needs doint too. (not noisy of course!!)

OP posts:
ReginaldBlinker · 13/02/2014 20:39

No, don't think it's unreasonable at all to put a note through the door, so long as it is a shared responsibility. Have you actually found out whose responsibility it is yet?

AnnabelleLee · 13/02/2014 20:40

where was the house brought to?

LaurieFairyCake · 13/02/2014 20:42

It isn't that you were unreasonable about the fence - expecting anything to happen while it's still winter and really windy is though.

I wouldn't even have responded to your note til Easter unless I actually bumped into you Grin

Wantsunshine · 13/02/2014 20:44

You sound like a nightmare neighbour. If the fence is important to you check your own deeds. Why ask them to check theirs. They could always stop to look for theirs and then continue DIY at 9 which they can do. If you keep popping round with things such as your baby is trying to sleep then they are going to be the same at any noise you make. Also, it may make them think sod it and make more noise.

500internalerror · 13/02/2014 20:47

7.30-8 really isn't late. Unless it was shouting and swearing on a permanent basis. When are they supposed to get the house done up? Most people don't get back from work till gone 6!

Original poster
PeriodFeatures · 13/02/2014 20:48

No! Havent got a clue really. The deeds aren't clear and some ancient old wives tale we found on line suggests that it would be the fence to the right of your property which you are responsible for (so theirs) We found fencing that came in just under two hundred pounds, including some for the bit of fence that is definitely ours to sort. So we brought it and sorted it out.

Laurie I wouldve done the same and ignored it for a good few weeks. They look stressed out of their minds to be honest.

OP posts:
BitWorriedNow · 13/02/2014 20:50

You should have made sure the fence was your responsibility before putting it up.