To Request Elderly Neighbours to turn down TV as I'm working from home?

[PinkyAndTheBump]

We live in a terraced house, which apparently has shit sound insulation between the houses. Our elderly neighbours tend to sit in their front room to watch TV. They have it on so loud, I needn't have the sound on if watching the same programme as them.

Our first solution was to swap dining room/lounge so that we sit at the back of the house and avoid the noise - but this meant my home office desk was in the front room, and I was getting annoyed with the noise with the crap US made-for-TV "dramas" that they seem to watch every afternoon. I don't have to work from home, but I chose to do so in order to save on commute time/cost and to get some peace & quiet!

Our second solution was to move my desk upstairs - not ideal, as it's in the front bay window, and there's too much glare from outside, but I can STILL hear the sodding TV from next door.

They also have a second TV in the back room - sometimes with the same programme playing as the front room, but just a little out of sync :¬(

So, would I be unreasonable to get them to turn down the volume, or atleast switch off the TV and go and do something more interesting instead?

I have to be a little careful about the noise, as although we are very quiet at the moment, we are expecting a baby in the New Year, which of course , will not be coming with any volume control!!

not all DC are noisy though, and if they neighbours are so deaf they need their TV up that loud, they aren't going to hear a baby! The baby is a red herring.

Can't believe the posters saying YABU
I agree.
If you get on well with the son then mention it too him. He might be worried about their hearing anyway.

If they are like my parents it is probably much more noisy than normal household noise. When they leave the room I turn it down from something like 50 to 15 so you have my sympathy. (they live in a detached house)

Also if they need to turn the telly up that loud the baby is not going to bother them as much, if at all!

you could always ask if they could maybe use subtitles.

Though my parents use those too....

Also look at soundproofing.

I would talk to them. Just tell them simply, non reproachfully, that you've been moving all over your house to try to escape their TV volume.

Ask if they have the same problem from the other side of them.

Discuss solutions together. Maybe they can move their TV away from the wall. Or away from the adjoining wall.

A baby / toddler / child isn't a quiet neighbour, but it isn't the equivalent of a daily blaring TV, in terms of being caring of neighbourly relations.

Definitely not BU!

Yanbu and it can't believe people are saying you are

They're deaf and that's their problem not yours and their noise pollution should not encroach on your right to peace and quiet.

Action on hearing loss have a lot of things that could help or suggest they switch the sound off and put subtitles on.

I sympathise I love next door to deaf neighbours and it's highly antisocial!!

Get ear plugs and some blinds for the bedroom. Then you;ll be ok.

OP, I really would consider asking for help with sound proofing. You can post for help in Property/DIY
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property

Noise cancelling headphones must surely be easier than sound proofing and relocating your office?

I got the reference to the tv show why do I feel so old?

I'd just have friendly chat about it if you can. It might or might not make a difference but it is worth a try.

My Granddad always had the TV up ridiculously loud but he was conscious of it (i.e. Gran would shout at him constantly for it ) so he bought himself a pair of headphones that wirelessly link to the TV and he can control his own volume without bothering everyone else.

I do think it's a bit rude to ask them to turn it down but they have to understand that you've exhausted every other option - you've physically rearranged the entire house in an attempt to find a solution! They couldn't accuse you of not having tried.

It doesn't have to be either or with the soundproofing or talking to them you know. I'd go and have a gentle word with them.

I really don't see why the OP should have to go to the expense and hassle of soundproofing when quick friendly chat with the neighbours should resolve the issue - it did for us - glad we didn't turn to MN for advice!

It is not the OP's fault that her neighbours are elderly and hard of hearing, why should she have to put up with such intrusive noise in her own home?

lorriehearts yes exactly. Cash in the Attic is what I get in the morning! It could be used as some form of torture!

I think we will take option of talking to their son first, and see if he's got any suggestions.

I bought the wireless headphones for my parents, even though they live in a detached house - but that was more so Mum could listen to something else when dad was watching football.

I do sometimes put on background music for myself, but can't do that if on a telephone call.

Thanks all for the suggestions and support. I guess I'm going to have a whole other set of problems when junior arrives!

It's all very well to tell the OP to put up with it but she shouldn't have to put up and shut up because her neighbours have hearing problems.

There was a series on the BBC a while back about councils dealing with anti-social neighbours, noise pollution, disputes between neighbours etc. One episode featured a lovely old man who was hard of hearing, had his TV turned up to Spinal Tap 11 and was driving his neighbours potty.

The council got him some headphones, he was thrilled, the neighbours were thrilled. All were happy.

Personally if I was you I'd even offer to buy the headphones for them if I thought it would fix the problem.

My elderly parents have the TV on louder than average, because dad is deaf but still keen on the news and various other complex and worthy documentaries and information shows.
You will be blessing the fact you have deaf neighbours when your baby is wailing for the next several years without complaints.

'It is not the OP's fault that her neighbours are elderly and hard of hearing, why should she have to put up with such intrusive noise in her own home?'
I'm sitting here listening to the neighbour's baby grandchild shrieking, either with glee or with rage, they look after him 5 days a week. Should I complain?

DD finds other people's noise annoying, so she wears headphones a lot.

it could also be that they have no idea how the sound is travelling - why I was young and foolish I would listen to my music at deafening volume, I really didn't think it was audible outside my room (yes, I really was that dim). It wasn't until some neighbours complained very politely that I really got it, and I bought myself some headphones.

Pinky This thread reminds me of one of my favourite Daily Mail sad-face stories ever:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276877/Pensioner-Annie-Hancock-74-forced-wear-headphones-neighbours-complained-TV-loud-hearing-aid-broke.html

Grandma FORCED to wear headphones rather than play TV on full blast 24/7. Family obviously FURIOUS; cue much melodrama and sad-face photography...

Needless to say, I still think you're totally NBU; hopefully a quiet word with your NDN's son will do the trick and you can find a solution to suit you all.

You could talk to the son, he's going to be aware of the volume levels if he visits them often.

I love daily mail comments that article is brilliant

And yes if you're being antisocial or your actions are antisocial then you should fix them. It sucks to be deaf but it sucks more to live next door to a deaf person who still insists on trying to watch tv

most often, people don't realise that they can be heard through the wall - I know our neighbour didn't realise until we pointed it out.

Of course you can mention it - be polite, acknowledge with a sense of humour that you will have a baby (babies don't just cry in their bedrooms I have to warn you!) .....and accept they may not do anything about it.

What about white noise headphones or a white noise box?

If you are planning on stayin in the house, I promise you a toddler will out-noise anything you can hear now. My 2 year old wakes up at 6 and soon after I always hear the neighbours put their music on to drown him out!

It absolutely wouldn't be unreasonable to say something, in a kind and gentle way ... and you sound very nice, so I'm sure this is how you would have handled it anyway. Earphones a much easier solution than you soundproofing your entire home!!

If they are very elderly I would talk to their son rather than them. For the last few years that my Mum lived in her own house her TV was unbearably loud. Her mobility was also poor-it would have taken ages for her to get to the door and she would have got into a terrible state if she thought you were complaining.
I would speak to the son with constructive suggestions re headphones etc. Also do what you can on your side -earplugs?
One advantage for mum's neighbours was that she couldn't here their frequent yelling and swearing and constant drilling and hammering.
In a terraced house you do have to live and let live a bit-depends just how bad it is.

You should mention it either to them or to their son if you think that might be easier. Ear plugs / defenders are a good idea but you still wouldn't be able to talk on the phone with that level of disruption.