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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

New neighbours!!

97 replies

The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:22

We had an elderly lady living next door to us for the last 6 years, sadly she passed away in May this year, her son in law owned the house and emptied it straight away and began renovating it for his daughter to live in.
He's been banging/drilling non stop for the past 4 months everyday without fail but has always stopped by 7pm, we have 2 young children in our house so this was fine and we just put up with it.
However this week has been a nightmare, his daughter is obviously moving in this week and has been here non stop moving things in but on Monday she decided 10.30pm! was an appropriate time to come and start decorating!! this woke my 2 children up til 1.30am when they left as they were banging on the wall which is between my children's bedroom.
Then tonight at 8.15pm a united carpets van pulls up and fits carpets in what I can assume 3 rooms as I could hear constant banging in every room in our house til 10pm!!
I am fuming dh is at work and I'm home alone with the children, it took me 2 hours to get my 2 year old asleep and my 7 year old is still awake as he can't sleep because there still banging now!
Ive took the reg number on the united carpets van and am going to ring the company tomorrow to complain, dh is going to go round tomorrow and have a word with our lovely new neighbours!!
aibu to complain to both the neighbours and the carpet company as surely fitting a carpet at 8-10pm is not allowed??

OP posts:
ConfusedintheNorth · 29/10/2014 22:27

Your call... but next time your kids are ill and awake screaming all night expect the same in return...

Blondie1984 · 29/10/2014 22:28

Maybe she works and that's the only time she could be there? I'm just conscious you don't want to start off on the wrong foot - so why not pop round when she's next there, introduce yourself and casually mention the noise and ask what else she is having done and when. Maybe she didn't realise the walls were so thin...

Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:30

I seriously would not be bothered if it was a case of children crying/screaming etc thats expected, and they do have 2 young children moving ( 3yo and 4mo) so I am fully expecting it! What I am bothered about is they're lack of consideration for they're new neighbours!

OP posts:
Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:32

She's been popping in and out all day everyday this week so she's definitely not working and she has a partner with her aswell so I'm sure they could find a more reasonable time to decorate/get carpets fitted!

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 29/10/2014 22:33

Even though YANBU to be annoyed to fuck with the noise late at night, try to focus on the (hopefully) fact that things will calm down after she's moved in.

For neighbourly relations if nothing else.

If she carries on making a racket a few weeks down the line, that would be the time to have a word.

Does she have any DC do you know?

Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:34

But we've spoken to her dad next door a few times and he's said about the noise for the past few months and said he will always finish at 7pm, imo we've been very considerate so far as he's been there sometimes til 10pm himself still banging.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 29/10/2014 22:34

Bloody hell. Give her time to put her suitcase down before you start with the complaints!

And ringing the carpet company really?. How many more carpets do you fear they need to fit now? Confused

Yes it's a pisser when something wakes your kids up but it can't always be helped.

When your kids wake her in the early hours of the morning because they're sick or they've had a bad dream, I hope she'll show more understanding than you have.

You've had an 'easy run' in so far as you've had a quiet elderly lady living there and then no neighbours at all.

Now it's time to consider that you are actually living next door to someone with a different life.

TattyDevine · 29/10/2014 22:36

It won't go on forever.

I'd ride it out for a week or two and take it from there.

Bragadocia · 29/10/2014 22:36

It is very thoughtless, or just plain selfish. Could you go around now with a sleep-deprived (preferably crying) child in your arms, looking shell-shocked, and beg them to please stop the noise? Appealing to them may get you further than anger.

Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:36

Yes agent she has 2, a 3yo and 4mo so I expected her to be understanding, but obviously I was mistaken.
I can understand that they're moving in and I am being very reasonable but why move stuff in through the day then fit carpets or bang on a wall at this time of night, they're still banging now!

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 29/10/2014 22:37

Will putting your DC down in your room be a bit quieter?

I'm surprised she's not bothered about the noise if she's got 2 of her own.

Try not to let how she's being now colour how you think of her or it's going to be shit city living next door to her for the next however many years. Remember you've been spoiled having an older, quieter person as your NDN, it's going to be different to having a young family.

Blondie1984 · 29/10/2014 22:38

Just pick your battles

Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:39

Worra I was going to ring the carpet company to ask if its allowed for a carpet to be fitted at that time of night as we've had carpets fitted before and its had to be between 9.30am and 5pm!
I expect noise I am not fussed by that, I am just pissed off that they have all day to bloody bang and they chose to do it between 8pm-1.30am!!

OP posts:
BaffledSomeMore · 29/10/2014 22:40

It's probably a carpet fitter friend fitting carpets in his own time for mates anyway rather than an official company job.
It will probably all calm down in a few days.

cozietoesie · 29/10/2014 22:42

I'd leave it for a week or two. I've just had new neighbours moving in and they've tried to do everything before they actually moved the children in and started really living there so were putting up shelves (banging on the walls), decorating and so on to an incredibly tight timescale, including evenings, so that they didn't have to do anything while the kids were around.

Annoying as all get out but I doubt it will last.

Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:43

Not really as both bedrooms are against there house, zigzag.

OP posts:
daddypigsgusset · 29/10/2014 22:44

This reply has been deleted

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cheerupandhaveaglassofwine · 29/10/2014 22:45

If they are still banging now why not bang back, may make them realise just how thin the walls are

Or just shout will you stop that f ing banging and see if they hear or not

HowDidThatWorkOut · 29/10/2014 22:45

Yanbu That's very inconsiderate of them.

RandomFriend · 29/10/2014 22:46

YANBU. You have a right to a peaceful evening without the sounds of decorating/carpet fitting etc.

They probably don't realise how disturbing their activity is. Can you meet with them tomorrow and agree what times are acceptable for which noises?

Childern crying doesn't count.

Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:46

The thing is we are moving in the next 2 months, just waiting for exchange of contracts and the house were moving to needs a lot of work done to it, as soon as we get the keys I am going to speak to my new next door neighbour and explain what will be being done but i won't be doing it past 7pm as its just rude!! I wouldn't want to piss my neighbours off at all, I just can't understand why they would!!

OP posts:
Original poster
The3Bears · 29/10/2014 22:50

Get a life!! seriously, you can always tell who the inconsiderate arseholes are on threads like these! wouldn't like to be your neighbours Angry
Unlike people like you I actually give a shit about making a good impression with my neighbours and would like to be frieda with them were friendly with everyone on our street and this is a very quiet street with lots of people who like it that way so I will not be the only one complaining!

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 29/10/2014 22:52

or goodness sake.

They probably took the only appointment the carpet fitters had left today

You don't always get to pick and choose.

WorraLiberty · 29/10/2014 22:52

*For

Molio · 29/10/2014 22:53

OP you've simply got used to being spoiled with a quiet elderly neighbour, but most people don't have that. Have you ever thought about whether your DC disturbed your last neighbour? You do sound very uptight. Sounds like things are set to be different and you'll only make it worse with confrontation. Neighbour wars are best avoided at all times!