To ask about new neighbour etiquette

CrotchBurn · 22/12/2020 12:37

Take some mince pies around

CheerleaderWife · 22/12/2020 12:40

Unless you are knocking walls, hammering and redecorating is expected noise that doesnt require an apology.
I would say hi im so and so when you bump into them out. I wouldnt go around and knock. Its intrusive, inconvenient and inappropriate in the times of Covid.

I would let the neighbours know in advance and apologise if its structural, party wall or anything that might impact them eg road or parking or fence.

Diy noise is fine monday to friday 10am to 4pm .. i know officially its 8 or 7am to 6pm but my hours are more considerate i think. Definitely no noisy work on a sunday.

Mmn654123 · 22/12/2020 12:56

Up to neighbours to welcome new arrivals not the other way around!

MrsFogi · 22/12/2020 12:59

Drop a note in (and even some mince pies or something) to say welcome, give them your contact and you hope to have them over for a cup of tea once covid is over.

LillyBugg · 22/12/2020 13:22

'No noisy work on a Sunday' So how does this work when the majority of people only have the weekend free for stuff like this at home. No way would I cut that in half just because it's a Sunday. I would apologise to my neighbours in advance but sod being quiet all bloody day just because it's a Sunday.

NotOfThisWorld · 22/12/2020 13:25

I wouldn't necessarily expect an apology. It's not unusual to do some work before moving in. Likewise usually with new neighbours we''ve ended up saying hello as we bump into them. If anyone was going to introduce themselves I would have thought that would be on you to say welcome to the street and bring them some mince pies or something.

Original poster

CounsellorTroi · 22/12/2020 13:26

We are planning to drop a card round. My mince pies will be home made or at least home baked, so don't know how they would feel about that!

DIY noise has gone on into the evening about 8pm sometimes!

OP posts:

CheerleaderWife · 22/12/2020 14:00

Lillybug noisy work is illegal on a sunday in my council and in many many areas. Sunday is a rest day not a day for you to make a horrid racket.

Gardeniaofdelights · 22/12/2020 14:02

I always pop round to welcome new neighbours with some home baking.

Drilling etc is expected when people move in to a new home - annoying for neighbours but just one of those things you occasionally have to put up with!

dontgobaconmyheart · 22/12/2020 14:06

It's not up to you to decide whether they need to decorate their new home because you've been having a nosy at it in person prior (or on rightmove) and have decided it's fine OP . They can do what they want whether they 'need' to or just plain want to and good for them.

I don't think any specific apology is required for some light DIY and would be expecting it when they've just moved in. Perhaps the pandemic has put them off knocking on doors for non essential reasons?

I'd drop a card in for new neighbours and let them know I'm around if they need anything. I don't think there are hard and fast rules on it though, why make it into a situation where one party is rude? Just drop a xmas card in and be polite when you organically see them.

I wouldn't want handmade dropped off mince pies in a pandemic to be honest, but am prepared to accept that's just me. I am in tier 4 if it matters.

Canwecancel2020 · 22/12/2020 14:09

Christmas card with a friendly message and say hi if you see them in the street?

Givemeabreak88 · 22/12/2020 14:10

I’ve moved a few time’s and have never had neighbours welcome me but then I’ve never went round to introduce myself either, I always thought it was up to the old neighbours to introduce themselves if they wanted to not for the new neighbours.

partyatthepalace · 22/12/2020 14:12

You are supposed to welcome new neighbours, take a card or a bottle.

Weird for you to comment on whether the house needs decorating. It’s not your house.

Can’t tell from your post if the noise was really unreasonable, but no point complaining about it now, you could have gone round at the time to ask them to limit working hours, but you didn’t.

AntiHop · 22/12/2020 14:50

When we moved into our house, one of the first thing we did was knock on our next door neighbours to apologise for the banging due to assembling flat pack furniture and putting up shelves. So I think it's rude that your new neighbours haven't.

I'd drop a Christmas card round to be polite and welcoming.

LadyLazaruss · 22/12/2020 15:09

@CounsellorTroi

We have new neighbours. They spent about a month doing loads of work on the house (don't know why, didn't look to me as though much needed doing but there has been much drilling, hammering, scraping etc) before moving in a week or so ago I think. They've never been to say hello or to apologise for the noise. We don't want to come across as over friendly. So I'm asking - is it up to new neighbours to introduce themselves, or what? Or are we being unreasonable not to have been round and introduced ourselves to them?

Really? Not up to you decide if their house needs work or not.

Personally, I think it should be you that introduces yourself.

HighSpecWhistle · 22/12/2020 15:11

I don't think anyone has to introduce themselves. It will happen organically when you see eachother out the front.

The noise - well it doesn't sound like they did anything wrong. They're entitled to make updates even if the neighbours think the house was fine 🙄

Notadramallama · 22/12/2020 15:36

I've moved house last month and would hate for one of my new neighbours to knock on the door to introduce themselves - especially with mince pies, which I don't like!
I'm happy just saying hello if/when I see people outside but nothing more than that. We don't all want to be best friends with our neighbours.

Nottherealslimshady · 22/12/2020 15:40

Cant imagine apologising to neighbours for the noise I was making renovating my house. And I wouldn't expect them to appologise for it.

Existing residents should go round to introduce themselves, we take a card with our names and numbers in case they need anything.

cyclingmad · 22/12/2020 15:42

Ots been 4 months of renovation hell from neighbours 3 doors down in terraced housing thr noise goes right through.

The polite thing would have been to drop s note in before works started to give at least a sense of how long it would go on for especially now people have to work from home with no choice as they cannot go into the office.

Every council has recommendations on noisy diy work mostly its consider your neighbours lifestyle and speak to them. Other hours are 8am to 5pm on weekdays. If you cannot do it in weekdays then Saturday is 8am to 5pm and Sunday no noisy works only light diy like painting (no drilling etc) from 10am to 4pm.

Thats the rules in my area.

Except the builders and trades doing this house think they can start at 7.30 on a Sunday and go until 6pm way and do loud drilling, power tool work using noisy saws and hammering.

Its unacceptable and not once have these arseholes of neighbours came to apologise.

So nah I won't be going over to introduce myself. They are going to have a nice peaceful Xmas as they haven't moved in yet meanwhile I asked the builder how much longer and they are carrying on right through Xmas so no quiet time not even on xmas day.

FML

Thisusernameistakenagain · 22/12/2020 15:44

I was a new neighbour recently. I apologised in advance for any noises and said please to let me know if I'm irritating with it, as the house had been empty for a time. As I was going thru boxes I gave them some stuff I thought they might like. Say hello any opportunity. I think it's up to them to do it but if you want to appear approachable and friendly then be such :)

FangsForTheMemory · 22/12/2020 15:51

I put a Christmas card through the door of all my new neighbours. At least they now know my name.

Elouera · 22/12/2020 15:53

We've just moved into a derelict house needing LOTS of work. I actually asked a similar question on here. 1 neighbour came to say hello and introduced herself. The other, we saw walking to their car and introduced ourselves.

I have always appologised for any future noise, and also asked if anyone locally worked shift work. When we were having noisy drilling done, I went around and told them a few days beforehand so they knew.

People have been so friendly in our new street. Welcome cards, Christmas cards, a bottle of wine and people just generally happy to see the house being done up.

Maybe go around or just drop in a Christmas card.

FOJN · 22/12/2020 16:06

I think a Christmas card would be a good way to introduce yourself.

I tend to apologise in advance if I'm going to be making noise during home improvements. I think it's polite to.acknowledge that my decorating may be disruptive for my neighbours and to let them know how long it's likely to take, I find people tend to be more tolerant when they know how long they have to put up with the noise.

DriftGames · 22/12/2020 16:08

It's Christmas - we've just moved into a new home and I've posted Christmas cards to the neighbours either side, addressed to no. 54 for example but signed with all of the families names. Easy, non intrusive way to introduce yourselves!

Nicolastuffedone · 22/12/2020 16:12

We moved in the week before Christmas, I popped a Christmas card through their door ‘Jane & John from number 7’