Why do my neighbours insist on sitting in their front garden?

[vnk21]

I am sure this makes me unreasonable but the incessant noise is giving me the rage.

I WFH, in an upstairs room at the front of the house. Today it's about 26 degrees here so I have the windows open. And all I can here is next door.

There's currently an entire family of them outside (mum, dad, and various kids). The parents have garden chairs out in the front garden and the kids are kicking a ball around - all of them are making a load of noise. Plus every time anyone walks past they have to engage them in conversation.

The houses in this street have small front gardens, Theirs is paved, and the size of 1 large car. Their back garden is at least twice the size. Why would you not sit out there?!

I'm not expecting silence, but the incessant shouting/screaming is so bloody irritating - especially when one of them goes indoors and they carry out a yelled conversation from the house to outside! First thing this morning it was lovely, birdsong and (because it is a relatively busy road) cars going past. But their noise is far more irritating than cars going past.

There's no solution other than closing the windows (and sweating in the heat) is there? Or hoping for rain.

I appreciate it's only a week and the schools will be back next week (so at least I should get some quiet 9-3), but I'm concerned they're going to be like this for the whole 6 weeks holiday which will drive me mad!

Is it sunnier or shadier in the front?

because they can.

it may be shadier or sunnier or they need to interact with the outside world more than others...

I would guess they want either sun or shade, whichever is at the front of the house. We use our front garden when we want morning sun but there's a lawn as well as a wide driveway

Probably catches the sun more than the back. Or they might enjoy talking to people as they pass.

Maybe try a fan? Might block out the noise a bit and it'll help to cool the room too.

It’s their property, let them enjoy it!

Sunnier out the front, don’t want the kids on the grass, nosey and like to see what’s going on in the world?

Can you move? It does sound annoying but reasons above are probably why they are at the front.

I would suggest it is to do with sun/shade. My SiL always takes her kids in the front garden in the afternoons as her back garden is full sun all afternoon.

Just pop some headphones on if you're that bothered. They're not doing anything wrong, just enjoying their day. Perhaps the front garden is sunnier, or they want to watch the world go by.

It's their garden, they can sit in it if they like. Can you work in a different room?
Opening the windows during the day won't cool your house btw, you need windows and blinds/curtains closed then open them when the sun is much lower / down.
Are they actually shouting / screaming or just raising their voices so someone can hear them? Be odd if they were screaming in their garden.

How are the children kicking a ball around a space the size of one large car if their parents are already sat there with two garden chairs?

We have a north-east facing garden full of big trees, as does our neighbour. When the sun moves round to the front of our houses by about 1pm the back garden is largely in shade (parts are higher than our house.) We love the shade but our neighbour does sit out and read in the sun and we sit out the front sometimes and catch some golden rays, including our children! It’s a bit grinchy to be so annoyed about it. Put headphones in and listen to music? Or can you take your work out to the back garden at all?

It is part of life when living in a close space. I done night shifts the summertime was a nightmare for day sleeping.
Can you move into a back room? If the sun is at the front it will be cooler in a back room.

Too obvious to suggest you go into one of the room at the back?

They don't have grass at the back either.

Front is a little sunnier in the morning, but there's not much in it. Certainly yesterday they were out the front all day, even when the back gets more sun later in the day.

They're all so fucking loud, they don't talk they shout at each other. I am slightly hard of hearing too, god knows how someone with normal hearing would manage with their noise.

@Lottielovescake

It’s their property, let them enjoy it!

And OP?

Is she not in her property? Not enjoying it?

How do you decide so clearly whose enjoyment trumps someone elses discomfort?

I'd agree that OP is stuck with it, they are enjoying the sunshine and doing nothing wrong.

However I would also acknowledge that OP has every right to feel pissed off at not being able to use her own home as freely and comfortably because of their choices.

I couldn't tell her to just suck it up because I know how irritating it can be, made more so by the fact that the irritation is pretty unreasonable. I can fully empathise!

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Probably because they get the sun out front. Shoot them now.

Plenty of snobbish twattery on MN today, see also the hot tub thread.

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.
Not necessarily. I live in a private area where people sit in their front garden. I did suspect undertones of judgement/hints of unemployed parents from the OP's post.

It’s just something you have to deal with when you live near people

My neighbour is having a new patio and a new fence, it’s really noisy and annoying but nothing to do about it

Also YABU op, it’s their garden.

what a bunch of weirdos! I can't understand people who have no sense of privacy and put a show in the street like that.

Nothing you can do unfortunately.

I bet they are the same who insist on plonking themselves next to people on an otherwise empty beach and are generally a nuisance.
Who knows why they are that way.

I would relocate at the back of my own house and enjoy the quiet of the garden.

Move to the back of your house.

HTH.