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!

I don't think it's that odd to sit out the front. I've lived in countries where it is the norm to sit out the front even if you have a garden at the back. The idea is that you interact with people passing by, you talk to your neighbours, people come by with a bottle of wine and sit for a chat and a drink - it's nice. There is always someone sitting out front if you feel like socialising. In fact people often have their garages open all evening and will have a fridge, kettle chair set up there for people to come over.

Maybe it's because this country doesn't have that much hot weather that it is considered strange. Not all cultures are so tied up about privacy and never talking to anyone else or interacting with your neighbours.

I'd go and ask them if they can keep the noise down as you are working.
Why would people who live in social housing be more likely to do this than anyone else ? - that just makes you sound like a mad snob.

Sounds like they have a very happy home if they are regularly spending time together laughing and squealing....perhaps a little annoying but also the epitome of child happy noises.

Get some noise cancelling earphones so everyone can be happy.

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Well it's not the done thing on our ex council estate it's much more likely to be converted for parking- however the mixed and council esate near DC old primary it does happen but I think because there is more of a community up there - they talk to their neigbours more and if people walk past they know they can have a natter and they often have family nearby. I'm not sure how universal that one estate is though.

There was a mixed estate in a notheren city - ex counil now private and soem council - that we lived in that had benches out the front but I don't recall people sitting out - however back gardens in our part of the city weren't as private as usual they were strips or has access routes across and it was common pratcise to go to the back door not the front. It had a very friendly vibe and going out in garden did usually involve conversations with neigbours. Maybe it was a practise that had died out there.

It's the first time we've had sun for SO long. Let them enjoy it!

Screaming kids and shouting adults can be very annoying but, to be fair to your neighbours it is a residential setting, not an office block, so you can't expect peace and quiet at half-term.

I think YABU, if the noise bothers you, then you need to move rooms.

We sit in our front garden as well as the back, we move with the sun. Our front garden is actually larger than the back and entirely private (it’s walled with high walls and solid electric gates) and the garden wraps around the house effectively. Why shouldn’t I use the front as much as the back?

Sounds like they have a very happy home if they are regularly spending time together laughing and squealing....perhaps a little annoying but also the epitome of child happy noises.

Feeling the need to put on a show and make a spectacle of yourself strikes me as the opposite of being happy!

Trying too hard, too much involvement of the neighbourhood, every time anyone walks past they have to engage them in conversation.

A happy family wouldn't be so desperate for so much outside distraction.

Either way, being a nuisance to your neighbours is just rude.

Megan2018
I don't think you can compare the 2. Using the large garden around a house is not the same as plonking yourself on the very small front "garden" in a semi.

@ohsuzannah

The woman opposite me, not only sits in her minuscule front garden, she has a huge hot tub in it. Her and the kids are in it all day in the summer. I feel sorry for her neighbours, both of which are decent people. Even from my back garden, 200 yards away, I can hear her screeching at the kids all day 😒

Jesus, I thought the water fights were bad. I think I'd lose my mind if they put a hot tub out there. Hopefully the surface isn't level enough.

A friend's neighbours put a bouncy castle in their front garden last summer which (understandably) attracted half the kids in the street. I though that was the worst, but I think a hot tub tops it.

Do you know what after the year we have all had chillout. Yes it's annoying but it's so nice that people can catch up now and enjoy themselves and others around them.

Is WFH a long option? If so consider getting an aircon unit as it's only going to get hotter!

Feeling the need to put on a show and make a spectacle of yourself strikes me as the opposite of being happy! 🤣 Why assume they want to put on a show when they're clearly unaware of the impact.
I am often surprised by certain pp's when they spout superior nonsense from their high horse when previously I'd mistaken them as a nice person.

People are not unreasonable to be outside in their garden on a sunny day. Work around it. Move room, change windows or use headphones. Stop being so miserable.

@Silhillian

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I think it's a shame that there are snobby attitudes like this. It would be lovely if people used their front gardens more, it's sociable. I'd love a front porch to sit out on, like lots of house in the US.

Most of my neighbours sit out at the front of the house in the afternoon because it's sunnier. It's nice to have a chat and made lockdown bearable last year.

Not 'council', by the way, not that it matters.

[quote]Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.[/quote]
WTF. You have to be the most ridiculously snobbish and insane person in the world to make a comment like that.

God forbid that people and families should enjoy themselves by doing totally unreasonable things like playing and talking to each other and the neighbours on their own property. This can be easily solved OP. The instruction is to work from home if you can. If you can't work from home because your neighbours insist on, well, living, then you should go back to the office. It'll be nice and quiet there.

I feel your pain. Our neighbour has a child with a high pitched, irritating voice and I'm sure she's unable to actually talk. It's constant screeching and jumping on the trampoline (that they couldn't get closer to my fence if they tried).
I love seeing and hearing children play but bloody hell, sometimes it can be really annoying. YANBU

If they’re like us, our back garden is currently still a boggy mess from that week of horrible weather we had! My three are under strict orders to stay on the paved bits if they play out there so they don’t track mud in, but if they have people over it’ll be harder to avoid.

Also, why do we have front gardens if it’s social unacceptable to use them?

my favourite responses on these threads are the 'noise-justifying' posters who come out with "What did you expect/why did you choose to buy a terrace/semi detached/in a family area if you don't like noise?"

Um I didn't choose to - like 99% of the country I can't afford to buy Downton Abbey, a semi is the best I can afford! Same with the 'family areas' - if there were whole streets marked 'quiet only' I'd be there like a shot, unfortunately areas aren't split like that. And actually I DID choose a very quiet street on purpose, but then lovely silent neighbours moved out and dickhead noise making constantly arguing police attending twats moved in!

Well I'm currently sitting in my front garden of my house which is ex council working on my laptop, I don't have a back garden as the previous owners of the house (who bought it from the council of that matters) built a large extension on the back of the house.

I'm clearly making a show of myself, or actually just working with headphones in not annoying anyone, however the kids at the end of the steeet are plying noisily in their massive paddling pool (in their back garden so that's acceptable right?)

Screaming and shouting isn't ideal at all but people can enjoy their gardens we get very few days like this per year so it is annoying but the weather won't last forever I'm sure they'll be back inside soon

I moved here in January 2020 and sitting out the front has meant I've met a lot of neighbours and local people it's been really nice and not something I'm prepared to be shamed over

I'm surprised how many people think OP is somehow being unreasonable.
Anyone who lives in close proximity to someone else should be considerate of them.
A little bit of noise is fine and to be expected, but spending your day making a huge amount of noise including shouting is rude and incredibly inconsiderate.
My neighbour has got into the habit of watching some American talk show on her tablet at full volume in her garden at 7am in the morning. Is it her garden and she has the right to do that? Yes. Is she rude af to do it so every house in the terrace can hear it? Also yes.
You have my sympathy, OP. That'd drive me nuts.