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!

We used to sit out the front in our old house because it was sunnier and the neighbours over the back used to torment us with loud music and hot tub noise. We were quiet though.

I sit out the back now all the time in the new house.

I love it when people on my road sit in their front gardens. It's so nice to stop for a chat and catch-up. During the winter months we don't bump into each other as much. I don't think sitting in your front garden should be seen as weird, rude or that you are performing in any way. You are just a social person who doesn't mind chatting to people or you like people watching which is also fine.

I do think the Brits are too concerned about privacy in many ways. All those drawn curtains for example. God forbid someone saw you watching TV in the evening, or the refusal to allow people upstairs in your home. For me (not British) these are the things I have a problem with in this country. I am used to people being more open and not so secretive.

Don't you have a back bedroom you could work in?

They are probably sitting in the sun, so a shady-side back bedroom would also be cooler.

It's their garden and they can sit in it if they want to. They can also chat as much as they want to. It's not their problem that you wfh.

Yes, other human beings are fucking annoying.

But they're not doing anything wrong. They're allowed to be in their own garden, talking, laughing, playing, being noisy.

You're better off trying to accept it and just put on a fan or some covering noise rather than to work yourself up listening to them and getting annoyed.

@vnk21

I have no problem with people being happy. Incessant shouting and screaming is bloody irritating though.

Just now the mum went indoors to get a drink, and all I can here is [kids name repeated several times] until kid bellows back 'WHAT MUM?'
Mum then shouts DO YOU WANT ORANGE OR BLACKCURRANT'
Kid WHAT? WHAT?
For a good 5 mins until finally their drink options, and choice, is established.

Meanwhile the others are tipping water over each other and doing that high pitched squealing.

I think most people would find that at least a little annoying!

Do you live next door to me? I'm out with the kids in the front garden because it's sunnier, they are playing with water because it's hot, and I've asked them the same question about their juice about 100 times because they're having too much fun to answer. Also, they're kids.

Sorry OP in this case you are the U one. Just move to another room if they annoy you so much, even if moving your three monitors is a pain, it is a 15min task. The wired internet is also not a blocking point, just plug an extension.
Your problem to solve basically.

If you were living in a studio flat then yes you could argue that them making noise just next to your only possible workspace might be U, but that is not the case.

Screaming and chucking water etc is not very sociable, I agree, but I voted YABU as it's their property and they can sit where they want.
I have a spacious (ish) back garden and just a tiny concrete yard at the front, plus shared steps up to the main door that I share with the other two flats (it's a flat converted from a house). I sometimes go out in the yard to tidy it and get into chats with passers-by, and sit on the steps with my neighbours from the other flats, because there's space and it's nice to sit out and see the action on the street.

All posters saying oh they're enjoying themselves oh I'd rather live next door to them than you oh don't judge they're just kids what an utter load of BOLLOCKS!!! If you went to view a house and had that mayhem going on next door as if you'd buy it!

YANBU OP. Hell is other people because of inconsiderate gobshites like this x

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats

The snobbery on this thread is astonishing. The reference to 'decent people' is the low point so far.

What happened to live and let live?

Like the neighbours aren't doing, you mean?

"Live and let live" does not give someone carte blanche to be a nuisance to their neighbours. They don't have to shout, they don't have to play out the front. Noise at the front of the house is usually more disruptive, it's confrontational in a way that behaving in the back garden wouldn't be.

@NamechangeApril21 does your husband laugh like the laughing policeman? It would be very interesting if you are the neighbours!

If you are, why aren't you sitting in the back garden out of interest?

I sit out front all the time - mainly because my back yard is minuscule! But even if I had a massive garden, I'd still sit out front, because why not?! A neighbourhood is to be lived in, not to be sterile, and silent. There will be things that annoy you but that's part of sharing the planet with other human beings.

I own my house btw, not council. Not that it matters any road. Appalled by some of the snobbery on here 'council posters' particularly made me laugh. Just because you live in a council house doesn't make you a council person 😂😂😂

@Snoken

I love it when people on my road sit in their front gardens. It's so nice to stop for a chat and catch-up. During the winter months we don't bump into each other as much. I don't think sitting in your front garden should be seen as weird, rude or that you are performing in any way. You are just a social person who doesn't mind chatting to people or you like people watching which is also fine.

I do think the Brits are too concerned about privacy in many ways. All those drawn curtains for example. God forbid someone saw you watching TV in the evening, or the refusal to allow people upstairs in your home. For me (not British) these are the things I have a problem with in this country. I am used to people being more open and not so secretive.

I am not British. I am always amazed how NOT concerned about privacy the Brits are!

No shutters, at most curtains or indoors blinds in the evening.
Sitting on your doorstep has nothing to do with being social.

refusal to allow people upstairs in your home
in which country do people go upstairs in your home past the age of 12?!?

I don't understand why sitting in the front is any different/noisier to sitting at the back, other than the fact you have your office at the front of your house- which they won't know. If you had your office at the back surely you would complain about them being in the back garden?

Just because you live in a council house doesn't make you a council person

ahem...

[quote snowdropsandcrocuses]@NamechangeApril21 does your husband laugh like the laughing policeman? It would be very interesting if you are the neighbours!

If you are, why aren't you sitting in the back garden out of interest?[/quote]
He has a big bellowing laugh that while I find it endearing, am aware gets on others peoples nerves.

My back garden doesn't get any sun, so we're out the front, as is everyone on this side of the road. We also have a big green running along the front of our houses, so if we sit out the front we can keep an eye on our kids playing together.

(Also, I don't think I'm genuinely OPs neighbour)

A neighbourhood is to be lived in, not to be sterile, and silent.

with people respectful of their neighbours and where everybody can live in peace without suffering from others noise, mess and smell?

Most people would run a mile if they visited a place with antisocial neighbours putting laundry at the front, having barbecues and being loud and antisocial 😂

Noise cancelling Headphones playing white noise - I can’t listen to music while I work but white noise is quite pleasant, especially if you have road noise anyway. I like rain and ocean sounds.

@fashionablefennel

A neighbourhood is to be lived in, not to be sterile, and silent.

with people respectful of their neighbours and where everybody can live in peace without suffering from others noise, mess and smell?

Most people would run a mile if they visited a place with antisocial neighbours putting laundry at the front, having barbecues and being loud and antisocial 😂

What?? No they wouldn't. If someone would 'run a mile' because someone has hung their laundry up, then they probably need to straighten out their world view.

Some stuffy, formal types might not like these things in a neighbourhood, but it wouldn't even register to your a stage person.

Well my PIL live in a million pound house and they sit in their front garden because their back garden doesn’t get any sun

Just whack some headphones in, not everyone can be quiet just because you’re working

Yeah it's annoying but it's their garden and they have the right to use it. I quite like people sitting out the front - it's sociable and you can chat to people walking past.
I've got neighbours with grandkids and when they are here for several days at a time there is also constant noise going on as well as BBQs etc.
I'm just glad the children are able to be there as they haven't been able to visit their grandparents for months because of fucking COVID.
I WFH too but I've learned to zone out the noise.
You could move to another room in the back of the house temporarily if you really can't concentrate at all.

Call the police, how dare they feel entitled to enjoy the summer in their own garden

@fashionablefennel

A neighbourhood is to be lived in, not to be sterile, and silent.

with people respectful of their neighbours and where everybody can live in peace without suffering from others noise, mess and smell?

Most people would run a mile if they visited a place with antisocial neighbours putting laundry at the front, having barbecues and being loud and antisocial 😂

What a weird view. I used to live in a steading complex where all the main gardens were to the front as were all the washing lines. It was in a very respectable middle class area but no-one cared about being able to see the neighbours knickers!