Help! I'm the neighbour from hell.

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So I've just moved into a new house, stupidly put laminate floor everywhere.. the noise is ridiculous. I'm literally telling the kids off for walk/breathing/anything.. they sound like elephants everytime they move. It's the frontroom that's the worst. I have one rug that doesn't seem to make to much difference. Im so worried about upsetting the neighbours. I have serious mum guilt and absolutely hating the house. I have 0 money left to buy carpets or do much. But Any advice?

I have so many bigger issues & theres so much worse happening in the world but for some reason this noise situation is really getting to me.

Helpppppppp!

I might however be a little judgey if my neighbour asked if their hard flirting was causing me a problem 😳

@EverySporkIsSacred aha it starts calm.. "guys, guys, GUys,..... GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" LOL

Shoes are always off, and we can't have carpet really down stairs because 2 toddlers tramping food and paints and stuff just doesn't work lol

@Doubledodecahedron I did take a peace offering before moving in saying sorry for the moving noise and the excited kids.

God, don’t do that, they probably haven’t even noticed but they might start noticing if you mention it.

Hard floors are only really an issue in flats. Just have a no shoes indoors policy and stop worrying about it.

Do you have anxiety op? You seem to be massively catastrophising.

Unless you're all tapdancing in biker boots at 2am... I really doubt this is a huge issue. Just get some slippers and stop worrying.

I got a large rug from Temu,because I hadn't shopped with them for a few months they were sending me discount codes galore,I got an 80×160cm fluffy rug for £4.74 with the discount code applied.If you're a first time customer you get huge discounts so maybe try them for some cheap rugs for now?x

Let them be kids! Youre nor going to be in all the time. My neighbour moans about us walking up the stairs if she wants to buy me a thicker carpet she can

Honestly you're worrying about nothing. Are your staircases together on the shared wall of house? That's the noise that will carry through most - despite repeatedly telling my sons not to hammer up and down like a fleet of bison, they insist on it. Or doors closed with a bang, that seems to carry. But I can't see your neighbours hearing noise from your own floorboards in bedrooms etc.

youre on the right lines, but it’s SOFT furnishing which will help dampen noise, notnshelves etc, think curtains, cushions, throws, they’ll all help

Also most people do not expect total silence from their neighbours. I live in a terrace house. I heat them walking up and down the stairs. I sometimes hear them playing instruments. I can hear loud conversations and sometimes their TV. This is all during normal daytime hours. It doesn't bother me at all. There are normal sounds at normal hours and then there's things which are more problematic. Endless drilling at night or very loud music at 2am are not acceptable. Stop shushing your kids for moving round their house...you will make them anxious.

When our neighbours moved in, they replaced all flooring with laminate and it was so noisy. We got on with them, so spoke to them about it and they've gradually made changes. They got plenty of rugs throughout the house and recently changed the laminate upstairs for carpets - although this has been after a few years. Another thing that made a big difference was curtains, as any soft furnishings dampen down the sound from carrying. They didn't do it all immediately, but over time, and just kept us informed of what they planned to do.

Definitely agree with pp, noise is much easier to tolerate if it comes with an apology and explanation. I would talk to your neighbours and explain the situation, I think it may ease your anxiety.
also, I got a really lovely big rug from Amazon recently for about £80, an ‘abstract’ scatter pattern so even if it gets spills etc it will look like the design!

To all those who say they have laminate/hardwood/whatever and it causes no noise issues, it completely depends what the quality of the underlay is. I'd worry most if it's replaced a previously carpeted floor and the installation wasn't done by professionals. That said, I agree OP's main issue with her brand new laminate all over the house is likely to be freezing off her toes in winter. One more reason for rugs 😀

@Comedycook no, like I said I'm not usually a worrier and I'm not really one who cares about judgement or anything like that.. but it's really loud. Just walking is so loud.. I think it's because the laminate was put over floor boards so it's loud. Our old house had laminate but it wasn't like this at all.

What are they wearing on their feet?

I had laminate in my old house, as did my neighbour. Never heard footsteps from them and they swear they never heard us. Even denied hearing the kids etc despite us raising 3 kids in that house.

Laminate in flats is a big no no, houses are fine.

Are you happy that the underlay (or whatever it’s called) is up to spec? I’d give the company that laid it a call and complain. We have laminate floors upstairs and down and while it’s a bit louder, it’s not significant.

Replace with carpet and thick underlay.

The noise will never go away.

Did you miss the part where she specifically said that she has zero money left to buy carpets?

1. Talk with your neighbours to find out if it Is an actual problem.
2. If it is a new house, as opposed to simply new to you, then it will have high spec sound proofing, as mine has.
3. All that has been said in above posts
4. Stop worrying! You are worrying about a problem when you do not even know it exists!

Do it gradually.

That is a good point.

but as pp said, laminate in a terraces house shouldn’t be an issue.

but I would not ask the neighbours about this (unless you are very close and good friends). I would be too worried about opening a can of worms or making the neighbours aware of noises they previously didn’t even notice or felt bothered by.

in regards to shoes:
I am assuming the kids wear slippers (if you have shoes off policy).
have you tried no slip, floor socks (buy the fuzzy kind for winter)?

Shouting and swearing would annoy me more! Can’t stand either…especially at children.

You can’t hear flooring in houses my entire terrace house used to be hard flooring. It’s when you are in first floor and above flats.

Thick fluffy sock slippers with those rubber treads to make them non slip.

I'd be really surprised if the noise of shoeless toddlers scampering around was travelling through the walls. I'm sure they're not heavy enough to make major percussive noise. Small child noise is usually in the higher register, which is excruciating if you're in the same house as them, but doesn't travel as far as deeper/ bass noise. (Unless they're banging things on the party wall or something).