Quiet neighbours now making noise.

[OpalBird]

My neighbours talked to us about the noise coming from our property. OK, my son has a hobby that does make an annoying noise. Since then we have made sure he's doing it less but we obviously aren't going to stop him completely. They haven't said anything since and I think we've been considerate in reducing the number of hours our son does his thing.

It seems like they've now decided that they are allowed to make more noise. We've been neighbours for years and they've always been quiet. Now we get occasional music or radio in their backyard. When I asked them about it they said they have always worn headphones to be considerate but they don't really like listening that way, so they thought it was fair they got to have their hobbies the way they enjoy them best as well.

Would I be unreasonable to complain to them again? There is a difference between children playing and music when they have the option of headphones.

People can play music in the garden. You can’t expect them to wear headphones all the time as music is a shared enjoyment. And people can play basketball in the garden. It’s the duration of either that can be a problem, and the volume of the music.

I saw OP said houses are detached. My neighbours have a massive and I mean MASSIVE garden. Their children's goal is right next to our garden, now I just have to hope football doesn't get replaced with basketball as they grow 😭🤣

Why don't you talk to the neighbours and see if there are any times which would suit them better? Perhaps they are generally out at specific times and your son could play then? I'd hate having to listen to the constant thumping of a ball, particularly when WFH.

Genuine question - is your DS playing basketball when you are trying to WFH?

Have you considered that the radio with actual stuff that is listenable to is to drown out the constant thump thump thump of your little prince’s annoying habit, I mean hobby.

If you are that bothered about him having this as a hobby enrol him in a club and get him to practice at the courts, not for hours at a time at home.

mor you could just accept that living in a housing estate there is going to be typical normal sounds from other houses.

is he an only child?

It’s just retaliation for your noise!

what’s good for the goose……

So basically BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG with a ball for hours at a time.

yes, you are being unreasonable.

I fail to see why you have such an issue with the music - you don’t think you need to be silent so why should they.

and to be fair you are both allowed to within daytime hours enjoy your space and for them sitting out with music is it

You need to create another place for basket ball, away from their house. If not then this isn't a hobby for the garden.

Our concreted area is on that side. That's why it has to go there.

I see I'm going to have to think about this some more. How long do people think is an acceptable length of time total over the day?

Could you try one of those 'silent' basketballs?

I almost certainly think the basketball noise has not reduced to a level they are comfortable with, so now it's open season.

Occasional music from their garden is not an issue to complain about.

OP you aren’t coming across well here 😬

Basketball noise is a complete PITA and if you insist DS needs to do it repeatedly throughout the day then you really need to move it as far away as possible from neighbours. If that means compromising elsewhere then So be it - yes that might mean losing a parking space on your drive or digging up some garden and paving an area but that’s the only kind choice imo.

And playing music at a reasonable level during the day is totally normal and given your attitude your neighbours sound like saints! - I have the radio on most days with doors open on a sunny day as I work from home in my kitchen and my neighbours when home also have the radio on, kids on trampoline squealing, dog barking occasionally - all normal neighbourhood sounds as long as they aren’t excessive or unnecessarily repetitive like basketball

Outside holidays he does actually go to school.

He is now doing it for a 2 hours a day and before it was double that!? I wouldn't have lasted a week before losing my shit and blasting your garden out with my music.

One half hour session a day, he can go out to the local park/basketball court for the rest. It's summer holidays, why does he HAVE to spend 2 hours a day doing this in your garden?

Basketball noise is horrendous. YABVVVU

OP’s taking the mick here. Joke thread. Destined for Daily Fail or Bored Panda?

They’re playing the music to drown out the god awful basketball noise.

YABVU and very selfish.

Take the kid to the park to play - problem solved.

Something tells me OP's office is on the other side of the house to the hoop, about as far away as it could get!

Music outside so loud your neighbours can hear is selfish. Basketball noise is horrendous. You're both as bad as each other though repetetive noise is awful. I hate the selfish pricks who think everyone else wants to hear their music blasting out on a hot day. To the pp waxing lyrical about listening to people 'having fun', if having fun involves making life miserable for others then yes, silence is preferable.

The basketball is only about half an hour at a time, a few times a day. Their music yesterday was for two hours. We've got our son down to no more than three or four times a day now, so it's not excessive. It used to be twice that. So we've done something about it.

Half an hour x 3 / 4 times a day = 90 mins to 2 hours a day.

Their music = 2 hours.

Baffled as to how you see this as you being treated unfairly by them.

Especially when he used to be doing basketball for more than 4 hours a day!

That must have been very bloody annoying for them, especially as they'd been overly considerate before by listening to music with headphones in in their own home.

Get him to go fo the park. The kids play with basketballs on the front and if is really noisy. Even the bouncing. Be considerate. Go to the park.

The net is right next to their house but there is nowhere else to put it.

Oh OP you pushed it too far to be believable with this, apparently despite having a detached house 😂

You had me going until that though!

Total lack of consideration for your neighbours. But you're SURPRISED when they start to show the same to you!!!