To want to leave our dream house because of neighbours tv on party wall

[sapphicy]

Bit of a rant. We’ve issues with our neighbours - semi detached house, we’ve been here 5 years and started off well (Christmas cards etc) but then a year or so ago they put a tv on the shared wall (right below where our headboard is) and refused to move it when we explained we can hear it over our own tv and we can’t sleep when its on as we can hear every single word reverberating in the wall. We’ve tried talking to them several times and also written a letter asking them to move this tv off the wall, their answer is always no.

Long story short we’ve resorted to playing white noise full blast through the smart speaker every night, right against the wall behind our bed, as it’s the only way we can sleep over their tv. They’re retired and seem to be night owls, so the tv noise continues to 1-2am even on weeknights. I have to get up at 6.30 for work and I was so tired for a while it was making me ill.

Their tv is annoying during the evenings too as we have to turn our tv up ridiculously loud to not be able to also hear theirs, and if we have guests over people will comment about how loud their tv is, it’s not nice trying to have a nice chilled dinner and all we can hear is them watching the news.

DP lost her temper one night and banged on their door until they opened - they basically told her to pee off and that we were not going to tell them where they put their tv or what they do in their own home. It’s like they think we’re a pair of hysterical women exaggerating about how loud it is on our side.

Theyve now also had their bathroom ripped out and the old suite and all the bags of rubble have been in their front garden for about a month, it’s a real eyesore.

I am at my wits end. I knocked on the door last week after another neighbour messaged me moaning about the dumped bathroom, and they were clearly at home and ignoring me.

This house was a dream come true for us and we’ve spent our savings making it nice, and we’ve now been reduced to relying on the bloody Alexa in order to be able to sleep. Luckily DD room is on the other side of the house but if we were to have another baby they’d also have a room on the party wall and would be kept awake by the noise.

I am reluctant to go to the council as we’d then have to declare the problems if we decide to sell the house.

Would add that we haven’t done anything to wind them up - we go to bed early and don’t party! The worst we’ve ever had was a few drunk guests vaping in the garden on a Saturday night, and DD crying all night was over long before they put the tv on the wall.

AIBU to want to cut our losses and move into something detached, even if we make a loss? DP wants to stand our ground, but they own their house so unless they sell, this is probably just going to continue forever.

Any other ideas? :(

This is the kind of thing that local council noise abatement officers do. They are trained to visit the offender and offer advice.

If the offender doesn't take that advice, then more action will be taken.

It is never right to resolve the situation by suggesting anything other than the right people to approach.

Soundproofing on your side is difficult as soundproofing is typically designed to stop sound from inside the room, getting out, not sound outside the room getting in.

Better would be for them to put some sort of soundproofing between the tv and the wall, it'll be the fact it is fixed directly to the wall that is the issue.

If asking them to do this and showing them what product to get to do it (Mass loaded vinyl or acoustic panels) doesn't work and offering to pay for it and fix it doesn't work then I would make a noise complaint unless you do intend to sell very soon. Living in utter misery because you MIGHT sell 5 years from now doesn't seem sensible!

There you go again with your go again. Don’t be so ridiculous.

Lizzie once more you are being ridiculous. You are misconstruing what the OP and others have said on this thread.

I would like to know why @llizzie is ignoring all the posters who’ve said they’ve got the council involved in similar situations and they’ve done nothing.

My DP uses bluetooth headphones that pair with our TV when he wants to watch sports in the evening and I want to read my book. Its brilliant. Buy them a couple of pairs?

Would you like to tell that to Age UK?

My DP uses bluetooth headphones that pair with our TV when he wants to watch sports in the evening and I want to read my book. Its brilliant

Wouldn't solve my problem, which is however many of them who are here at the time watching the game and seeing no difference between the lounge room and the stands at the game. I loathe away games when they watch at home areas if being at the ground for home games. It’s to the point I do a tidy up beforehand if I know it’s an away game in case we get a visit from the police who have had advice that someone is potentially being murdered and screaming out in our house (missed shots, bad ref calls). Hasn’t happened yet, and it baffles me no one has contacted them but I still tidy up in anticipation. I also try and organise something so I am out of the house as no noise cancelling headphones would cut the mustard.

No, put a TO LET sign up and let it be known you’ll accept social housing tenants. Nothing upsets the boomers more.

There you go again Lizzie. You just don’t know when to stop do you. 🙄

I asked you a question. Please have the decency to give a proper answer, not an insult.

I have the right of free speech, so long as it is not a verbal assault on someone who doesn't deserve it.

I don't like what you say either, but I will defend to the death your right to say it, even if it is unkind. Some people are so normally rude they do not understand anything else.

I haven't read thee whole thread, but one solution is to build a false wall with studs and sound insulation, a couple of inches from the existing party wall. You would lose only 6 inches or so from your room.

Have you quite finished me-railing the thread?

Ahh Dear Lizzie.

Practice what you preach!

Do yourself a favour, read through the entire thread, read your posts and other peoples responses to you. You are rather silly and it’s becoming quite tiresome.

Invest in good quality ear plugs. Take 2 weeks off work, find out when they sleep - blast TV and whatever you find at full volume. I’d also knock their doors in the middle of the night asking for random things.

I think the elderly should not be tormented to the extent of the suggestions on this thread.

I do not know either them or the OP, but I do not that it is not necessary to make someone else's life a misery taking the law into your own hands, when there are lawful channels to go through.

I don't care if people in similar circumstances have not received help from the council officers. I do know that since the DUTY of CARE Act of 2017, Councils have a duty of care to help the disabled and elderly against abuse, and what some posters on here have suggested, and what the OP herself has admitted doing, is the same discrimination as if they were of a different creed or colour. It is discrimination. Councils have a duty of protection of the elderly and disabled against people like the OP and their supporters on this thread.

It is some other people's responses which worry me. They do not, however influence my steadfast way of thinking.

Morning Lizzie 👋

You won't fight fire with fire if your neighbours are already half deaf. I sat with my aged relative, the neighbours were sledgehammering a wall down next door in the adjoining room and I asked what was going on. They couldn't even hear it. Which would explain why the telly was on at about 300% volume most days. If you are half deaf you are loud without noticing. Like hoofing up and down the corridor, using the kitchen etc. My neighbour I think has ear damage, and you can tell exactly where he is in the house. Anyone would think he was loud for effect! I don't envy his family trying to sleep while he slams doors at 5am. It's bad enough through the wall.