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? :(

It doesnt hve to be fixed to the wall though does it. Presumably there must be space below the TV on the wall, either empty or a chest of drawers, if so, put the telly on there rather than directly on the wall. Its selfish behaviour to put tvs on party walls, simple as.

They have to declare it now anyway. This constitutes an issue. They’ve written to them and been round.

They’re actually better off now just dealing with it by making noise complaint.

The dumping in their front garden personally I'd just leave it. It's an eyesore but not bothering you.

In terms of party wall noise, it's so difficult in terraced houses. Our old neighbours were renters and they used to have parties and make a lot of noise inside which we could hear clearly through the party walls. I'd complain if it was 1am but didn't feel I could complain if it was in the evenings but it was so loud. In the end I soundproofed my whole house on that side. I did this professionally and it means I lost a few cm of space on all those walls but it was totally worth it. Side note if it's really bad you have to do walls plus around 50 cm of the ceiling on that side as sound is like water and will find any way to travel.
It just made my life so much better and was absolutely worth it but this is my forever home

Before we moved to our detached house we lived in a semi detached for years and sound proofed on our side for similar reasons. It works if you get the best soundproofing. They had to fill in our chimney which was a shame as we loved having a fireplace, but it was worth it. After they had sound proofed I found one area where sound was still coming through very faintly and they came back and sorted it out. After that our house was silent. So worth it. We stayed for a further 8 years before moving.

Report the TV noise to environmental health. Every time. They will sort it.

The bath thing is ridiculous, in what world are you complaining on behalf of neighbours when you’re already in conflict!

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

You will have to do that, and it's not something that's easy to explain away as something solveable, either. If it was just a clash of personalities then new owners might find they don't have to same problem, but in this case they definitely will.

Try putting a layer of acoustic panelling on your side of the wall. They are pretty cheap and easy to install and come in attractive designs which plenty of people use just because they like the look of them.

If you can still hear it, offer to put in some acoustic panelling on their side, at your expense. If they refuse, or you can still hear it then you will have to move. Try to avoid escalating this at all costs. There can't be a happy outcome, even if they are forced to solve the problem you won't enjoy living next door to them with a bad atmosphere.

Do they use their garden a lot? I’d be making that unbearable for them. We had some noisy neighbours when we first moved in and I only needed to play one very loud Limp Bizkit song next to their fence on a sunny day to drive them back indoors. They swiftly shut the fuck up and turned their radio right down.

If they only place they can out their tv is the party wall than decent people would soundproof their side to minimise noise transfer. Then of there is still some coming through you do your side. Thats what decent people would do.

Your best soundproofing solution is a seperate stud wall full of rock wool insulation and then soundproofing plasterboard. You will lose 10cm of space having to leave a gap but its better. Don't just put soundproofing on the wall hoping that will work it won't.

Whenever I visit my mum I always notice how loud her TV is. Luckily a single women lives next door who doesn't seem to spend much time in the adjoining room. But I imagine if it was a family they would be getting annoyed.

She doesn't have the best hearing and regularly falls asleep watching TV, so it can be on until 2-3am when she tends to wake up and go up to bed.

That said - if the neighbours were complaining, I'm sure she'd make an effort to turn it down / at least set a timer so it turned off at a certain time (writing this post has made me realise I should do that for her anyway next time I go over).

whilst sound proofing is best I am petty enough to want to give them some payback

Do they like to sit in the garden? Loud music would be played. I would wait up until they turn the tv off then set mine up right next to the wall put it in full blast and sleep downstairs for the night to give them a taste of their own medicine

they sound like a nightmare

rip out the wardrobe and move your bed

i had professional soundproofing on my shared walls. Had a frame built, egg box stuff, then soundproofing boards and it's fantastic room to room in reducing sound but is no good between levels. It also made the rooms smaller

is their TV in the living room or bedroom? If in living room then soundproofing won’t help in your bedroom

Hate the way people are quite happy to offload this problem onto unsuspecting future buyers. I don’t think it reflects well on a person’s character, any more than a neighbour inflicting their noise on you.

Pull out the wardrobes and move your bed there. A lot cheaper than moving.

Tough situation. You can’t dictate that neighbours move the tv or rearrange their furniture, just like you’re not accepting to do the same to amend the situation.

The problem is if they’re blasting the tv. My tv is wall mounted but I only have it on for dc and make sure it’s at a quiet volume. I know DGM blasts her tv (hearing problems) and I do feel awfully sorry for her neighbours. I have a smackhead neighbour who blasts music in the early hours so understand how infuriating it is.

I am in agreement with those who have said take direct action. Meet them at their level. They will understand your point of view.

LOUD drum and base with speakers against the wall from 7am on the dot. Do this each and every morning following their noise at night until they get the message. When they stop, you stop.

My neighbour used to inflict his noise on us. I only needed to do similar a few times before the penny dropped.

Some people are just miserable bullies, regardleds of age, you need to stand up to them.

I know it may seem like a lot of work but would it be possible to relocate the fitted wardrobes to the bed wall and the bed to the fitted wardrobe wall.

Sound proof the wall on your side, its the obvious solution.

Different ways of doing this, bookshelf filled with books, or something made for the job, soundproofing.

Move your bed, or move rooms, but soundproofing sounds the best way

Don’t retaliate with more noise.

Amazon soundproof panels

I'd go out for the day at 6 and leave something with heavy bass on loop on speakers next to the wall. Or an extremely loud beeping alarm clock going off non-stop the following day, starting at 6, right at their wall.

Every day when you leave the house until it stops.

I'm petty revengeful and would mount a TV in exactly the same place, leave it on 24/7 for a few weeks and camp out in the living room.

Can DD start learning Violin or Drums etc?

If they are up all night, old Bert and Violet are probably having a siesta, try and work out when the house goes quiet and get banging the skirting board with the hoover.

Oh, and see if you can connect to the TV Bluetooth and mischief make.....

Maybe they don't want to get hearing tests and instead increase the volume on television?

If they're a bit deaf they may not even hear it.

I had nightmare neighbours years ago so I turned the speakers to the wall, put the teletubbies song on full blast on a loop and went out! 😏

Also they (the neighbours) could contact the council and start a claim, I don’t know if that would have to be declared by OP when selling.