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AIBU?

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Original poster

Would this annoy you? Neighbours copying everything you do.

81 replies

thinktoomuchtoooften · 19/02/2026 22:52

We have nice decent neighbours and we get on ok. I am also very mindful that they can do whatever they want to their property without our permission, and a lot of improvements/ adaptions are led by fashions/trends. But everything we do, they do. It’s just a long list of mostly minor things. Same fences, same outdoor lights, same garden furniture, same drive block paving. We had our kitchen roof changed to sky lights.. they did the following year. Changed our patio doors to bifolds, so did they. We had a big pergola built… now so have they. It’s become a bit of a family joke tbh. Would it irritate you?

OP posts:
Bluedenimdoglover · 20/02/2026 15:47

Haven't you heard "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"?
You can't do anything about it, so you might as well just get over it.

MinglyMadly · 20/02/2026 16:26

I don't think you are being unreasonable. People will say "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" but when they are copying everything that would get very annoying.

I had a friend who literally copied everything I did. Hobbies, interests, home decor, clothes. At first I didn't mind but when it went on and on it began to feel like they were stealing my identify and I didn't like it at all (I slowly removed myself from the friendship). Not quite the same as OP, but I totally get how alot of copying can be very annoying.

DisabledDemon · 20/02/2026 17:11

Last I heard, bifold doors were 'out'. Now, that's going to be a bugger.

HelloDandy · 20/02/2026 17:27

thinktoomuchtoooften · 19/02/2026 23:02

I’m not sure how I feel tbh. In part I don’t really care; it doesn’t detract from my home, and I don’t feel in any sort of competition. Shutters is another example.. they dissed ours and then went on to have them too. But it does sort of irritate me..

Dissing your shutters is rude. Did you ask for their opinion on them? I don't understand dissing them and then getting them for themselves. Odd!

We had a new door fitted some years ago now with an emblem on and one of the neighbours said to me "Oh we wanted that emblem but you got it first and now we can't have it!" Don't know why she thought she had to choose something different because I honestly wouldn't have cared. Or probably not even noticed.

NotPerfectlyAdverage · 20/02/2026 17:34

We are the opposite. Next door is making their house look super modern and saying how much they hate the original features. I have no intentions of making mine look like a new build. Ours looks very dated now and will stay that way.

A developer is building four chocolate box cottages in front our houses so it's going to look a right mess across mine very 80's house, next door new build modern and four slate roof stone cottages.

You are trend setter and they like your style. I like my neighbours style but if I wanted a new build, I'd buy one.

sueelleker · 21/02/2026 08:50

WhereYouLeftIt · 20/02/2026 15:23

Couldn't help but be reminded of the Wickes advert, where the couple know before they even put the new kitchen in that her sister will copy it.

I think there are good reasons why neighbours will copy. It costs a lot of money to renovate and nobody wants to make an expensive mistake - so if you see that your neighbour has done what you had in mind and theirs has 'worked' - yeah, you're going to use their work as your template to avoid that expensive mistake you fear.

This was my first thought too. 😀

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