Should I ask my neighbours if we can have designated times to sit in the garden?

[Guarddogdaschunds]

I will preface by saying that it is possible this heatwave has affected my rational thinking. So I will bite- I am so sick of listening to my neighbours having their dinner in the garden and having to listen to their booming voices for hours on end. It has reached the stage where we feel relegated indoors, especially in the evenings.

We live in a new build in close proximity to our neighbours so can hear everything as you can imagine. They are a couple in their early 30's (I think), no kids. The man with the booming voice works from home and has taken to working from his garden throughout the day, often vaping. My kids are off school, trying to make the best of the time off and I really don't think they should have to hear the details of his teams meetings. Surely he should work inside and allow people peaceful enjoyment of their gardens? I have never worked from home, but wouldn't it be considered a GDPR breach if others can hear?

They have had friends over for BBQs the previous 2 nights and have been sitting outside chatting until around 9pm. The BBQ smell lingered for so long and of course they were all vaping and drinking alcohol. One of their friends was regaling them with tales of her dating escapades-hardly an appropriate topic for my 9 year old to have in earshot. I also don't want my kids damaging their lungs inhaling all of those disgusting vape particles. The women have also been prancing around in very skimpy bikinis. I know women are entitled to wear what they want, but come on-all the neighbours can see if they look outside their upstairs windows! I'm also concerned as yesterday, the visiting friends were there for several hours and appeared to drive themselves home- were they over the limit?

On both occasions, I have brought my kids inside, as I don't want them to hear the sordid details of their conversations. I also feel awkward that they are only a few metres away from me, so I don't want to have my dinner outside in case they listen to our conversation. Would I be unreasonable to pop over or post a note through their door requesting that we have an outdoor mealtime rota so we can all enjoy our gardens in peace-as we are entitled to?

The booming voices would annoy me (some people just have loud voices and don’t seem to realise it) but otherwise none of that sounds unreasonable.

I worked from my garden yesterday and had a lovely time. Next doors kids were screaming and playing in a water sprinkler - loud but very reasonable! My use of my garden was not less important than theirs you just have to rub along.

mind you I managed to keep my prancing to a minimum even though I’m a woman

You sound like you would be best moving to a detached house in the middle of nowhere.

Maybe you should get a hobby and a grip

Yes this. Give them a taste of their own medicine. I do get it as my neighbour has 3 sons and they all have wives or GFs and the women screech like banshees! But, I get on with my neighbour and she’s a nice woman and I value that after living in my previous place where the neighbours were horrible people.

Ha ha good one OP

Go out and prance around in a bikini in your garden.
See how they like it.

A…… rota?!

🤣🤣🤣

I understand why you’re pissed off; my neighbours piss me off, too. But I’m certain that we also piss them off. That’s what you get for living in a new build estate!

🤣

A rota is both unreasonable and unhinged. 🤣

Are you for real? Of course you do not say anything!! Sounds like you need to go live in the sticks somewhere. Are your children absolutely silent when in the garden? And of course the women can wear bikinis in their own garden!!
The only potential issue would be if people were drinking driving, but unless you were being incredibly nosy and keeping tabs on exactly what the drivers were drinking, they could have been having non-alcoholic alternatives. From a distance it would probably look like I was often over the limit, but I’d have been drinking 0% beers.

Tell me you’ve never lived on a council estate, without telling me you’ve never lived on a council estate.

A timetable!!! Now I've heard everything!!

Sorry OP, they sound a bit annoying but that’s the risk you take living in a house like that. You could ask them to be a little more considerate given the close proximities but complaining about bikinis or conversation topics is just too precious.

Just wow. You can't police what people do in their own garden.

I wear a bikni in my garden and my children rarely any clothes in this heat. Its on a neighbour not to look out an upstairs window if they don't want to see that. Not on me to cover up in my own garden.

Its normal everyone being the garden noise so you just have to deal with it.

But please if you do say something post their reply. I need a good laugh today.

It could most definitely be worse... we had a family of moto-cross enthusiasts next door for a year. Vroom, vroom, vrOOOOOOOOOOOm, putt, putt, vrooooooooooom ... repeatedly.
We went out a lot at the weekend, and in the evenings...

And one day silence. They left.

How quiet are your kids? I can’t imagine mine being silent for long enough to tune into a conversation coming from next door.

Walking normally is 100% not possible in a skimpy bikini 😂

@Guarddogdaschunds kindly. After 20 years in a lovely family house, in London, as younger people, a third South African moved to the road, we just got fed up ofnother people's barbecues, so I have some sympathy but you really are being a bit silly.

Well you have taken a pasting on here @Guarddogdaschunds. I think your rota suggestion is probably coming from a place of desperation. I do agree with PP’s regarding letting your children use their garden very freely this summer. Plenty of outdoor play equipment, paddling pool, super soakers etc. Get some pleasant music on and have a BBQ and a drink yourselves. If you do have dachshunds I am sure they will join in with the fun and games.

Do you prance though? 😂

We have a booming voice WFH neighbour who smokes in the garden while conducting all his business calls. Ths happens rain hail or snow. I think he does it because the house might be a no smoking rental. None of the other neighbours smoke. Once a year they have a party with music and the attendant shrieking. This year instead of an acoustic set the singer / whatever brought a bloody amplifier. The garden is about 18 foot wide and 35 foot long. Not much overkill.

You bought a new build in close proximity to others so no you can’t really expect to ‘enjoy your garden in peace’

I think the heat has got to you.

Don't be daft.

You should definitely do this. Write a note. A long one, a letter perhaps. Make sure to include the prancing bikini wearing detail - that's crucial. Slip it under his door and then let us know the outcome