AIBU to ask if I can report my neighbour's bright blue house?

[Katey83]

I live in a terraced house. My neighbours have painted the back of their house bright blue (think swimming pool blue / like the Mikanos blue). It is horrible and looms over my garden. It’s really going to spoil my enjoyment of my space to have to look at this every day. I spoke to the wife earlier this morning and said it was not to my taste and would they consider changing and she said ‘the beige of your house isn’t to my taste but it’s your house. This is my house.’ And shut the door in my face. WIBU to report them to the council? Can I even do so? Surely you can’t just paint any offensive colour and expect neighbours to live alongside it?

I doubt you have any say in it unless you live in a conservation area.

Mykonos blue and swimming pool blue are not the same, which is it?

If you don't like it, don't look at it.

But I agree with your neighbour, colourful houses are lovely and some of the most desirable areas have brightly coloured houses.

NGL I am just here for the comments, 'k.

Do they own their house? I should think that if they do, they can paint it whatever colour they choose.

A local council refused to allow someone to advertise her home based yoga business with a board outside her house. She painted the walls orange instead.

Unless your in a conservation area you can paint it whatever colour you like. I quite like a painted house.

I love painted houses! Of course you're being unreasonable.

The only possible way you could complain to the Local Authority would be if the house is Listed or in a conservation area or similar with rules about appearance. A flat I used to live in was in a conservation area, the front door of the building had to be specific colours and the property itself painted a cream or white colour only.

Otherwise, your neighbours can paint their house however they like, a mural if they want!

Is this a reverse?

I would imagine that the Council will not be interested. Particularly as it is a rear wall and not facing the road.

I vaguely remember a case in a posh part of London where someone had painted their house pink (I think), and the neighbours did complain, and possibly took the person to court, but got nowhere. Unless the property is listed, in a conservation area or has a restrictive covenant on it, I doubt if you would get very far with a complaint about something so subjective. Maybe just learn to love it, imagining you are in Mykonos.

I would say this is the colour though their window sills and edgings are in white.

www.designboom.com/architecture/blue-house-yard-workspaces-london-05-22-2017/

Are they actual names of blues?

#deathtomagnolia

I am with them. Wowza blue, but you will get used to it

As far as I know they own it. They moved in about a year ago. It was for sale before that but prior to the sale had always been a rental property.

I could not get worked up about this sort of thing OP. Your neighbour's reply really was I think perfectly fair and reasonable, without being offensive, she merely stated facts.

For whatever it may be worth, I suspect this house is far less ridiculous than you are mentally "painting" it to be....

Further to this there is smooch precedent for terraced homes to be painted and even the Yves Saint Laurent garden in Marrakesh is lined with wall painted a beautiful blue, that's an iconic shade of blue, you may. come to love it in time.

Is her name* *Edie McCredie

We are in London! Not a posh part but obviously everywhere in London is expensive!! I don’t want to live near an eyesore.

I love colourful houses. My front door is bright blue. I wish my husband was up for colourful walls. It sounds lovely and you sound like a gumpy neighbour. Just look elsewhere.

I don’t understand this

Would love this if this was the only "issue" I had with my neighbour

Never heard the colour blue described as offensive before 😂

If this is all you have to complain about, count yourself blessed.

I spoke to the wife earlier this morning and said it was not to my taste and would they consider changing and she said ‘the beige of your house isn’t to my taste but it’s your house. This is my house.’ And shut the door in my face.

😂😂😂😂 You're both funny 😁.

I love the neighbours response!

It doesn't matter if you want to live next to it or not. You do not have the power or the right to change it. What you can do is change your own surroundings so just grow some stuff to screen it. You can also change your own attitude or wear yellow tinted glasses so it looks green or something. You are going to have to find a way to get over it.

this is the kind of thing I 'wish' I could just come out with. Instead I panic, apologise for no reason or just go silent and stare like an imbecile.

Anyway... unless there's a specific neighbourhood rule you are going to have to learn to live with the horror of colour in your life.