Just moved into new house and neighbour has wind chimes.

[Crystalcrazy]

Just moved into a new house and my neighbour has wind chimes.

I have autism and adhd. I’m also deaf but only to certain tones which has made my ears compensate by amplifying others. So I am highly sensitive to sound and noise. When watching TV I have to have the remote in my hand so I can immediately press mute if needed. My preferred environment is silence.

I know not everyone will understand this or even care. I’m writing more for myself to get the words out of my head. But wind chimes are one of my biggest anxieties, you just can’t control the noise from them, it’s always there. If I knew the neighbour had them, I wouldn’t have bought this house.

The neighbour is so kind and friendly. I met them on previous viewings and they really are lovely. We’ve just moved in and they invited me round to show me their garden which they’re incredibly proud of. They have lots of garden decorations, solar lights, having baskets etc and clearly get a lot of enjoyment and pleasure from it.

On the tour I heard and spotted the wind chimes, they’re very near to our house and garden, probably less than six feet away. My heart sunk but I smiled and carried on with the viewing, complimenting them on how beautiful their garden is.

Then came back to our new home and wanted to cry. You can hear them in our garden and near to the door.

I have severe anxiety and I’m a terrible over thinker. I’m having CBT to try and help, one of my main issues is catastrophic thinking and jumping immediately to worst case scenario’s. I will not be able to speak to my neighbour about this for fear of offending or upsetting them or being seen as strange.

I have some ear plugs designed to filter noises but personally I haven’t noticed much difference when using them.

I know this is a me problem and my broken brain. But right now I’m obsessing and can’t sleep.

Hmm. When did you move in?

I sympathise. I don't like unnecessary noise. Wind chimes, water fountains. Its irritating and thoughtless.

I think calm down for a while, see how you go. If it affects enjoyment of your garden over the next few weeks, have a think then about what to do.

Just focus on settling in for now.

Try not to let it affect your opinion on the house specifically. You could have bought a different house where the neighbour got wind chimes later.

Just settle in first so you don't overwhelm yourself.

Sorry OP but this is on you I think.

How did you not notice them in viewings if you're that sensitive to noise?

Why did you choose a house with neighbours if you're that sensitive to noise?

Can you update the windows to triple glazing to help keep the noise out of the house?

Would it help to think of them like birdsong or rain or other noise you can't control?

I agree that you can't move in and immediately start asking your neighbour to change their garden to suit you.

You’re not being unreasonable. Wind chimes are noise pollution.

I don’t think it would be unreasonable to explain this to your neighbour and ask them to take them down. If you are kind and polite about they may respond positively.

There’s far worse things than wind chimes that make noise . Your issue is you not wind chimes .

Yeah, this is difficult as wind chimes can be a nuisance, which was a concern of mine when I put some up in my garden, recently. They’re wooden rather than metal and they make a lower frequency sound, which I like to think is quite pleasant rather than grating. That said, I’d move them to the end of the garden if I thought they were annoying my neighbours (there practically has to be a hurricane blowing before they make any noise, though).

I have a large metal set, too, which I call ‘the cathedral bells’. I keep those inside!

I think you should wait and see how big the problem really is before doing anything - but you may have to discuss it with your neighbour. A reasonable person would understand.

Wind chimes are noise pollution, and people who put them up are selfish and/or thoughtless. OP if she's a nice person she won't be offended if you ask her to take them down.

OP, that sounds miserable. You may have a medical condition, as a friend of mine has.
"Extreme sensitivity to noise is typically called hyperacusis, a condition where everyday sounds feel unbearably loud or physically painful. If the sensitivity triggers an intense emotional reaction—like anger, anxiety, or disgust—it is known as misophonia" It might be easier to approach your neighbors to share that you have a medical condition and that you hate to ask, but could they please take down the windchimes? It's a lot harder to turn someone down if they are struggling with a medical condition. If they don't oblige, maybe noise cancelling headphones. I'm sorry you have to go through this. Good luck.

If they are indeed lovely people I would bring it up in a friendly conversation. Mention you have a condition that makes you very sensitive to noise and offer to buy them a lovely garden hanging thing which is noiseless. I am sure they will agree to remove the thing.
Do it next time you see them. ‘I am really sorry to have to mention this as you’ve been so lovely but I am a bit weird with noises and the wind chime is really distressing me. I’d be really happy to buy you something new to replace it if it could be removed’

OP if they were that noticeable, you’ve had noticed when viewing. But you didn’t notice until you were in their garden and physically saw them. I understand your brain is looking for worst case scenario, but this is not very loud wind chimes near your house. I think you need to learn to live with it

I'm autistic, although I love wind chimes. I am very noise sensitive to other sounds so I completely understand. It causes your brain to release cortisol, it's a physiological response so not your fault.

I think it would be okay to tell them the situation, including that you're autistic. You said how lovely and welcoming they are. I would be very apologetic about it.
If not, you could wear headphones or ear plugs when outside? I used to wear headphones whenever I went outside in a garden where my neighbours had screaming kids (and adults).
It will be okay. 💐

Wind chimes are the work of the devil - I have no solution to offer here but sympathy!

I think you should very briefly explain you have noise sensitivity and politely ask them if they could move them further away from your house. If they are as nice as you think, this should prompt them to take them down completely.

Don't go into huge detail about your condition unless you want to share and the conversation leads that way.

A ridiculous comment by PP about why did you choose a house with neighbours. As if the vast majority of us have a choice!

I quite like wind chime noise. I find it soothing.

Dog barking at night and DH snoring are so irritating though!

Just ask the neighbour politely to move the chimes to the other side of the garden.

Wood ones are ok, imv, but metal ones are instruments of the devil. Misery if you’re WFH on a hot day and want the windows open

Sympathy. Talk to them. I would take them down for you without hesitation.

A house with neighbours ? Well, a lot of people don't want neighbours but there aren't enough houses in the middle of nowhere plus they would normally be put of reach for most people financally.
It's as daft as saying hate your neighbours? Well move, again, not everyone can afford to.

I’d give it a few weeks to see if you start filtering it out. I have terrible noise sensitivities and was really bothered by some street noise when we moved house. Once I got used to it, it faded somehow.

Wind chimes are terrible in general though - full sympathy from me.

After a while, if it was still quite distressing I’d probably get something else for their garden as a gift and ask them to move them to the other side. Just say you’ve tried hard to ignore them but given your hearing loss, it’s really been difficult. Any normal person would be happy to help.

I think the fact that you didn't notice the wind chimes until you physically saw them on a garden tour is relevant. They weren't disturbing you until you knew they were there. So, they may not actually be that loud.

I'd suggest giving it a little while to get over the shock and see what it's like living next to them.

Thank you for the replies. To answer a few questions.

I have sensorineural hearing loss which I’ve had since being a child, possibly since birth. It means the hairs in my cochlea are damaged, thats why I can’t hear certain sounds.

I do have hearing aids but don’t wear them as they will never bring back the tones I can’t hear but make the tones I can hear even louder than they already are.

Due to logistical and financial reasons, we can’t choose a house in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours. And we can’t afford to sell up and move.

On the viewing, I didn’t hear the wind chimes. We used the front garden door to enter and exit and they are in the back garden, quite near the fence and back door. They’re not visible because of the fence height. Maybe they’re a new addition or it wasn’t windy. On viewings, I was always very conscious of things that could affect me.

I have medically diagnosed Autism, ADHD and General Anxiety Disorder. Over the years I have resorted to medication when it’s become too much and have had various talking therapies and CBT.

As I originally posted, I’m fully aware it’s a me problem and it’s ruined so much of my life. I try to control my issues as best as I can and not to let them affect others.

I truly wish I wasn’t like this but I can’t make it go away, if only I could.

I do think at the moment my senses are heightened and maybe spiralling. I’m looking and listening out for things, imagining worst case scenarios.

We’ve only just completed on the sale and moved in so it’s all very new.

I would give it some time to see how much you actually hear them. If you’re finding it really difficult, speak or write to the neighbour and focus on your hearing loss making you extremely sensitive to certain tones being amplified which makes the wind chime noise a challenge for you. And offer to give them money to find an alternative garden ornament to replace them if they’d be willing to take them down.

Next time you would have to ensure the environment you move into is adequate for your situation. It seems very difficult for you and anyone living near you. I hope you find a solution and do not have to move again.

i have ADHD and I think wind chimes are beautiful. Different strokes for different folks!

Are they in a sheltered spot in the garden, if so they shouldn't be jingling all the time? You have my sympathies, my neighbour also has them and I was hoping they'd blow away during the stormy few days we had last week, when they were keeping me awake. They're the devil's xylophone. I've no idea why people think it's a good idea to have them when you live in close proximity to others, or at least have the courtesy to take them down on windy days.

You will find that with time you will stop noticing background noises that you can’t control. I have misphonia and it's awful but I have adapted my lifestyle to cope with it. So for example we no longer eat at the table, we have trays in front of the Tv because I cannot bear the sound of cutlery on plates or people chewing. I’m fine in restaurants because there’s so much background noise to hide it.
With the wind chimes, perhaps ask if it’s possible to move them to the other side of the garden? I certainly wouldn’t expect them to be removed completely.