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How much noise can you hear from your neighbours?

87 replies

Failbydefault · 21/01/2019 17:55

I live in a 1930's semi and since the new neighbours moved in a few years ago the noise levels have been awful. They have done loads of work to their house, including knocking down the internal walls, removing the chimney breasts on the shared walls between their house and mine, and replacing all their carpets with laminate/wooden floors. I am not sure if this is the cause of the increased noise, or if it is just normal family noise (the previous neighbour was an elderly widow). I imagine they can hear my noise too (especially my dog) so can't really complain, but wondered if any of you think the 'repairs' they have done have exacerbated the extent that the noise carries...?

OP posts:
SE13Mummy · 24/01/2019 22:54

Victorian terrace. We can hear next door's dog scampering up and down the laminate flooring in their hall and can hear the TV and voices (but not enough to hear actual conversations) when we're in the kitchen. On the other side, the ground floor flat generously shares the soundtrack of whatever they're watching on the TV with us but we hear little from the upstairs flat. That changes in the summer though as both flats have primary-aged children that shriek and yell in the garden, constantly. It's wearing but preferable to the eau de skunk fragrance and expletives shared by the other neighbours when their back door/windows are open.

We get on with our neighbours, have primary aged children and daily brass instrument practice (never before 9am and with mutes if after 8pm) too so I know we are far from silent. I like to think we're fairly considerate about making noise at anti-social hours or for a prolonged period of time.

Freyanna · 24/01/2019 23:02

In my last property my bedroom adjoined my neighbour's living room.

The first night there, my very deaf neighbour was watching 'The Dam Busters' film at top volume as we tried to sleep.

My partner put up a false wall lined with insulation which totally solved the problem, thank goodness.

4catsaremylife · 25/01/2019 00:03

My new neighbours in our 1920s semi removed all chimney breasts, all carpets, curtains, and the big 3 piece suite and replaced with minimalist furniture, wooden shutters and laminate. We now hear adults shouting, swearing (the children playing we don't mind at all). Constant barking from their hound of the Baskerville, and joy of joys all his wretched dubstep music.
The darling old couple who lived there previously played the organ, sang and were almost deaf so loudly watched TV. We hardly heard a thing from them. I think the chimney breast, plus thick carpets and rugs coupled with a bulky 3 piece suite, and heavy curtains must have absorbed a lot of sound.

Onandonandons · 25/01/2019 00:12

I'm in an end of terrace Edwardian house.

I can hear next door's TV. They have it fixed to the shared wall. It's usually just a burble but sometimes louder. If they play music on the tv, it's very audible.

I can hear voices when they're raised. And the baby squealing.

citychick · 25/01/2019 00:24

In a Hong Kong apartment.

Nothing from downstairs or to our left.
Piano playing upstairs.
There was also a lot of screaming at the kids ( sadly all too common here) but that stopped when I told her I'd call the police and social services if she did it again.
There was also piano playing at 6.45 am on a Saturday and Sunday morning, such is the pressure for kids to be accomplished from a young age. I also asked her to stop at that hour.

For a Hong Kong block of flats we're incredibly lucky.

Could be a lot worse. Think tap dancing elephants.

WonkyDonk87 · 25/01/2019 00:28

We have relatively new neighbours who moved in a few days before Christmas (1940's semi). Can hear drawers closing through the wall when they go to bed and the iPhone alarm in the morning. I'm 38 weeks pregnant and VERY aware we're about to piss them off for the next few months/years Blush

Bluelonerose · 25/01/2019 00:42

1930s semi

We can hear ndn argue but unless my house is silent I can't make out any words.
Dog barking, drawers opening/closing in the kitchen.
Our bedroom shares a wall with 3 tween/teen boys but only hear them plugging something in.
None of them are excessive or bother me at all.

When they first moved in they kept apologising for being so loud. I told them I barely hear them and it did make me wonder if maybe it was a hint that we were too loud Blush

RavenLG · 25/01/2019 01:00

1950s semi. Rarely hear anything but it’s an elderly widow. Had a period of hearing an alarm going off at midnight every night for weeks. Her daughter complained we were making too much noise when we first moved in, as we were decorating and we needed to stop after 7pm as that’s when she went to sleep Hmm we were at the end of the noisy stuff then anyway but barely ever went past 8pm so didn’t think it was a very reasonable request (it wouldn’t be all day, maybe an hour between 630/730 after work). Sometimes the work is unavoidable, we couldn’t live in the house without doings anything. We did apologise though, it just needed doing.

Can sometimes here unattached neighbours in garage when he’s got music in.

Nat6999 · 25/01/2019 01:21

1960's council flat, no adjoining flats at sides, Chinese working girl above moved out a few weeks ago. Woman with drink problem on top floor I only hear when she tries to stop drinking & collapses, then she is shouting for help & I end up calling for police to break in & ambulance. The only regular noise is from main door to the block, visitors using intercom, other residents banging their front doors & when some of them take their dogs out. It's really quiet compared to the house I used to live in.

cassiewoowoo · 13/05/2019 09:49

1990s semi. Paper thin walls.

I hear the floorboards upstairs creaking, as mine also do. Toilet flushing but only because there's an airlock in the pipes. Doors closing, especially the front door. People talking but not enough to hear actual conversations, and the TV.

My last neighbour was really heavy on her feet and heard her thundering up and down the stairs, she was also very slammy with doors and loudly spoken, as was her young dd. I've got a new-ish neighbour now and he seems to be a bit slower in movement and quieter spoken and closes doors normally so it's not such a big jolting noise.

Sirrah · 13/05/2019 11:16

1920s mid terrace, rarely hear one side, we share the kitchen wall, unless they have a party which leads to slamming doors. Other side, which shares the living room wall, can be a nightmare.... shouting, arguing, 5 year old screaming, loud music (they seem to favour country unfortunately) and he doesn't work but spends all his time making anything and everything you can imagine from old pallets, so lots of sawing, drilling, hammering at all hours. 😬

Neron · 13/05/2019 14:16

New build apartment, and we hear absolutely everything. Seriously, nothing is private here.
It is so bad I'm uneasy taking a bath because it's like the male is in the bathroom with me. Makes me feel on edge.

Hiddenaspie1973 · 13/05/2019 14:22

Only when we're all out in the back garden. Just the lawnmower, chat, clipping. We're detached.
Our last house was terraced and we had awful neighbours.

DragonTrainer3 · 13/05/2019 15:40

We're in a 1960s ex-council flat (ground floor). I have to say, it might not be very pretty but the sound insulation is great - there's a family with three kids upstairs and we barely hear anything. The odd thump which sounds like one of the kids might have jumped off a sofa, and that's it.

I think they're quite a considerate family though, it may well have been worse if they weren't. Really hoping that they can't hear my kids shouting! Grin

beingmum39 · 25/10/2019 20:01

I live in a 1930's terraced house too. Retired, elderly couple next door. Hear their TV most days, and the ringing phone, sometimes her on the phone .. Sometimes hear doors closing. They have told me they don't hear us at all... Not bad considering I have a DS who has never slept through night.. Grin

megletthesecond · 25/10/2019 20:13

1960's terrace.

Drunk laughing and chatting.
Dishwasher. Especially when they load it badly and it clanks.
Shoes on floor ugh, shoes in house.
Cupboards being closed.
Awful taste in music. Sometimes accompanied by "singing". I like to think they're doing it to get back at us for our noise, but it may be their idea of being musical.

Janedownourlane · 25/10/2019 22:47

Bathroom light pull, peeing then the flush. Was totally gross...one of the reasons we moved!
We could also hear them rummaging in the kitchen cupboards and their washing machine on the spin cycle.

ToodlesnOOdleSAR · 25/10/2019 22:52

1980 semi... Hear very very little. Doors if slammed, and can her inaudible sounds if they're really really arguing.

MyNameIsMrsGrumpy · 26/10/2019 09:53

Used to live in a new build (was purchased new and we had it for 14 years) and we could hear everything, if we sat in the downstairs loo we could near next door on the toilet, also lots of tv noise and conversations. At night we could hear the guy next door snoring 💤

Now we live in a detached cottage in the middle of no where - zero noise!

Perfect for us.

GummyBear81 · 26/10/2019 10:05

1950s ex council, hear pretty much nothing.

Last house was Victorian and heard literally everything. It was like living in the same house and drove me insane.

hotdogwoof · 26/10/2019 10:39

Previous house, everything. Kids up and down the stairs, doors slamming, arguments, toilet flushing, snoring.

We bought a detached so we hear nothing.

Dljlr · 26/10/2019 10:52

Detached, I hear nowt.

Last property was a 1970s mid terrace with walls made from paper. The night I heard my neighbour fart in his bedroom was the prompt for me putting it on the market. Prior to that neighbour the other side had been driving me demented with her fucking surround sound speakers hanging on the shared wall.

Before that one, Georgian flat. We were the nightmares - it had wooden floors and the woman below screamed at me in the street that she couldn't fucking cope any more, and she moved out soon after. We'd been absolutely creeping about but there was no sound proofing whatsoever, even when we put down rugs and wore slippers.

I will never live anywhere but detached ever again.

Lunafortheloveogod · 26/10/2019 10:58

1960’s semi we can hear them plug in stuff on the party wall but feck all else until it’s a full blown house party and even then it’s not much unless you’re in complete silence.. which is rare on its own. He’s also said he can’t hear us often either. We’ve knocked down walls in the kitchen (was a kitchen, dining room and a small loo but it’s now just an open kitchen. He has too as the dining rooms weren’t really big enough for a decent table n people, kitchens now over 24ft long so it’s much easier at Christmas with the table in there.

AvonCallingBarksdale · 26/10/2019 11:01

We were in a 1950s semi and could hear loads - it was awful and really affected my MH. Family next door had 2 boys who just got louder as time went on. A particular low point was hearing teenage boy number 2 have a huge row with his girlfriend in their lounge followed by making up with an equally noisy shag also in their lounge 🤢. We ended up getting v heavy duty soundproofing which was a life changer. 2 years later we moved to a detached house and I would never go back.

madcatladyforever · 26/10/2019 11:01

None, I'm temporarily living on a holiday park in the middle of nowhere and it's silent at the weekend and during the week.
The house I'm buying is very old and has walls three feet thick so I think it's unlikely I'll never hear any neighbours again. Happy days.