Dealing with noisy neighbours

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 8:35am #1

We recently bought a semi-d house in a very quiet estate. It struck us during the viewings how quiet it was and we were happy to buy as it fitted all our requirements.

Everything great until we moved in and realized the adjoining neighbour is very noisy

We can't hear a peep through the walls but their kids and sometimes the parents slam the bejaysus out of their front door on a regular basis. To top it off their kids (between 8 odd to early teens) like hammering a ball off the pavement outside the houses for at least an hour every evening without fail.

After nearly having our window put through by their ball we asked the kids to play somewhere else only for their boorish father to try and lay the law down to me and tell me the kids are going to that and there's nothing I can do about it !! :rolleyes:

Basically since then its been an evening of banging and banging week in week out. I have a feeling if we approach them about it it'll get worse. Any suggestions ??

celt262 · 17-05-2019 8:42am

I can understand why you are frustrated but that is all pretty minor compared to what I have had to put up with it the past.

As long as its not going on late at night i would say nothing and just try and be polite with the kids and not make enemies because that will only make it worse.

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 8:44am

celt262 wrote: »

I can understand why you are frustrated but that is all pretty minor compared to what I have had to put up with it the past.

As long as its not going on late at night i would say nothing and just try and be polite with the kids and not make enemies because that will only make it worse.

The first and only time they were asked to play elsewhere after a basket ball nearly came through our living room window they went in and told lies to their parents. So off to a bad start from the get go.

frag420 · 17-05-2019 8:48am

D3V!L wrote: »

The first and only time they were asked to play elsewhere after a basket ball nearly came through our living room window they went in and told lies to their parents. So off to a bad start from the get go.

Start playing classical music and underground Belgian jazz out your window every time they start bouncing that ball, they won’t be long leaving to find somewhere else to play...

celt262 · 17-05-2019 8:54am

D3V!L wrote: »

The first and only time they were asked to play elsewhere after a basket ball nearly came through our living room window they went in and told lies to their parents. So off to a bad start from the get go.

Do you have kids yourself?

I'm just after reading the original post again and this goes on for at least an hour every evening.

You are lucky they are great neighbors.

C3PO · 17-05-2019 9:01am

You're living in a housing estate OP - is it realistic to expect that your neighbour's children are not going to play ball out on the road and slam the doors? That's what kids do!

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 9:18am

celt262 wrote: »

Do you have kids yourself?

I'm just after reading the original post again and this goes on for at least an hour every evening.

You are lucky they are great neighbors.

Yes I understand kids play, strangely enough I was one once and have absolutely no problem with it.

However ask someone to stand outside your living room window and repeatedly drum a basket ball and see how long it takes to annoy you . Then do that every single evening.

Dum Dum Dum Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum ......

hots · 17-05-2019 9:18am

I'd say you're being a bit silly with the ball noise, they're kids and if they're only messing with a ball you're grand. Also it would have to be some effort to put a window in with a basketball.

Had you gone over nicely to begin with and mentioned the door slamming is noisy for you you'd have had half a chance.

GoneHome · 17-05-2019 9:20am

The joys of living in a semi-d in a housing estate, that's why I love the peace and solitude of rural living!

jopax · 17-05-2019 9:30am

I can totally understand but where you are coming from, many years ago the same noises would have bothered me.
However having kids now I would be much more easy going regarding this type of noise. It's not being done deliberately to annoy you, that is a big plus.
I would thread very carefully there, however much it annoys you now, you could end up with a much bigger problem down the road if you stir things up the wrong way.

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 9:35am

GoneHome wrote: »

The joys of living in a semi-d in a housing estate, that's why I love the peace and solitude of rural living!

I moved from a terrace house in a busy estate. Lets get some perspective here.

Mrs OBumble · 17-05-2019 9:59am

D3V!L wrote: »

We can't hear a peep through the walls

Build a bridge.

eviltimeban · 17-05-2019 10:02am

You should go out and play basketball with them!

Better they are playing games rather than engaging in more anti-social activities.

Wabbit Ears · 17-05-2019 10:10am

My kids slam the front door all the time. Ive a pain in my neck telling to do it gently.

they also play outside, Football, Rugby, You name it, During the day and often in the evenings they're out playing.

This is normal and healthy.

Id happily be that 'boorish father' if some randomer moved in and started compaining that the kids exist and are playing noisily.

Seriously, sell up, move to the countryside and don't inflict your neighbours with your frankly ridiculous ideas of whats acceptable in a housing estate.

beertons · 17-05-2019 10:14am

Throw a bucket of water out the window next time they're outside being noisy. Hot/cold/with washing up liquid.

ionapaul · 17-05-2019 10:27am

beertons wrote: »

Throw a bucket of water out the window next time they're outside being noisy. Hot/cold/with washing up liquid.

Are you suggesting he throw the water at them?! For playing outside on the street?

edit: actually, am guessing you must be just joking

Markcheese · 17-05-2019 10:40am

Have they got somewhere else to play....
If it's really getting you down Google mosquito device, it'll move them away from you're house...

Dial Hard · 17-05-2019 11:16am

You have to just suck this up, OP, it's part and parcel of estate living and as others have said, there are much worse shenanigans they could be up to.

I don't particularly like kids but even I accept that them playing and making noise is just what kids do. My next door neighbours have two young boys who are out their back garden constantly when the weather is nice. They spend all day every day either playing football (and balls coming over the fence is a several-times-a-day occurrence) or trundling a skateboard up and down their deck. They also can't seem to play for more than 15 minutes at a time without one injuring the other and screams of pain/anger/"I'm telling Mooommmmmmm". The latter in particular drives me demented but, again, what can I do? Like I said, it's just part of suburban living.

Is it a pain in the face when I'm trying to enjoy my garden during sunny weather? Bet your ass it is. But it's a perfectly natural part of their childhood and I'm sure I drove many of my own neighbours batty when I was growing up.

LillySV · 17-05-2019 11:20am

Absolutely no reason why you should accept it, the problem here is kids that weren’t raised right by their parents... the parents are clearly not great role models!!! If they want to belt the ball off a wall, beat it off their own house or go to a pitch ... and as regards the slamming of doors... can happen an odd time if kids energetic and excited... not the whole time though... sounds like you’ve moved in beside savages....again not the kids fault, the parents ....is it a council estate? Can you report it to council if so?

Dial Hard · 17-05-2019 11:23am

LillySV wrote: »

sounds like you’ve moved in beside savages....

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

setanta1000 · 17-05-2019 11:45am

LillySV wrote: »

Absolutely no reason why you should accept it, the problem here is kids that weren’t raised right by their parents... the parents are clearly not great role models!!! If they want to belt the ball off a wall, beat it off their own house or go to a pitch ... and as regards the slamming of doors... can happen an odd time if kids energetic and excited... not the whole time though... sounds like you’ve moved in beside savages....again not the kids fault, the parents ....is it a council estate? Can you report it to council if so?

I think the general consensus on the thread is that there is every reason the OP should accept it because that's what happens when you live in an estate...as for calling them savages that's just ridiculous...they're kids and playing like all other kids do, including my own and my neighbors and all the other kids in estates all over the world.

Some tolerance and patience would go a long way here...

threein99 · 17-05-2019 11:56am

LillySV wrote: »

Absolutely no reason why you should accept it, the problem here is kids that weren’t raised right by their parents... the parents are clearly not great role models!!! If they want to belt the ball off a wall, beat it off their own house or go to a pitch ... and as regards the slamming of doors... can happen an odd time if kids energetic and excited... not the whole time though... sounds like you’ve moved in beside savages....again not the kids fault, the parents ....is it a council estate? Can you report it to council if so?

Are you being sarcastic ?

LillySV · 17-05-2019 12:09pm

A lot here think their little Johnny can do what they want.... and that’s why lot of Irish kids getting out of control and going down a slippery slope...

And another thing some of the parents here are forgetting.... they are your responsibility!

Good few kids in my estate and they play in a grass area nearby and wouldn’t dare to think of kicking a ball off someone else’s house.... it is a nice estate though with good parents

Gorgeousgeorge · 17-05-2019 12:12pm

If thats all i had to deal with id be very happy. Your blessed imo

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 1:05pm

Since I've clearly been tagged as a "grumpy old man" , I'm going to try and save face and elaborate.

Our house was vacant for about a year so there was as far as we can tell they were football playing in front of it for a long time unchallenged and in our back garden.

In the past month we're here we had a basketball hit the living room window (which is 2 meters from the path) 3 times in total. The same kids also decided that our driveway which runs along the side of our house is a great place to play football. It starts 3 meters from the road, so they had to walk up it. They were perplexed when they were told not to play there. One also fell in our driveway and hurt herself.

I have zero problems with the noise of children playing. I love kids, we dont and can't have our own so I love to hear them around. I'm also not a stranger to noise having lived in a very busy estate beside a hospital previously in a very old house with no sound proofing or insulation.

Thanks for all the comments.

the_syco · 17-05-2019 1:29pm

D3V!L wrote: »

After nearly having our window put through by their ball we asked the kids to play somewhere else only for their boorish father to try and lay the law down to me and tell me the kids are going to that and there's nothing I can do about it !! :rolleyes:

Is he bigger than you?

D3V!L wrote: »

In the past month we're here we had a basketball hit the living room window (which is 2 meters from the path) 3 times in total.

If the ball hits your window again, consider deflating the ball.

D3V!L wrote: »

The same kids also decided that our driveway which runs along the side of our house is a great place to play football. It starts 3 meters from the road, so they had to walk up it. They were perplexed when they were told not to play there. One also fell in our driveway and hurt herself.

Consider growing a few rose bushes in your property, and locking your gate (get a gate that isn't easy to climb over).

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 1:31pm

the_syco wrote: »

Is he bigger than you?

Nope, considerably smaller.

the_syco wrote: »

Consider growing a few rose bushes in your property, and locking your gate (get a gate that isn't easy to climb over).

I like the rose bush idea. We have a flower bed in front of the living room window in need of flowers.

Fiftyfilthy · 17-05-2019 1:39pm

LillySV wrote: »

A lot here think their little Johnny can do what they want.... and that’s why lot of Irish kids getting out of control and going down a slippery slope...

And another thing some of the parents here are forgetting.... they are your responsibility!

Good few kids in my estate and they play in a grass area nearby and wouldn’t dare to think of kicking a ball off someone else’s house.... it is a nice estate though with good parents

Exactly, not a chance I’d accept a basketball hitting my windows

D3V!L · 17-05-2019 1:43pm

Fiftyfilthy wrote: »

Exactly, not a chance I’d accept a basketball hitting my windows

I was told to suck it in so many words by the father. No way I'm waiting for the window to come through. Imagine sitting the other side of it and being showered in glass as well as the damage to our TV and living room.

McGrath5 · 17-05-2019 1:45pm

There was a thread here recently were some lovely neighbor put a basketball ring outside someone’s house, the hard neck some people have!

OP I do sympathize with you, I’m sure you saved long and hard for your new home, everyone is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their own home.

I’m sure not what I’d do, but I would be facing it head on, irregardless if I become known as some crank.

Fiftyfilthy · 17-05-2019 1:46pm

D3V!L wrote: »

I was told to suck it in so many words by the father. No way I'm waiting for the window to come through. Imagine sitting the other side of it and being showered in glass as well as the damage to our TV and living room.

Ask him how he would feel if a basket ball kept hitting his living room and hold him to whatever response he gives you

Markcheese · 17-05-2019 9:36pm

Be friendly, be subtle, but theres a reason why good fences make good neighbours... A couple of roses, and maybe a gate...
But stay friendly...

D3V!L · 18-05-2019 9:07am

The ball hit my window for a 4th time yesterday evening. This time I caught it all on camera. I noticed the ball outside in my flower bed just afterwards and went out to get it , there wasn't a soul around.

Two minutes later their father popped in and I gave it back being civil and told them I'm not going to ask again. Shortly afterwards their mother arrived at the door accusing me of harassing her kids and that they're bawling inside !! I had only actually spoken to her kids all of once weeks ago when we moved in.

I think the crux of the issue is with the kids lying to their parents and the parents believing every little word they say. Its a sad state of affairs.

Anyway, I have the entire thing recorded on my CCTV and I'm going to the Gardai with it. Going to your neighbours door and accusing them of harassing little girls is a serious accusation.

Isn't technology great

starbaby2003 · 18-05-2019 10:28am

D3V!L wrote: »

The ball hit my window for a 4th time yesterday evening. This time I caught it all on camera. I noticed the ball outside in my flower bed just afterwards and went out to get it , there wasn't a soul around.

Two minutes later their father popped in and I gave it back being civil and told them I'm not going to ask again. Shortly afterwards their mother arrived at the door accusing me of harassing her kids and that they're bawling inside !! I had only actually spoken to her kids all of once weeks ago when we moved in.

I think the crux of the issue is with the kids lying to their parents and the parents believing every little word they say. Its a sad state of affairs.

Anyway, I have the entire thing recorded on my CCTV and I'm going to the Gardai with it. Going to your neighbours door and accusing them of harassing little girls is a serious accusation.

Isn't technology great

I think you need to ask the parents if you, your partner, them and their kids can all have a discussion on what is happening. If the kids are relaying stories of harassment and every time you speak to the parents you are a bit worked up, the wrong message is getting across. You are attached to each other, so getting along is paramount. You have just moved in, you are entitled to peace and quiet. They are also entitled to play though. The hitting the ball off the window is completely wrong but I wonder if they are doing it for a reaction ? Do you talk to any other neighbours ?

Just to add, going to the guards is an appalling idea, guaranteed to escalate the issue.

D3V!L · 18-05-2019 3:09pm

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I think you need to ask the parents if you, your partner, them and their kids can all have a discussion on what is happening. If the kids are relaying stories of harassment and every time you speak to the parents you are a bit worked up, the wrong message is getting across. You are attached to each other, so getting along is paramount. You have just moved in, you are entitled to peace and quiet. They are also entitled to play though. The hitting the ball off the window is completely wrong but I wonder if they are doing it for a reaction ? Do you talk to any other neighbours ?

Just to add, going to the guards is an appalling idea, guaranteed to escalate the issue.

I wasn't worked up. There is no talking to these people, we've just worked that out.

We're on good terms with the other neighbours on the other side and no issues with anyone else.

pablo128 · 18-05-2019 3:18pm

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I think you need to ask the parents if you, your partner, them and their kids can all have a discussion on what is happening. If the kids are relaying stories of harassment and every time you speak to the parents you are a bit worked up, the wrong message is getting across. You are attached to each other, so getting along is paramount. You have just moved in, you are entitled to peace and quiet. They are also entitled to play though. The hitting the ball off the window is completely wrong but I wonder if they are doing it for a reaction ? Do you talk to any other neighbours ?

Just to add, going to the guards is an appalling idea, guaranteed to escalate the issue.

Some neighbours are just cnuts. The OP has already spoken to them and got nowhere.

wirelessdude01 · 18-05-2019 3:26pm

What does your CCTV recording show?

18-05-2019 4:12pm

Keep or burst every ball that comes in, tell the kids to clear off and tell the parents to f*ck off anytime they come bothering you.

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

wirelessdude01 · 18-05-2019 4:25pm

Lea Orange Percussionist wrote:

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

Most people don't have a choice now but to live in an estate

pablo128 · 18-05-2019 4:39pm

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Keep or burst every ball that comes in, tell the kids to clear off and tell the parents to f*ck off anytime they come bothering you.

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

No we're being told now it's a luxury to live in a 3 bed house, and should be thankful for an apartment in Dublin. There are more than a few people on boards spouting that rubbish.

Anyway you should expect a certain amount of respect from your neighbours the same as you would give them.

Genuinely if it was me I'd try the civil route. If that didn't work I'd be picking the ball out of my flower bed and hopping it off their front window. You cannot beat a taste of your own medicine.

Wexforllion · 18-05-2019 5:07pm

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Keep or burst every ball that comes in, tell the kids to clear off and tell the parents to f*ck off anytime they come bothering you.

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

Maybe everyone doesnt want to live in an estate but is not rich.

Maybe using words is a better route then bursting balls. Who knows.

the_syco · 18-05-2019 5:11pm

D3V!L wrote: »

We're on good terms with the other neighbours on the other side and no issues with anyone else.

Ask them if they know why the previous people in your house sold it.

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

Local Needs laws prevents most people building elsewhere.

Wexforllion wrote: »

Maybe using words is a better route then bursting balls. Who knows.

Thus far, using words hasn't worked.

uck51js9zml2yt · 18-05-2019 5:19pm

GoneHome wrote: »

The joys of living in a semi-d in a housing estate, that's why I love the peace and solitude of rural living!

Yup. I have to put up with hundreds of birds singling outside my house all the time.
They just won't shut up

uck51js9zml2yt · 18-05-2019 5:21pm

Wexforllion wrote: »

Maybe everyone doesnt want to live in an estate but is not rich.

Maybe using words is a better route then bursting balls. Who knows.

Being rich or not has nothing to do with living in an estate or not.

knipex · 18-05-2019 5:26pm

LillySV wrote: »

! If they want to belt the ball off a wall, beat it off their own house or go to a pitch ...

Who is belting a ball off the OP's wall ???

Wexforllion · 18-05-2019 5:53pm

Veda Prickly Tan wrote: »

Being rich or not has nothing to do with living in an estate or not.

Obviously it has something to do with it.

Taiga · 18-05-2019 6:15pm

I suppose if your house was empty for the past year the kids have been used to that and just simply not thinking and are continuing to play as they normally would. It will take a little time to get used to the fact that your property isn't fair game. I'd play this clever if I were you, make nice. Nothing like a grouchy neighbour (in the kids minds) to attract their negative attention. Be friendly with them. Subtly fence around or a wall or whatever you have to do.

It is the usual in estates, often it isn't personal. I have a fab back garden, but no one would know it from the front as any plant I've tried to keep has been trampled, flattened by a ball etc but they don't mean it. I stay friendly with them and everyone gets on well.

You have to live there and the last thing you need is hassle. Once they're quiet at night I'd be happy enough tbh.

SonOfGoat · 18-05-2019 6:29pm

Mod note @SonOfGoat

Do not advocate violence.
Next post like this and it’s a ban.

18-05-2019 6:36pm

Wexforllion wrote: »

Obviously it has something to do with it.

Not really, a very good house in the county will be a similar price to a run of the mill house in a (nice) estate. Building or buying in the county is not necessarily cheaper than in a nice estate but you get vastly more for your money.

Charles Babbage · 18-05-2019 11:42pm

Get one of those high pitched yokes that adults cannot hear. It won't do any harm, it won't reach very far, but will make the area near your house slightly less preferable as a playground.

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Not really, a very good house in the county will be a similar price to a run of the mill house in a (nice) estate. Building or buying in the county is not necessarily cheaper than in a nice estate but you get vastly more for your money.

Having slurry spread outside your window is not much fun either.

the_syco · 19-05-2019 12:54am

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Having slurry spread outside your window is not much fun either.

It's bad for the 1st 20 minutes, and then you just get used to it.

Dealing with noisy neighbours

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