Noisy neighbours can have a huge impact on your life.
Having excess noise in your home is actually something that can affect us in a range of negative ways, more so than we might even expect. It can affect our sleep, our mood, our concentration levels, our relaxation, our relationships, our fun, our sense of safety in our homes, and even more.
But, unfortunately, for many of us, the ways that houses and apartments are built means that excess noise from neighbours can be a really common problem. Whether it is footsteps, banging doors, children playing, parties, music, shouting, or anything at all, it is all distracting and harmful.
So how do you deal with it?
It is a hugely complex problem and everyone’s situation will be difficult. That means that there could never be a one-fits-all solution, and we wouldn’t even attempt that.
There are, however, some things that are always best to do in this situation, starting with:
Have a firm but humble conversation
Most people won’t want to hear this, but the first thing you should do when you are having problems with a neighbour is talk to them.
When you talk to them, you want to be firm and get your point across clearly but also humble in a way that you acknowledge they might not know they are making so much noise and that your perspective isn’t the one here. They might surprise you by filling you in on the noise you make.
Try and gather a little bit of evidence if you can just so that you can back up your points, but don’t use this in the first instance.
If you are worried your neighbour will be hostile or defensive, tell them you are recording your conversation. This might sound threatening but it keeps everyone on the same page and avoids any cycles of “I didn’t say that… Yes you did”.
Hopefully, a compromise can be found.
Contact your/their landlord
If you or your neighbour rent your/property, you are best going through the respective landlords. People will take things much more seriously if they are worried they are in breach of their contract with their landlord, and having a landlord talk to someone on your behalf can take away any need for confrontation on your part.
There might even be soundproofing that your landlord or theirs can help you out with so that noise doesn’t travel as easily between the two properties.
You never know, and it is always worth asking.
Consider soundproofing and noise-cancelling methods
If all else fails, you might need to consider doing some soundproofing yourself or installing/purchasing noise-cancelling methods.
The cheapest options are noise-cancelling headphones, earbuds, and white noise machines, which are great for working, studying and sleeping. But for getting rid of consistent noise, soundproofing on your walls, floors, and/or ceilings will be your best choice.
There are lots of companies out there that will help you with this kind of thing and so it is important to look around. Remember that a lot of this is structural work and so it will only be relevant if you own your property, not rent.
A lot of it includes acoustic plasterboard, acoustic sealant, acoustic mineral wool, and generally packing gaps and providing more sound insulation.
If it gets to this stage you might be out some time, money and effort, but it is all worth it for a peaceful life.
Don’t you think?
