We don’t choose our neighbours. For better or worse, who lives next door is outside our control - whether Ned Flanders, Margo Leadbetter or Johnny Rotten. Sometimes this leads to fruitful and long-lasting friendships between families. Other times, the so-called ‘neighbours from hell’ can be enough to make you pack up and move.
Parties and loud music can test the most patient among us. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with having a good time, regular disturbances can be distressing especially when you’ve got a routine to stick to.
Noise isn’t limited to unwinding on a Friday; loud films, gaming or domestic arguments also cause distress between neighbours. As well as causing a disturbance in the moment, noise pollution leaves a bad vibe in the air. Your home is for comfort, and association with aggression or shouting can cause anxiety.
As we’ve discussed elsewhere, mess and untidiness can rock the balance in a neighbourhood. Don’t get us wrong - everyone is entitled to their way and tastes differ from family to family. However, community is the collective effort of an entire neighbourhood and high levels of mess and rubbish can ruin the look of the place.
We’re not talking about overgrown hedges, but the use of a garden as a spare room. Coming home from work to find a disused mattress on next door’s lawn doesn’t bode well for your mood. The matter is made worse in the back garden, when low fences mean you cannot avoid the unsightliness next door. It discourages you from venturing outside or hosting friends round for summer barbecues.
We move house for various reasons. In an ideal world, it’s for the betterment of our mental, social and financial wellbeing. If your neighbours are causing genuine stress and anxiety - and that cannot be safely or legally addressed - then moving away is a conscious effort to make your life easier. Nobody can blame you for that. It’s unfortunate, but what’s most important is ensuring you are happier in the long term.
