You can best do this if you find your neighbors annoying
This is the dumbest thing you can do
My nice colleague S lives in the center of Rotterdam. That is of course very cozy, but you are quite cramped there. So when there is a party next to her, with the windows open and the music loud, while she is trying to recharge for the week ahead, it all feels a bit less festive. But even if you live a bit more spaciously in Bilthoven, it can still be noisy and crackling over the hedges. Why are you mowing the lawn on Sunday morning? That construction scaffold has been there for almost a year now, can't that be done faster? And because you don't trim your hedge, I can't walk on the sidewalk. Just a selection of some neighbor irritations I heard from people this week.
Moving is a solution, but quite drastic and moreover you don't know what awaits you in your next accommodation. So keep that card close to your chest for now. There are a lot of other things you can do.
1. Get used to the noise
Are your neighbors chatting a bit too loudly in the backyard and is the music just a bit too loud for your liking? Try not to immediately throw an orange over the hedge, but let it sink in for a moment. Up to a sound limit of 65 decibels, you could get used to the noise within half an hour of sound, so give it some time.
2. Remove the emotion
Don't immediately call or text in anger. Remember that you could also cause disturbances sometimes and that they probably don't do it on purpose. If you react too heatedly, you might only disturb the relationship further.
3. Talk face to face
Don't text, email, or write a letter. Words can often be interpreted differently and usually come across harder. Of course, it's exciting to ring the doorbell, but ultimately you take a bigger step towards a solution to the problem.
4. Try to find solutions that you can influence
Do you have upstairs neighbors who stomp on the floor? See if you can create a ceiling that insulates. Does the neighbor's dog often run in your front yard? Make sure to have a good fence. This way you can prevent problems.
5. Try not to fight fire with fire
If they make noise, don't start pestering and teasing as well. I understand the urge, but it ultimately doesn't help the situation.
6. The neighborhood mediator
If it really doesn't help and the situation remains bad, approach a neighborhood mediator.
And good luck.
Image: ‘The woman in the house across the street from the girl in the window’
