Neighbour dilemma

Oh her chickens have room, they have a quite large run, its just all the chook feed and scraps encourages rats, but the chooks themselves are quite happy

I’m in a similar position in terms of not one, but 3 large sheds right up against my garden fence, which the new neighbour constructed before moving in, so no falling-out involved. I try to pretend they don’t exist as the alternative of hostilities between us doesn’t bear thinking about!

If you’ve had an initial falling-out, would it help now if you just started calling out a friendly (but arms-length) greeting? Nice day…” etc. It might lessen his desire to irritate you and ease the tension which might have resulted in the whistling, if that’s what’s going on.
It might just disarm him and restore your ability to enjoy your garden in peace again🤞🏼

I confess I'm rather curious to know what the reason was that prompted you to say "we didn’t get off to a good start as his actions has had a serious affect on my garden".

Could these actions (which you let go) be at the root of your problems?

Is the fence your fence? If so, you're responsible for its upkeep - will it need repairing or replacing soon? What happens then?

EbbandFlo

Yes, you are correct. Yet I can't help how I feel. My garden is my haven. Maybe that's my problem but some consideration is not an unreasonable ask. I have lived here for nearly 40 years. Hand on heart, never a cross word with any of my lovely neighbours

His garden is his haven too. You don't have special status in that.

However, the main problem is that the man never stops whistling.The repertoire is pheeee-ew, the whistling from the McDonalds advert and often wolf-whistling.

Someone else has suggested that could be a pet mynah bird. Possibly, living in a pen attached to the shed?
If it's the neighbour, then with such a constant, limited, repetitive repertoire, consider the possibility that he has Tourette Syndrome, his involuntary tic is whistling,. and he is NOT doing it deliberately to annoy you.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/tourette-syndrome/

*Symptoms of Tourette syndrome
The main symptom of Tourette syndrome is tics. Tics can involve repetitive sounds (vocal tics) or movements (motor tics) you do not choose to make and cannot control.

Tics involving sounds may include:

whistling <.....>*

Talk to him. Understanding each others problems might make them easier to live with.

BlueBelle

Why on earth would you presume someone who uses his garden for his hobbies / projects and is a whistler has a mental health problem Elsi That’s a huge step too far and pretty daft
To my mind
Katush my joined on neighbour has now got three chickens in a tiny cordoned off area in her concrete covered garden. breaks my heart to see the poor things with nowhere to wander or peck but it’s nothing to do with me.

Aww her poor chickens, they need more space than that!

Take your radio outside and play some opra very lodly

Can you sing along to his whistling? If my neighbour heard me singing and he understood it was in response to his ‘tunes’ he’d soon stop!😂

It sounds like he has a habit or a tic. He probably can’t stop whistling and as it’s random noises , maybe doesn’t even realise he’s doing it. Wolf whistle and tv ads! So not just a merry tune.

Why on earth would you presume someone who uses his garden for his hobbies / projects and is a whistler has a mental health problem Elsi That’s a huge step too far and pretty daft
To my mind
Katush my joined on neighbour has now got three chickens in a tiny cordoned off area in her concrete covered garden. breaks my heart to see the poor things with nowhere to wander or peck but it’s nothing to do with me.

He has the right to sing, whistle, or do anything else he wants to do in his own property. It is annoying, of course it is but this is one of the down sides to urban living, my neighbour has 6 chickens in her garden, now i have rats in mine but she is legally allowed to have 6 hens. Your neighbour is allowed to whistle. Take a radio into the garden and play heavy metal music while he is whistling., sing off key everytime you see him working in the garden.

Sounds like a mental illness to be honest. If he's annoying you he MUST BE annoying your other neighbours. Ask them

As well as noise cancelling headphones, I have found another quite unexpected solution.

When I had read the same page in my book 10 times, and still not assimilated it because of the shrieking and noisy neighbour - I found some cheap T K Maxx garden windchimes that were surprisingly effective for my brain to gently re-set and switch off whilst trying to read. They only come out at specific times when the noise is a problem and the sound gently overrides disturbance from next door.

Also had success taking up my own space (in extremis) by playing foreign language clips on you-tube, and fake loud incoming phone calls…..it just gives the message that yes I am in my space as well as you being in yours.

Just a thought , has he maybe got some form of tourettes ?
I'd go with the headphones . It's not worth falling out with neighbours. He will make life hell for you . The whistling would drive me mad too 😤. Neighbours eh , even the best of them can be irritating 🙄

I really sympathise. We have a neighbour who was alright until he retired when he took up the hobby of woodworking. On sunny days he sets up the circular saw near our fence and house and spends most of the day operating it. I find that particular noise unbearable and its even more irritating that he only does it on nice days when I would like to be in my garden listening to the birds and the wind in the trees. I dont really have an answer. I wear noise cancelling headphones but then I cant hear the birds. I go indoors every time he is out, but usually I am seething that I cant be in my beautiful garden. If only he would use the wretched saw in a shed. I havent tried talking to him because it might make it worse. Just wanted to offer you sympathy and say I know how you feel.

Could you put up a shed/cabin your side of the fence so you wouldn’t be aware of his presence. You could sound proof the walls and it will create a sound barrier to the whistling. A gazebo would have the same effect. A tall fast growing hedge also.

I wouldn’t be approaching him - as you say you don’t need the stress.

NotSpaghetti

I expect it's not done to annoy.
This is just who he is!
🤷‍♀️

Yes that is what I wonder, why does everyone think he is out to annoy OP, why would he?

To be fair your garden is your garden and his is his and you can’t really complain what he does in his at all, just as he can’t complain about yours….. as long as it’s all legal
I ve got very nice neighbours but they often have all night soirées with friends I can’t complain about noise as they talk very quietly but there are often garden lights on all night and a smell of cannibis 🤣they don’t stop me sleeping and it’s a case of live and let live
Whistling doesn’t bother me I like to hear a man whistle I always knew when my Dad was cycling home from work as I d hear him whistling as he cycled up the road but you ll have to learn to zone out
Do you have a front garden you could listen to the birds in.

It’s obviously a change to you and not a welcomed change but I certainly wouldn’t make an enemy of a next door neighbour.

Quiet and reserved as my Father was -he spent all day whistling.
It was a flat repetitive "tune ".
Mum and I zoned out .
But friends used to ask us how we could stand it .

Neighbours can be so annoying .
I've changed Mr Poke Nose /Complain a lot for Mr Recluse .
I grew to dread seeing Mr Poke Nose and Mr Recluse is annoying about the broken fence and the weeds .
If his buildings touch your fence you can complain otherwise it's earphones and music .
Good luck .

What a nightmare - whistling at volume is a real intrusion, but I'm amazed someone can do it for a long time. A dog barking would be horrendous - how anybody allows that to disturb neighbours is beyond me. You'd think you would keep it inside or take it out.

Such a shame people cannot recognise the right of people to have the quiet enjoyment of their own home.

As NotS said he may not be whistling to annoy you. It might just be something he does. A neighbour of ours had a workman who whistled all the time, which quite amused us but I’m sure it would get on our nerves if it was every day
Not something you hear much these days but in my father’s era lots of men whistled.

I sympathise with you EbbandFlow as an annoying and inconsiderate neighbour can be a living hell. I've had experience of one. I think a really polite letter, put through his door, saying that he probably isn't aware of how loud his whistling is, but it really affects the pleasure of you listening to the birds etc. keep a copy. If he continues record on your phone how often and the loudness of noise. Do this consistently for a few weeks. Then contact, possibly the noise abatement team at the county council...someone else on here might know who specifically to talk to. But they will need evidence. Who would want to listen to that in their own garden.?

If you are in England (or Wales) ​the General Permitted Development Order of 2015 has these restrictions:

​Height limit within 2m of boundary: 2.5 metres maximum.
​Outbuildings cannot cover more than 50% of the total land around the original house.
​Regarding raised platforms/decking, anything above 30 cm requires planning permission.

But I assume it's the whistling that is the real issue? Not the patio, arbour and huge shed so probably looking this up was irrelevant.

What were his actions that had a serious affect on your garden?

Have you ascertained that he legally could erect a shed and other things so close to your common boundary? Where I live this would not be legal.

If he is whistling to annoy your, he certainly will not stop if you mention it. On the other hand, if he is just whistling, perhaps without even realising he is doing so nearly all the time, he won't stop unless you mention it.

So whatever you do might be wrong.

Any chance of you and your husband getting to know this person better? Then you might be able to discuss his whistling without giving offence.

Would a quick growing hedge on your side of the fence cut the sound?

I’m afraid I might be like your neighbour, I whistle and sing an awful lot most days. Perhaps I should turn my volume down!

My neighbours put their radio on or TV and if I don't like it I put a radio on outside which I enjoy especially Sunday 70 s music, I think it has helped to keep it all in check ☺️