Feeling trapped in my home

Marieeliz, doing a GN search I see that you mentioned the new tenants back in April 2016, that is a long time feel uncomfortable, I also read a post from you about complaining about children playing noisily in your street. Her grandchildren?
For someone you don't have contact with you seem to know a remarkable amount about her, her profession (I won't mention it on here but I remember it from a previous post) her expensive car, the hours she and relative choose to go to bed and get up, the fact that she has 4 children and 7 grandchildren and the details of her moving properties.
As she has 7 grandchildren it may well be that she is a member on here and has read your posts or a relative or friend has seen them. From the incidents and circumstances you have posted you are both easily identifiable. Be very careful, this is a public forum.

Well i certainly wouldnt change my household routine just because my nieghbour worked nights, who wants to be doing hoovering etc in the middle of the afternoon.
Beside if the boot was on the other foot,bet the nieghbour would carry on as normal.{smile}

Fences around the rear of the property can be up to 2 metres high, higher might require planning permission.

Some years ago, a neighbour spent all Boxing Day doing DIY with power tools. The Local Council offered to put a restriction on him on the basis of that alone! I deferred as it was the first occurrence and fortunately, wasn't repeated.

Buy some Laurel plants they grow really fast and will block the nasty people out, my daughter had a nightmare she moved into a village where the house had not been touched in years and any improvements she tried to make neighbours tried to block it,she luckily grew laurels all around the garden and now a wonderful screen is there which is lovely all the year long good luck and Don,t change your hoovering or gardening put your radio on put some earphones in and enjoy your retirement fight fire with fire and in the long term you will win

My daughter had a similar problem she moved into an old cottage which had not been touched in years the neighbours were so horrible some of the things they did you would not believe any improvements she tried to make they tried to stop ,she grew a laurel hedge all around her property which grows very dense very quickly she now has a great screen of lovely green shrubs all year round,Don,t stop your hoovering routine put your radio on do what you want to do its not your fault they do shift work ,you are entitled to live your life how you want do your gardening and Don,t stop anything that you have always done if they think it hurts you they will only do more take deep breathes and look past these miserable people and en joy your retitrement

My daughter had a similar problem she moved into an old cottage that had not been touched in years ,the neighbours tried to block every improvement she tried to make it made her quite ill as she couldn,t understand where it was all coming from but she stuck to her ground and planted Laurels all around her property which grow very quickly she now has a lovely screen which stays green all year and is easy to maintain as it us a shrub, Don't change your hoovering routine put your radio on enjoy your garden Don,t bother to look at the nasty neighbours it's not your fault they do shift work you are also entitled to live your retirement as you wish take deep breaths look up and enjoy the moment and keep smiling

I share your pain with the dog situation, I have a neighbour with 3 very loud dogs who bark every time I go outside in the back or side yard (my laundry lines) and at times we have to close our windows in the summer as we cannot hear ourselves in the house. We have addressed this with the neighbour to no end. A few times I took my IPAD and played a barking dog recording which went non-stop for 3 hours back at them. (we went out) There was quiet for at least a week then. But it never really ends, it is time for me to do it again.
I KNOW you all love your dogs but it can be misery to live with them when it is not your choice!
Alas you will need to move as it may only get worse.

Codfather, bit bemused by your complaint about neighbour doing DIY on a bank holiday - surely that's quite a good time to do it? If s/he is working full time diy has to be done on bank holidays or at weekends, otherwise you wind up doing it late in the evening which would surely be worse!

I see you have lived in this property since 1960, I suspect living somewhere so long would make you feel you ought to be able to control everything around you but of course as we know so well on GN time moves on, I agree this woman's life must be upsetting for you as she is unpleasant but the things she actually does are probably normal for her age group, busy life, more noise, people coming and going. Although hard after so long I think I would move on.

To the people who say do your vacuuming in the morning, remember the OP said the neighbour retaliated by doing hers at night.

People don’t usually choose shiftwork unless they have few choices, it is not an easy life. A bit of consideration and give and take on both sides is more likely to lead to long term peace of mind. (Along with the hedge).

Regarding the the dog, have you tried saying “be quiet” to it in a loud, firm voice? You never know, it might work!