It is almost always desirable to resolve the issue politely with your neighbor before any more drastic measures are taken. The best way to approach this is to be extremely polite and ask your neighbor if he is aware of how thin the walls of your homes are. Remind him of how close together you must live, and often sound can travel further than we sometimes might think.

This approach doesn’t criticize his behavior, it simply stresses that he may not be aware of how far his sound travels. Tell him that you know that sometimes you make noise as well, but that you do your best to keep it to a minimum. Often this will resolve the issue right away, but sometimes the neighbor may become hostile or angry.

If your neighbor does become hostile, there are some additional steps you can take. You might write a letter to your homeowner’s association or to your landlord. Make sure you detail in the letter the source of the noise and the time of occurrence. They will review the situation and decide whether your neighbor is out of line. Some noise is deemed to be reasonable, even if it is bothersome to you. Although a lawn mower can be very loud, it is reasonable that your neighbor mows his lawn. However, if he mows his lawn in the middle of the night, it may be deemed unreasonable.

If you think that the neighbor may be within his rights, but the noise is still bothersome to you, you may want to invest in a good pair of earplugs. This is also a good solution if you have roommates who keep you awake, but you don’t necessarily want to complain about them. Sometimes stirring up conflict isn’t always the best solution.

Even if your neighbor makes too much noise, you shouldn’t have to live your life in discomfort. If you follow some of the tips above, you should be able to create a peaceful environment that you can relax in. It’s always a good idea to be friendly with your neighbors whenever possible. One tip is to take his outdoor trash can to the curb on garbage collection day. This can spur a goodwill relationship. You might even grab one of your Hefty trash bags and clean up some of the leaves in his yard. He’s sure to appreciate gestures like this and be more open to your suggestions about noise level.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Pine

I remember sitting on my porch in Texas watching the fireflies
light up.  My friends and I would play games catching the fireflies
and putting them in a bottle. The person with the most fireflies
won the game. Summer nights were always special times. My friends and I could stay outside light at night running and jumping on the porch swings at the neighbors house.

I can still see my grandmother sitting on her porch. My grandmother
lived next door to us. She would call to me from her porch so I could
come over and get a treat. I had several porches in my childhood
because the neighbors would gather on someone’s porch and drink
lemonade and eat cookies. Everyone’s porch was available for an
impromptu get together.

Our porch was nothing elaborate just concrete steps that lead to a
wider expanse of concrete. The porch was wide enough so that the
family could gather outside when the weather permitted and enjoy
conversations, tell jokes and find out all the latest gossip.

Mr. Henderson and his wife lived across the street. I can still
see him rocking in his rocking chair watching the neighborhood.
We considered “The Henderson’s the noisy neighbors because they
knew everybody’s business. They would tell stories to the parents
about the antics of the children. Mrs. Henderson took her seat on
the porch in the morning and made quilts with some of the older
neighbors.

When I was transferred to California, there were no porches. In
fact my friends had never experienced the camaraderie of porch
sitting. They did not know that a valuable learning experience
had somehow escaped them because they never knew the joy of porch
sitting.

Porches are making a revival all over the country. Some homeowners
are searching for that connection to their childhoods. Some
homeowners who never had a porch in childhood see the addition of
a porch as an inexpensive addition to their living space.

A porch can offer a place to eat, a quiet place to read, relax
and experience nature. Porches are used to get acquainted with
nature. Sitting outside can provide the opportunity to chat with
neighbors and get to know them. These inexpensive additions can
provide a valuable tool for building and uniting a community unit.
The porch in its simplest terms can help the neighborhood become an
extended family.

Neighbors passing by feel free to say “hello”. They just might be
invited to the porch to share a glass of water. Americans are
emerging from a cocoon weaved from their need for privacy. Americans
are stepping out from their air conditioned homes and are moving
outside on the porch to meet their neighbors and enjoy nature.

About the Author

Tim Gorman