13+ Tips How To Ignore Bad Neighbors : Expert Advice !

Neighbors can be a blessing or curse. Your most beautiful home in the town can be a nightmare if you stay with bad neighbors. They will make your life miserable.

It’s frustrating when your neighbor blasts the party till 2 A.M or allows the dog on your property. Hearing a lot of noise from the neighbor even disturbs your sleep. It finally affects your physical and mental health. If you have children, they will also be affected. They cannot sleep properly at night, and hence, they will always arrive late to school.

We will recommend you to first talk to your neighbors about the problem that you are facing because of them. If they are good enough, they will change their behavior or decrease the sound. But if they are thick-skinned, you must use different tactics to avoid bad neighbors.

The article lists various ways how to ignore bad neighbors. So, you can keep on reading this article to know some of the ways by which you can avoid your bad and irritating neighbors.

How To Ignore Bad Neighbors?

Bad neighbors can disrupt your peace of mind. We are listing below different ways by which you can avoid your bad neighbors.

1. Use Noise Cancelling Headphones

Imagine your neighbor is having a party late at night. The noise constantly disturbs you and keeps you awake all night. Well, the best way to avoid the noise is by wearing noise-cancelling headphones.

If you find these headphones too expensive, you can buy a pair of earplugs. Try to purchase earplugs specially designed for your ear canal to avoid the unwanted noise coming from the neighbor.

2. Purchase A White Noise Machine

A white noise machine will not eliminate noise inside the room. However, it will make sounds that will calm and soothe your mind, like rainfall sounds or wind blowing over the trees.

So if next time you find your neighbor’s dog barking for a long time, you don’t have to bear it. You can simply switch on the white noise machine to relax and sleep.

A white noise machine is beneficial if you don’t like to wear noise-canceling headphones while sleeping at night.

3. Put Signs On Your Front Yard

Suppose your neighbor is allowing his dog to enter your yard and poop, then it’s pretty irritating. 

Well, you can put some sign boards on your front yard to remind your bad neighbor that he will not allow the dog to enter your front yard. You can buy such sign boards from your local pet store.

But if your neighbor is a big problem and enters your yard without permission, you must hang a board of No Trespassing signs.

4. Invest In Curtains

Curtains can also help to avoid your bad neighbors. If you are tired of continuous noise from your bad neighbors, you must invest in soundproof curtains. 

The best thing is that soundproof curtains are available in different colors. So, choose the curtain that suits the decor and style of your home. If you don’t want to see your bad neighbors, then you can buy black curtains.

5. Lock Your Door

If your neighbor is irritating you emotionally, then you can lock your door. You can install a deadbolt on your door to completely lock it.

6. Throw A Rug On Your Room

Is your bad neighbor consistently making sounds and irritating you? If yes, then you can throw some thick rugs in the room. They are great at dampening sound.

The best thing is there are rugs of various colors and designs. So, purchase the one that matches the style and decor of your room. You can then lay it in the room to avoid unwanted sounds.

Another great solution is to lay a rug pad below the rug. It is more effective in absorbing unnecessary sounds. The rug pads will even help to keep the rug in its proper position and prevent your floor from having scratches or any damage.

7. Fill Your Home With Furniture

You can make your home fully furnished to absorb the sound. For example, you can place a sofa or a shelf with many books against the outside wall to absorb sound. You may also lay heavy fabric in the room where you are listening to more noise.

8. Seal The Cracks

Do you find any cracks near the doors and windows? If yes, these air gaps will allow the sound to transmit inside your house. Hence, your first work should be to seal them by using an acoustic caulk.

You need first to clean the door and window frame to remove all the dust and dirt. You can then apply the caustic caulk at 90 degrees and fill the cracks and gaps. Smooth it by using a butter knife and allow it to dry completely.

Once it’s wholly sealed, it prevents the unnecessary sound of your neighbor from entering your room.

Remember, if you have applied old caulking, scrape it off first and then apply the new one for effective results.

9. Install Window Inserts

Window is one of the significant sources that allows the unwanted noise to enter. Well, you can install window inserts to prevent it.

They are sliding panes that you need to install on your existing window. You have to leave 5 inches from the glass and install the inserts. The air gap will help to capture the sound and prevent it from entering your room.

Another effective way to reduce sound is by installing double-pane glass on your windows.

10. Invite Your Friends

If your neighbors are really bad, ignoring them is the best solution. You can invite your friends to your house and talk to them about the problems you face because of neighbors. 

They may have some good ideas by which you can avoid your annoying neighbors or will suggest a way to distract your mind or prevent sound from entering the house.

But don’t throw a noisy party just to take revenge on your neighbor, as it will worsen the situation.

11. Do meditation

Mediation may seem unrelated while dealing with noisy neighbors. But it will indeed have a positive impact on your life.

You can calm your body and mind through meditation. Try to sit down, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing for almost 20 minutes. You need to do it 20 minutes a day to relax your body and mind completely.

12. Talk To Your Neighbor Polietly About The Problems

You can talk to your neighbor about the problems you cannot ignore. For instance, if your neighbor is always allowing his dog into your yard and the dog is pooping every time, then you need to address your neighbor. 

Talk about the issue politely with your neighbor. You may also take your neighbor and show how the dog is making the yard dirty.

If you are nervous and cannot talk about the issue directly with your neighbor, then you may leave a note in which you address all the problems. You should not leave an aggressive note as it can worsen the condition.

If you try all the things but still your neighbor is noisy or troubling you, then you need to call the local homeowner Association or Apartment Manager if you’re staying in an apartment. The Manager may help to mediate the problems between you and your neighbor.

13. File A Noise Complaint

If your neighbor is thick-skinned and still troubles you, then your last step should be to file a complaint with the local Municipality’s office. You may also call on the non-emergency number of your state.

But ensure that you have talked to the neighbor before filing a complaint at the Municipality office, as it can escalate the problem or may put your annoying neighbors at risk.

Conclusion

Everyone is not blessed with a good neighbor. If you have an annoying neighbor then you must discuss the problems. 

If they don’t listen to you and consistently bother you, then you must use a few tactics ways, like the usage of a white noise machine, soundproof curtains, soundproof paint on your house, or installation of window inserts.

But if the problem becomes too severe, then you need to file a complaint against the authorities of your area. But if they are dangerous and may harass you, we will recommend you to move your home.

FAQ : How To Ignore Bad Neighbors