Kirsty McLuckie: Outcry at outdoor noise

But socialising, DIY or gardening in the sunshine can spark disputes if you aren’t careful.

Having a peaceful afternoon ruined by blaring music or thundering power tools is bad enough, but some activities next door can make lives truly miserable.

So can we all agree on a fixed set of rules before summer kicks off?

Website Price Your Job has brought in gardening expert Harry Bodell to put together a list of garden etiquette which should, if adhered to, avoid annoying the neighbours.

Just as construction work should be limited to the hours of 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and end by 1pm on a Saturday, Bodell says it’s a good idea to do the same for lawn mowing – but at the weekend, make sure doesn’t start till after 10am.

I’d say this goes for chainsawing, drilling and anything else likely to ruin a lie-in too.

Trampolines can be a source of strife. Apparently, the use of the Google search term “neighbours’ trampoline” has more than doubled in the last month, and I can’t imagine it is for any positive reason.

Part of the problem can be the invasion of privacy involved in a set of eyes rhythmically hoving into view above your fenceline – better to place the trampoline away from any shared borders.

Smoke from a barbecue is another possible nuisance, but the positioning should change with the wind direction – and if washing is

hanging on the line.

More than 650,000 homes in the UK now have a hot tub. The noise level of these can reach 67 decibels. Add the sound of chatter and they can be annoying late at night.

Agreeing to a cut-off time with neighbours – perhaps with an invitation to let them use the tub occasionally – is a good starting

point to avoid conflict.

Family pets are another flashpoint, and a barking dog is the sort of noise pollution which could have legal

implications.

Even painting a garden fence can be a bone of contention. Changes must have the permission of the fence owner, regardless of which

way the fence faces.

This week it was reported that a couple in Essex had lost their decade-long legal battle with neighbours, sparked by a difference of opinion over a fence and six inches of land. Philip and Denise New are now covering the costs of the dispute, estimated to stand at £30,000.

The case comes down to whether or not the boundary was moved slightly to avoid a drain when the couple replaced panels in a communal fence in 2010.

Commenting, Jonathan Rolande of the National Association of Property Buyers says it is not an isolated case, with a marked rise in neighbourly disputes over the past 12 months. Unsurprisingly, he advises against escalating hostilities unless it is absolutely necessary.

He explains: “A dispute with a neighbour can have repercussions far beyond the legal costs. Sellers must disclose any formal dispute to a potential buyer – and few want to take on somebody else’s problem.

“My advice is therefore to try and rise above petty disputes if you can.”

- Kirsty McLuckie is property editor at The Scotsman