Neighborhood Etiquette

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Background: Fiancee and I just purchased a new home. The home is located in a higher-end neighborhood which is extremely quiet. As an example, while standing on my driveway, I was able to hear my neighbor (across the street) putting away the dishes in his kitchen. The neighborhood is quiet at all hours of the day. To provide some additional context, most of my neighbors have housekeepers and gardeners.

The question: I like to wash my cars at night, usually between 8 -10pm. It is a time period that works for my schedule and the lack of sun is an added benefit. Typically, I will wash the car on the driveway and pull it inside the garage to dry and finish up. I try to minimize the noise while I am on the driveway (I don't allow the bucket to slam onto the cement), but you can definitely hear noise when filling up the bucket or spraying down the car. Obviously I am not using a pressure washer and I am not using the vacuum at this hour.

Is this practice acceptable, or do you folks think that this type of activity generates too much noise and makes me an inconsiderate neighbor?
 
Not gonna lie... read this and immediately thought "it is ENTIRELY too cold to wash a car by hand!" but then I saw your location
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Like rooflessVW said, as long as it doesn't involve a pressure washer you're fine in my opinion.

Parking on the street though... 1st and last neighborhood I lived in people always were always parked on the road. Mostly blind corner that people like to fly around? Better park my car in such a way that it forces people even further into the blind spot!
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I wouldn't worry about it assuming there's no rules saying you can't.

You'd make more noise throwing trash out IMO.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
10 would be a bit late. 8, not so much.

Agreed.. having a quiet neighborhood is nice and all but it shouldn't come at the expense of being able to wash one's car at a reasonable time and 8pm is reasonable IMO.

The neighbors can just deal with it...
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
If filling a water bucket with a hose at 8pm causes any disturbance in your neighborhood then you have bigger issues.

+1.. right!
 
Our city has an ordinance about noise (loud noise, parties, etc.) that states it should be quiet between 10PM and 7AM. I always thought those hours lined up pretty well with common courtesy - 10PM to 7AM covers normal sleeping hours for the majority of your neighbors. Most hotels ask for similar hours of quiet from their guests.

That said, washing a car is pretty quiet. I find it hard to imagine that the water spraying on the car (or in the bucket) is that disturbing.

So, a relatively quiet activity completed before 10PM should not pose a problem for anyone.
 
I always felt my neighbors can make as much noise as they want, as long as their not doing it to annoy me.

Because if their trying to annoy me, they probably will.
 
I would ask my neighbors how they felt. Our opinions won't matter nearly as much as theirs.


That way you could meet them and establish some rapport with them. You would start off as kind and respectful. First impressions...

And the fact you are asking us shows me you have a little concern. That's a good thing. I'd respect what my conscious is making me aware of.
 
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Like others have said, washing a car is relatively quiet and not intrusive. If you were running a leaf blower, pressure washer, or doing construction that would be a different matter.
 
Originally Posted by Gebo
I would ask my neighbors how they felt. Our opinions won't matter nearly as much as theirs.


That way you could meet them and establish some rapport with them. You would start off as kind and respectful..


Agreed, if people know you they are less likely to go ape on you. 9 out of 10 times.

But...

If you look too hard and ask too many questions...
You will always find that one guy that doesn't think you should own a car let alone have one be seen outside.

Just be prepared to encounter that and don't engage on the subject long when you do.

So I Agree with being friendly but the reality is you shouldn't have to ask permission to hand wash a car, should be no more annoying than idling a car for hours on end and scraping windshield at 2am as is common practice here.
 
I'm in a nicer neighborhood, lake view with a lot of $150-$250K houses - mine excluded, and all of the neighbors seem to have the mindset of "If it's not happening on my property it's not my concern". I like it like that. Once in a while one of the neighbors is a bit loud at night. Once in a while I'm loud at night. Everyone so far seems to be reasonable.
 
Ask the neighbors if they think it's ok prior to doing it.

Isn't 8pm too dark, though? If you work late hours, maybe weekends would be better.
 
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