Noisy neighbours destroying your WFH experience — practical fixes
by Maisarah Ismail·May 26, 2026
My neighbour started a home renovation two months ago. Here's what I tried, in order of how well it worked.
Didn't work: Earplugs (can't hear calls), noise-cancelling headphones alone (not enough for heavy drilling).
Partially worked: White noise machine (helps with ambient noise, not impact noise).
Actually worked:
- Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones on ANC max + music, good enough for everything except heavy drilling
- Krisp.ai noise cancellation app, the neighbour's drilling disappeared entirely from my end of calls. The other party couldn't hear it even when I could. This alone solved 80% of my problem.
- Rescheduled calls to morning before the drilling typically started
Nuclear option I haven't needed: Paying for a co-working space day pass on heavy drilling days.
Krisp is the real recommendation here, free tier is usable, paid is worth it.