To dread neighbours' extension

[partyskirt]

Neighbours are just starting an extension on their house and moving out for 6 months -- how intrusive/bad will it be, do you think? What hours do builders tend to work? I don't want them messing about with baby wake-up/bedtime. Ugh.

[PenisesAreNotPink]

Well it will mess about with it if your baby sleeps during the day

Go out for a buggy walk/drive at nap time?

[naturalbaby]

Yikes! the relentless banging and hammering did my head in. It was only bad in the beginning while they got the steel supports in.

[Nancy66]

It will be noisy and a complete pain but not much you can do and you really can't expect them to accommodate your baby's nap time.

[KatyN]

Our neighbours had work done and I asked the builders when they stopped for lunch. They had seen that I had a toddler and we worked out that he could go down for a nap while they had lunch. he would then sleep through whatever niose they made while he was asleep. I took them tea and bisuits as a thank you.

I would guess they will work 8 till 4 or there abouts.

[RiverTam]

I'm afraid it was a bit of a nightmare when our old neighbour got his done, and I was working from home and pregnant at the time. And now the news neighbours are getting more work done grrrrrrr.

I would actually see if you can have a word with both neighbours and builders - it's all very well for them, they won't be living with it, but you would hope in the interests of neighbourly relations you could come to some kind of agreement with regard to the baby's naps. Nothing ventured, nothing gained blah blah .

[RiverTam]

our were more like 8-6 , they were depressingly hardworking Romanians. We did ask them not to start any loud work until after 9, which they did, though as they'd dug a hole on our land without our permission that DH fell into, they bloody well had to do what we wanted .

[MrsCampbellBlack]

It will be a pain I'm sure and I doubt the builders will accommodate baby's naps.

Builders round here tend to start at 8am and finish around 5pm mon-fri.

We're going to be having extensive building works done but so have all of our neighbours in the last 3 years so I won't feel bad.

[Fudgeface123]

I work in construction and we cannot start noisy works before 8.00 a.m. or after 7.00 p.m. Obvs your neighbour's builders will be a small outfit so may not stick to those rules but hopefully they will

[partyskirt]

I have just found out what they're getting --

A) a first floor extension on the back (above the existing ground floor one. They're actually having their extension extended as they already have half a second storey, if you see what I mean).

B) Their basement extended under their front room including a lightwell and window onto/under the street.

AIBU to think that a) will be hassley but b) will be less disruptive? Surely they won't be able to get a digger machine into the house and will have to do it with buckets etc quietly ?

[naturalbaby]

We only had a loft conversion. No diggers. Still did my head in with all the bashing. Just cutting bricks was noisy enough. Sorry!

[daisychain01]

partyskirt

I have just found out what they're getting Im surprised you only just found out, you should have received the planning application through your door from the council. And if your neighbours were being considerate they could have nipped round with the plans even before the application to explain the work to you (and get you on-side!)

Something to be aware of is the noise of the workmen's radio! Sounds trivial, but in our last house,our neighbours over the road had an extension built and on the days I worked from home I had to put up with their radio full-blast from 8 am until 4pm. I did end up making a formal complaint to my neighbour after putting up with it for a week and they were lovely and responsive, within a day the radio was much quieter. I know workmen love their radio, but they don't think people are around in the day, so put it up to #10 until someone complains!

[poohbunny]

Our neighbours are having an extension built (single story) - I joke that it's the longest building job in history as they have been doing it since March and still aren't finished! They are a small band of builders and they obviously have several jobs on the go as they appear - do a bit - and then disappear for a day or two. They rarely start before 10.00am and are usually gone by 4.00pm. The noise hasn't been too bad but I have found the invasion of our privacy quite annoying - because they are obviously always up a ladder doing the roof, they can see straight into our garden and seem to assume that if we are in ours that we want to engage in constant joking/banter. A quick hello and chat is fine but we also want to feel comfortable going into our garden to do chores / relax without feeling we are being 'observed' all the time.

Re. the specific works you have listed - I believe basement work can be very noisy and disruptive to neighbours - a lot of properties in London are having this done and if you Google 'Basement construction impact on neighbours' you can find plenty of information on this - mainly relating to the London Boroughs.

The impact on you will entirely depend on what style of house you are in though - are you in a terrace and right up next to your neighbour, semi detatched etc.

I would have a chat to your neighbour - ask them how long the works will go on for - what time the builders will be on site etc. Simply by asking them some simple questions may prompt them into thinking a bit more about the impact the works will have on those around them and being a bit more considerate.

Like others have suggested go onto your Council's planning website too to see the specific details of the work.

[coffeeinbed]

Sorry to add to your woes but they won't be able to finish in 6 months.
If will be longer than that.
A basement and a new extension - that's a lot of work.

[Flipflops7]

You need to check the plans and get information about how the party wall is affected. I would recommend getting your own surveyor for this, not relying on the neighbours', who will be acting for their interests. Be prepared for loud noise and possible damp problems (we had this from neighbours' foundations, they weren't doing a basement. It was a bad time of year though, so if yours start soon you may escape damp). When they move back in it should improve as the work always speeds up when owners are around. You can also ask for later start times, particularly on Saturdays.

[ForalltheSaints]

It was ordained by God it seems that builders and anyone involved in construction starts at around 8am and finishes about 4pm, however convenient or otherwise it is to those around them.

[WooWooOwl]

My neighbours have recently had an extension like the 'a' you describe, it was fine. They were a bit noisy sometimes, but not enough to be intrusive.

Occasionally their builders would be able to see into our bedroom because of where they were having to work, but that's what curtains are for.

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

A basement extension involves a lot of digging and noise. Our neighbour had one done and it was hellish. Sorry.

[partyskirt]

But Lonny how did they make so much noise? These are tiny terraced houses, and they're having under their front room basement extended. Will they take all the floor up inside the room and put a truck in there?

[partyskirt]

We don't own the house, only renting -- and only recently moved in (nobody told us about this).

[partyskirt]

How long did it take Lonny?

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

I don't know how they did it, sorry . Th worst bit was knocking through the external stone walls to put the windows in, that took about a week total, was extremely noisy and covered everything in my house with an inch of dust.

They obviously won't put a truck in but they'll use hand diggers I guess? A truck would be better because it's quicker...

[partyskirt]

Oh yes, the 'lightwell' - bastards!

[partyskirt]

How long did the whole thing take?

[Tallalime]

6 months seems an awful long time. My IL's have just converted two old buildings into houses in that time.

We're allowing 6 months to do the renivations on our new house (which involves reconfiguring the entire interior, taking down walls, putting up walls, new kitchen & bathrooms, new roof and chimney relined, rebuilding the fireplace - which holds up the ceiling).

I'm not sure how they're making a small extension and adding to the basement stretch out that long The basement part will be very noisy.