To think my neighbour's Halloween decorations epitomise how abusurd their setup is? (Pic attached)

It does sound weird and annoying. No idea why you’d put decorations out when you’re not there.

And for building works to go on that long must be a right pain as the neighbour. It does impact. Totally get it. And agree.

There’s only so much that can be done to a house so I do not get how they are never getting finished either but there’s no obvious answers.

I can see why this would be a constant topic. We have things going on around our house, particularly with one set of neighbours, that as a family we’ve lived with, all know about, comment on, and continue to comment on!

But your neighbours aren't buying, doing up and selling. You've said yourself, they've owned the property for 3 years and they're making an investment by updating the property.

They aren't deliberately making noise, the modernisations cause noise. If you feel they are making excessive noise you can keep a diary of all the times they're banging and drilling, present it to the planning department of your local authority and they can determine if it's causing local environmental disturbance,... ah wait, you can't do that, because you don't live there, you're at uni.

if it's dusty then why are you expecting them to live there, surely that the whole reason why they're not living there.

I don’t see how a single property can be repeatedly redeveloped at a profit? People buy doer uppers but it makes no sense to buy one already done to start over 🤷🏼‍♀️

😂😂😂

I know what you mean. The entire area where we live are all bungalows built in 1930. Almost everyone has an extension built onto generous sized gardens to create a large kitchen diner and have had loft conversions to accommodate 2 extra bedrooms. All good and OK…we’ve done the same, but within a 2 month period.
However recently there have been many people buying these properties and extending right up to the boundaries and are so close they could almost be sharing a gutter.
These are people are different in that they never intend to move into the house and have built massive extensions and sold on, making a massive profit in doing so, they are property speculators Although I can’t object formally its a hell of an inconvenience for their neighbours.

For 2 years now I’ve had tradesmen’s vans blocking my driveway, dust finding it’s way into my home and into my car and the constant noise from Mon-Fri 8am to 4pm.
I think it’s taking so long to complete the renovations because they will have more than one project on the go and any one time.
The Hallowe’en thing is just weird! 🤷‍♀️

They prob are wanting to flip it for profit and are trying to avoid taxes / higher insurance on an empty non-primary residence if you have that where you are.

Loads of decs like that near us

I don’t get the whole TLDR thing. So for that, YABU 😅

I imagine it can be annoying to live next to a house that’s under constant development. That said, I think you’re deeply over invested in what your neighbours are doing, and your mother’s analysis of the Halloween decorations is unhinged (to put it mildly).

No neighbours and Halloween decorations all year round? That's actually my dream. I keep Halloween decorations in my house all year because I prefer it to typical homewares. Got cute skulls, buntings etc.

If your asthma is so bad that you can't handle your neighbour's home renovations you need to live in a bubble. That's the most ridiculous complaint I've ever heard.

Maybe get a hobby that isn't watching a house 24/7?

Crikey, if they were laundering while working for JP Morgan they'd be risking a (presumably) very well-paid career!

Back in the heady days of property flipping, it was sometimes worth carrying out 'Allowable Capital Improvements' which could be offset against capital gains tax when the place was sold for a gigantic profit. Doesn't feel like that would work now. But they could be exploiting some other wizard wheeze - I'm not exactly an expert on investment angles!

This is the most plausible explanation for the constant renovations to permanently unoccupied homes, I think.

I like the graveyard scene.

Just to wind your mum up even more, OP, the owners might move on to running brothels at the homes. Perhaps your mum's curiosity's the only reason they haven't moved the women in yet ... tell her to keep her eyes peeled for trip hazards when she puts the bins out 👀

Maybe no one lasts that long because of the neighbours? 😉

It does definitely sound as if something dodgy is going on there. I'm inclined to think along the same lines as your mum.
In the context of what you've observed, that particular choice of Halloween decoration might indicate something more sinister. A warning to heed perhaps...

Also agree, constant banging and drilling, not to mention builders dust flying over the fence can drive you mad. Been there.

As an aside, I hate feeling forced to rush through all the wonderful festivities of the year.
I for one, will NOT be taking down my Halloween window lights until it is time for me to dazzle the neighbours with my spectacular array of Christmas lights.... .. in a couple of weeks time!! (Also, I can't be arsed to bugger about putting them all away at the mo!)

It’s absolutely none of your business. Or your family’s business.

It would seem odd to me to bother decorating a house I'm not living in. When people travel, they tend not to decorate the house they actually do live in most of the time, so I don't know why anyone would spend time and money on this. Still, it's their time and money, I guess.

I don’t understand. Unless there’s something illegal going on then I don’t see how there’s any issue at all here.

Your issue seems to be that you’re allowing your curtain twitching tin foil hat mother to make you similarly unhinged.

I’m finding it really hard to picture this road with all these big houses in that nobody ever lives in. Not doubting what you’re saying, I just can’t imagine it. I agree it doesn’t sound very much like a community but I think if my house was worth several million I’d just sell up and go and live somewhere else.

But the context is meaningless. They did building works and didn’t move in yet. So now the Halloween decorations are some sort of terrible oddity that never should have been allowed. You’re at uni, it’s a Friday night. GO OUT.