If you have a big extension to your home, AIBU to think you should consider the impact on your neighbours?

You sound quite bitter tbh

if your objections weren’t upheld during planning there’s nothing you can do, it may not even be that noisy

our neighbours had a double storey extension and I didn’t notice the noise much

Oh poor you! They want to improve their home. Jerks. Well, you don’t have to put up with that. Go over there with a briefcase with £1m and buy the house from them and then you shall have the right to say what happens to it.

We live in a flat so there are no extensions, but we do still hear a lot of renovation work. Our management company are very strict that noise can only happen between 9 and 5 on weekdays and I think that most local authorities have 8.30 - 6.00, though they do allow Saturday morning working.

Not recent, but our neighbours wanted to build a huge, single storey but tall red brick square extension which would have taken up half of their garden. Both we and the other neighbour objected and it was not given permission. Now that you can build many extensions without permission I suspect that it might have gone ahead.

Everyone and their dog seems to be getting extensions where I live! One finishes and the next starts. The noise is annoying but it's the loud radio music played that really misses me off! Xx

Sadly it is all legal and noting you can do. I would say it is better people renovating and adding value to the area.

I say all this with a heavy heart that one of our neighbours gave daily banging and drilling for over a year, yes even Sundays. They have a lovely wrap extension, we just had headaches and stress.

If people don’t want to live next to people who may carry out building work on their house they should buy somewhere without neighbours.

And all extensions / new builds should only be allowed if the property owner/developer will make it energy efficient via things like solar and not just one panel to suffice, heat pumps and such.

Want to upgrade your home great but make it better for environment while you do it.

And no fully fake gardens tbh full
of concrete and plastic.

If you don’t want to be inconvenienced by others, maybe it’s you that incapable having neighbours. I’ve had neighbours blast their music all summer however they’ve done it where it was legal & I’ve had neighbours have renovation work. To expect to not be inconvenienced is to be entitled. People looking after their properties raise the standard of the area. If they add £10k to their home and others then do work (which tends to happen) it raises the house prices of everyone’s.

Blimey I think our planning rules are incredibly lax! I'd make them stricter! Though more for established developers who build crap quality houses.

For individuals my biggest bugbear is turning bungalows into houses. I think it should only be allowed in certain circumstances eg you buy a plot in the countryside with a ramshackle bungalow on it - you can do what you like then. Although if a plot is a reasonable size I think it should be used for more than one house.

And there should be strict laws about noise when work is being done. You can't help the noise of the tools but the actual builders can be a lot quieter.

I do take your point about the outside loo ;)

So you’d rather they lived there making the build a longer project because every evening they have to have water, electricity etc. Rather than just having the builders leave as is and pick up
each morning?

As I said previously a turkey voting for Christmas ….. if they can afford to move out, good for them and a quicker build and less disruption for everyone.

You don't say if you engaged at all in the planning process, did you comment on the application or try to speak with them about how it would affect you?

I do agree with you that people seem to be able to get away with some quite anti-social stuff when it comes to building extensions, you can protect your access to natural light and not be overlooked, but you have no right to keep your view.

But basically yes you have to suck it up, it does have to be built and that is disruptive, and honestly it would probably be even worse if you had a family coming and going along with all the builders. When we had our kitchen redone there were times when we had 9 different tradies here at the same time so it can be chaotic but it won't be forever.

It was a benefit that you enjoyed but you’re not entitled to the view forever more.

Look up, you can still see the sky and trees or move.

Your neighbours have every right to renovate the house and land they bought.

Because they found a house they can make into what they want. For them. Not taking on and adapting somebody else’s work.

You will have known about this, I don’t buy the phrase “we just found out”. When they applied for planning permission/permitted development did you object or feedback? Did they revise their plans? What was your discussion with the planning officer when they did a site visit?

Unfortunately, though, depending on what kind of work they're having done it could take literally twice as long if they do it during the winter as some work can't be done during or straight after very wet weather. Again, it's unfortunate but the problem is that 'good building days' and 'good sitting in the garden days' are the same sort of day for a lot of types of work.

Houses need to be updated,repaired, restored. We don't live in a museum. It's a normal ongoing process.

In the 14 years since I bought our home, I've had an extension built, had the roof replaced (4 weeks of scaffolding), had a conservatory and its concrete base removed, had all new windows and exterior doors fitted, added a log burner and lined the chimney.

Opposite me they are building 46 houses. We've had endless lorries coming and going for 8 months. They reversed through my front fence. They make noise from 7.30am to 6pm. They cover the road in mud.

It won't last forever. As long as they stick to planning, and health & safety, we just get on with life. There is no alternative.

Communication, definitely yes.
However, what’s wrong with people going on holiday or moving out during their renovation? What difference does it make to anybody around?

Not being unreasonable but I also think this is just part of living in a city. We have extended, and both neighbours have also extended, one of them needing half our side return for an entire summer to build out in to their garden. I was a bit of a pain to them during the planning process, blocking massive windows that impacted our privacy, but also having creative control over what kind of wall we ended up looking at - we now have a very beautiful brick wall that we have put lights up on and planted agaisnt - we made the best of a situatation, and frankly, it would probably be worth your time and energy doing the same - if there's nothing you can do about it, you may as well try and make the best of it. Good luck though, it is really frustrating when they decide to do it over summer, like ours - our garden was pretty much out of action from April - September when they did theirs, I didn't like them at all during the process and now we just don't communicate at all.

You need to check the deeds to the property. A lot actually state no right to light.

Because this is the cheaper option for them.

You may have bought your house but you didn’t buy the view. So you have been lucky enough to enjoy a view - as a freebie - for as long as you have, but that time has unfortunately come to an end.

If you had originally bought your house because of the view then that was very short sighted. If a view is still important to you, you’ll have to move out to the sticks where less development takes place.

YABU

I couldn’t agree with you more. We’re in exactly the same position. Our new neighbours bought a lovely Victorian semi that had been really lovingly restored and maintained but before they’ve even moved in, they have completely butchered the house and are having a monstrous great box built on the back and almost the entire ground floor will be open plan. The noise has been unbearable for the last three months and has made it difficult for me working from home. The party wall award isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, and no-one has been interested on the two occasions when the builders have taken a jackhammer to the other side of the party wall and I’ve watched cracks open up across the adjacent ceilings as they’re drilling. This is despite the party wall award stating that no percussive tools can be used for plaster removal or demolition of the party wall. No-one is interested in enforcing the permitted working hours - the builders aren’t allowed to start work before 9 on a Saturday, but it appears to be acceptable for them to ignore this and start drilling and demolishing at 7.30 - the council tell me that one of their officers has to witness noise nuisance but they don’t start work until 8 on Saturdays and by the time I’ve managed to get through and reported the nuisance, it’s nearly 9 by the time anyone could get here to witness the nuisance.

as you said - why can’t they buy a house tjst is the right size and layout for their needs rather than destroying a beautiful old period property, and making life hell for neighbours.

You may be right but, (i) you need to have the money to sue your neighbour and (ii) That's not the professional advice I was given (by 3 completely different firms) when my neighbour completely ruined our house. All said that whilst I could sue him, since no report was done illustrating the condition of the property before he created the damage, I'd have an extremely hard time proving anything and any claim would therefore be unlikely to succeed.

I think YABU, which is not to say you aren’t allowed to be annoyed - but you have to think of the bigger picture.

We had a big extension done a few years ago, essentially doubling the size of our home. It was definitely unpleasant for neighbours - we discussed it with them extensively and were very sympathetic to their concerns. We also plied them with good meals, spa appointments, Christmas hampers etc. Fast forward a few years, it’s their turn to have their house done, and we have a year of disturbance ahead, so it’s swings and roundabouts. I have spent many hours advising them and helping with their project.

Meanwhile properties on our road are shooting up in value, because of homeowners like me who are investing in making the housing stock better.

As a neighbour, you benefit from the fact that the house next door has increased in value - it’s the halo effect.

The housing stock in England is very low quality, and not meeting modern life needs, so it’s no surprise that people want to improve it. Open living spaces, better insulation and windows, more storage and bathrooms, ventilation and energy efficient measures are needed in most homes. It’s part and parcel of home ownership - you have your parcel of land, and try to make the most of it. I’m afraid as a homeowner, you have to suck it up - there’s no point getting angry about it as it’s not within your control and your neighbours have a legitimate right to improve their home.