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

They brought a claim against the surveyor who was representing us which went to a kind of 'surveyor court'. The person evaluating the claim said they couldn't find that either surveyor had acted incorrectly, and costs for his time in evaluating the claim were to be equally shared between the neighbours and us as no fault on either side. And yes we paid it, we were selling our house (partly to get away from these awful neighbours) and couldn't risk it being recorded as a charge or open dispute against our home. Wrong, but worth every penny to get away from them.

Apparently the people who moved into our home are even worse than them, according to someone we know who lives in our old street. Karma coming back around I think!

YABU.

It’s their plot of land so the size they’re extending by is really irrelevant if the plot of land can accommodate it.

Noise etc does not last forever.

People extend as it’s cheaper than buying the equivalent already done, typically.

YANBU the house behind us had a huge extension on the entire width of the back of their house taking up half their back garden then complained in the summer when we had a BBQ that the smoke was going in their kitchen through their open bifold doors 🙄

I've just remembered that about a year after I reported the man who built an extra storey on his house, we had our ancient and very dodgy roof replaced. Then I got a letter from the council saying we needed to get it signed off - the roofer, who we know well, said this never happens! Anyway, the same chap from the council came round, had a look from outside, said "Very nice!", went up into the loft to confirm that we'd had it properly insulated (we had) and we got some sort of building regs certificate. It was no big deal, but I vaguely wondered at the time if Third-Storey-Man had reported us. 😄

So basically try to be a spiteful busy body to get revenge because you cant handle just getting on with your life while others do the same?
Not positive personality traits to promote.

Have they got planning? You need to put in objections about light at the planning stage.

It's frustrating and I wouldn't be thrilled either.

I think there's a balance to be struck but ultimately, building work is noisy and there's no real way to make it otherwise and builders seem genetically hardwired to like soft rock radio stations at volume. However, it is time limited. The trend towards WFH is ironically on both sides of the argument- WFH makes an extension more likely as people need more space but other people's extensions are then more disruptive. If you're out at work all day you'd likely hardly notice. Weirdly I don't really mind building noise but find barking dogs and bass super stressful.

We lived attached to a building project for a year - I was attached to my noise blocking AirPods when working from home. We are moving now and will need to do work to the new detached house. I am very conscious of selecting a well recommended builder and ensuring they are considerate to neighbours/park considerately, clear up mess promptly etc. I think if the builders are considerate there’s not much more you can do. Our build should reduce overlooking if we get permission so we hope benefits neighbours ultimately.
There are other noises that can be worse. I find endlessly screaming children more grating.

This kind of attitude is hilarious. To think that people would have to consider neighbours issues and restrict their plans is crazy . If it is allowed and legal you are soo unreasonable to try and alter things to your own convience . Work in winter so you can open your window in summer ??? No way would I allow anyone to try and control my build like that . Where do you think you are living ? In a National Trust property ?. And who do you think you are ? More important than the homeowners ? An Englishman 's home is his castle and MN proves this over and over . No parking in front of my house , no looking in my window , no noise in the garden except my own . Entitled much ?

Where is that laughing emoji!

Perhaps this poster thinks that when Jesus preached to love your neighbour, he primarily meant by not doing any building works? Maybe they think that the whole issue with the moneylenders in the temple was that Jesus was very concerned about whether proper change of use process had been followed.

My neighbour is having the back of their house re-insulated and called me last night to discuss it. She needs my consent because the builders have to put the scaffolding in my garden in order to do it . I have a pergola at one end of the garden and told her that I don’t want them getting building materials all over it. She said they would cover it. I also told her to cover up some piping that I can see from my balcony and garden and she was fine about it. Actually I’m glad she’s having it done because it will look better and probably add to the value of my place!

The thing is, we almost all live in homes that would have inconvenienced someone at some point when they were built, and which may well have inconvenienced someone at some point since. I've never done any building work at all to a property I lived in, but I'm sat in a garage conversion/extension that the previous owner of this house did and which improved it greatly. I live on a road built in the 70s. It was fields before, and I'm sure they were mourned, and the road being built would certainly have affected views. There aren't many houses on the street that are left with the original 70s layout and footprint, and those that are in a bit of a sorry state. Building, updating and adapting housing is part of life and while it is difficult to have drawn the short straw of living next door to that process, it is ridiculous to suggest that it should just stop entirely so that no one is inconvenienced.

YANBU
Our new neighbours had an extension before they moved in. I don't think they needed planning permission as it was within the length allowed. The first we knew of it was the week before when they called to tell us. It lasted 3 months and it was awful. The noise every day from 8am to 5pm, radio blaring out, hammering, screeching power tools. We didn't complain until the last week when one day they were still drilling at 9pm. DH was WFH most of the time too. Afterwards they thanked us for our patience. We had no choice really!
The only positive is it hasn't affected any light or view. If it had I think I'd have flipped my lid.

We did some work a few years ago, took the plans round to the neighbours on both sides before they were submitted to show them what we were doing. It was a single storey side extension. Neighbours on the side of the new extension said, to our face "lovely, that will nice for you when it's done".

They then proceeded to bitch and complain to all and sundry that they weren't told, that they lost light into their kitchen etc.

They might have lost light into their kitchen, but they had a side window and a window facing into the back garden like us, but they bricked up the window that looked into the back garden a few years ago when they built a back extension.

We tried to be as considerate and as courteous as possible and the guy running the project was very polite to them, ensured that none of the trades parked outside their house (probably pissed off the people further down the road though) and we paid to replace all the fencing down that side even though we strictly didn't have to.

But they complained about anything and everything. Ruined our relationship.

Which is ironic as the lady had, prior to all this, been telling us that when she inherited her parents bungalow she sold it to developers who did a complete overhaul and turned it into a two storey home with a very large extension. So that was OK for her to do, but our fairly modest project was the end of the world.

Yes, this happened to me. They built right up to the boundary, my garden border was destroyed in the process. They didn't get a party wall agreement but, who knew, apparently it's not a crime not to get one!

I ended up moving, it was an absolute eyesore but 'permitted development '. They built on their whole back garden. Cunts

Why didn’t you object at planning permission stage? One of our neighbours bought their house and immediately planned a massive extension, another neighbour objected and the plans were amended. We still had building work for six months but you just have to live with that, it’s part of life

People have the right to live where they want and build an extension with the appropriate planning. Is it annoying? Yes. Is there anything you can do about it? No. If you are not happy then you move? It is outrageous to suggest that they shouldn’t have bought the house

Unless they’re breaching planning rules, YABU.

YANBU to be miffed, raging even, but they’ve obviously chosen that house for a reason and they’re entitled to do what they please with it.

what do you expect them to do exactly OP? Not buy a house and do work just because of a neighbour?!

That’s the norm for this page lol

Ha! Are you one of my neighbours? A man near us did this, turning an approved loft extension (with skylights) into a whole new storey with full-sized windows, overlooking other people and building out their light. The neighbours wailed and the planners obviously paid no attention to their phone calls, saying "Put it in writing", which they didn't. Eventually I got sick of the drama and emailed with photos and their objections. The Head Planning Honcho rubbed his hands in glee, turned up the same day, stopped the work and made them restore the monstrosity to its previous height. They never did the loft extension, claiming that the fiasco had cost them £180k. Serve them bloody well right!

Likely bought it with a view to extend … maybe couldn’t afford anything bigger.

My parents spent loads on a small extension half the size the wanted so as not to upset difficult neighbour by going too close to her garden etc. two years later she did her own monstrous extension going right up to their fence and peering into their garden and kitchen.

What’s them being Christian got to do with building works?

Maybe they moved after a year due to the neighbours?

Are you suggesting that they shouldn’t be free to sell it whenever they feel like it just because they had building work done?