To want to scream over this building work?

[ChairmanMeoww]

My NDN is having a loft conversion which feels like it has been going on forever (in reality, about 10 weeks). There are only 2/3 builders working on it which I think is why it is taking so long.

I have been off sick from work with suspected hepatitis and I think I am going insane from the noise.

My patience began to wane a little last week when the neighbour (who only spends about a week a month here, she lives overseas) described the £40k price tag as "very cheap"!

Today they started at 7:30am and it has been constant banging, drilling and electric sawing. They are still going strong at 18:30pm!

I feel like screaming and telling them to fuck off - clearly unreasonable.

Argh!!

This is going to be no consolation but when we had our loft done (with 2-3 tradesmen) it took 4.5 weeks and cost 22k. Is she having a dormer and ensuite? How is it taking so long?

I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for a timetable of work. With our neighbours we kept them updated gave them treats to apologise for the noise and on one occasion sent the guys home as the neighbour was in pre labour and wanted peace and quiet (felt bad work was timed with her pregnancy but in end work was done by time she had baby so much better than if newborn in house!)

You have my sympathies, building work noise is excruciating. Shame your neighbour isn't being more accommodating. Go round and get a timetable of finishing and ask for quiet periods in the day?

NDN said thank you when we signed the disclaimer, but has never made any apologetic noises about the disruption.

My Mum had her loft done a few years ago and it was same cost/time as yours LadyCurd so no idea why this is taking so long. We only live in small terraced houses so it's hardly a loft conversion on Buck Palace!

She is a bit of a Hyacinth Bucket type character (nice enough, but always bragging about her many homes, expensive decor etc) so I wouldn't be surprised if the actual cost is much lower.

Strange - with all that cash to burn I'm surprised she lives here, in this roughed up corner of London!

Ps thank you for the great tips re quiet periods and timetable - will get onto that!

My NDNs has been a building site for the last 18 months, there have been times when I've thought the noise was going to drive me insane so you have my sympathy. Are you not covered by noise regulations, I don't know exactly what they're called but here they can only do noisy works between 8am-10am, 12-2pm and 4pm-6pm mon to fri and sat 8am-12.

Maybe it's worth speaking to the council?

What disclaimer?

That does sound like a very long time for them to do the work. Does it look nearly finished? The end must surely be in sight and it will soon be a distant memory! You could ask them to start at 8am and finish at 5pm. When I've had builders in they would be happy to do this.

Stop whinging and go and speak to the builders and your NDN ASAP . The builders won't know that it bothers you unless you tell them.

The builders will know that they are not allowed to work so late. Look up what is deemed as reasonable hours by your local authority. There IS legislation regulations noise.

<a class="break-all" href="//Hwww.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/noise_animalcontrol/noise/keeping_noise_down.htm#7__building_work_and_diy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here is an example from one London borough

7:30 - 6:30 is not too awful but I can understand your frustration, especially as you have been ill.

Par for the course with this sort of thing, I think. We had ours done 9 years ago - again, 2 or 3 builders and a 6 week job turned out to be at least 12 weeks. I suppose if they told you the truth about how long it would take you might have second thoughts! Towards the end it got very frustrating as different trades had to come in to do their various jobs but there would be several days on the trot when nobody came. We could have cut at least a fortnight off the build time if people just turned up when they were needed and didn't hold everybody up. It was the last summer before DS1 started school and I wanted to be able to spend time enjoying our last days of freedom before getting caught up in work and school timetables and we couldn't use the garden for most of the time. The noise was an issue too as DS was still a baby 9mths old. Not great.

We have just had a porch done - filling in an open canopy over the front door with walls windows and a new front door. A '10 day' job which started at the beginning of June only got finished today. It wasn't really disruptive thank goodness, but it does feel like it is never going to end for apparently no good reason!

You have my sympathy OP.

Disclaimer - my lazy shorthand for the party wall agreement.

Thanks all for your tips/support. I love MN!

Today seems to be a little bit quieter than yesterday, touch wood. Neighbour has missed the entire project as she has been at her overseas home. I do wonder if the builders have taken advantage of her lack of oversight to fit the job in at awkward hours/in amongst other jobs etc.