Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be sick and tired of my new neighbour's renovation project?

10 replies

katykat5 · 29/05/2014 08:55

One of my elderly neighbours passed away a year ago. Since then, the house has been bought by a developer (who seemingly has no consideration at all for existing neighbours.) We live in a terraced house.

He has completely ripped everything out of the house -windows, doors, fireplaces, walls etc and has made the maximum amount of noise and mess possible. For months now we've had about 5 workmen in the garden (which our kitchen overlooks) shouting, throwing heavy objects, starting huge fires in the garden which are right next to our wall. They are there most days. The fires are the worst because they have been burning everything they've ripped out which causes thick black smoke and ruins any washing you have hanging out. Another neighbour complained once and these workmen just swore at him and gave him abuse.

There is currently a massive pile of bricks and rubble stacked against our front room wall. Late at night, I hear people from the street unloading their bricks on to it because you can see it from outside. They won't hire a skip or dispose of it normally because they seem to be doing this on the cheap. It's a real eyesore and I feel like I'm overlooking a building site. I also worry about my cat as she likes to go into that garden which is full of sharp bricks and glass.

Today I've been woken up at 7.50am by windows being smashed out and now there is a constant drilling vibrating through my house where they are bulldozing part of the wall. I am supposed to be working from home today but I can't concentrate. There is nowhere in the house where you can't hear this loud banging and drilling.

I understand that there will be some noise when developing a property but this neighbour is taking the piss now and I'm sick of it. I can rarely have a lie in on my days off or work from home or sit in the garden because of the noise. There is no telling when it will be over either as it's been like this for months.

OP posts:
Scrounger · 29/05/2014 08:58

Not an expert in this area but I thought that you couldn't burn harmful substances in your garden? (Just read it on other threads) could you contact environmental health and the noise team, there should be restrictions on when building work can be undertaken.

Ronmione · 29/05/2014 09:04

That's awful! Whenever I watch grand designs I always feel sorry for the neighbours. Wait till he moves in (although I suspect it's by to let) turn your speakers to the wall and play carly rea jepsen or something equally annoying in repeat for hours

OldBeanbagz · 29/05/2014 09:13

I'd speak to environmental health.

They can't just burn rubbish like that. In some areas there are limits on when you can burn rubbish (and indeed what you can burn) and i know my DCs school have approached local homeowners asking them not to light bonfires during school hours.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask them to restrict working hours either. Is the rubble pile on your propery? Why are people unloading bricks on to it late at night? Is this the workmen or other people?

katykat5 · 29/05/2014 10:00

The rubble pile is leaning against the wall of our front room because our house backs into the side of their garden. When the developer visited we said we were concerned about it causing damage and he said it wouldn't cause any damage and would be moved by the end of that week. That was 3 weeks ago.

The people throwing bricks on the pile late at night are just people from the area dumping their stuff on the cheap. Rough looking people who are using it as a chance to dump their crap basically. I will contact environmental health if there's another fire.

OP posts:
mumtobetothree · 29/05/2014 11:09

Do what our neighbours do, everytime they have a bonfire call the fire brigade and grossly exaggerate!

My husband burnt some sticks and things from our garden, in a proper fire bin thing (you know, the metal ventilated bins with a lid with a chimney on) about 9pm one evening. He'd knocked the neighbours and double checked that no one would be doing anything outside (highly unlikely on a winters night but you never know) and that they wouldn't accidentally leave any washing out or anything, everyone seemed happy, yet within 10 minutes of lighting it we had a fire engine! Won't be doing that again!!

MacenroeTheBoatAshore · 29/05/2014 11:25

oh you poor thing, I was about to start a similar thread about bloody neighbours.

ive asked them very politely to at least let us know when theyre doing loud work as DC has mental disabilities and the noise and stuff freak her to the point of having a fit and me having to call an ambulance.

how considerate they are then- not. they couldn't give a rats arse.

I contacted env health and noise people but their answer was theyre entitled to do it! what, at all hours? we are virtually housebound as it is as I am physically disabled.

fair enough they want to improve their house but at all hours as yours, OP?

I really do feel for you.

and I agree, call the fire brigade about the fires theyre doing.

TheFuzz · 29/05/2014 11:30

Do not call the Fire Brigade. That's wasting essential resources - someone else might die. Your number will be logged also, so you could get in trouble.

Environmental Health and or the Council - phone them.

magichandles · 29/05/2014 11:31

I feel your pain. We've been living next door to a development (kept the shell of the house but completely ripped out the inside, build a new back and put a new roof on, plus everything else) and it is nearly finished now but it has been driving me mad since they started in October.

I'm not against development per se and they have been mostly as considerate as they can be, but it is just so draining living next door to it, especially as I'm at home all day. The bit that really winds me up about our developers is that as there is limited parking on our road, they block our driveway pretty much permanently. They do move if you ask them, but it just pisses me off that I have to leave the house a good 5 minutes before I need to so that they can find the driver and move, and then I have to sit in the middle of the road honking my horn to get them to move when I get back.

They are out there, blocking me in at the moment. I've given up looking out of the window as it just sends my blood pressure up, even if I have no intention of going out!

peeveddoesntcoverit · 29/05/2014 14:20

I feel your pain too. The neighbours at the bottom of our garden have been doing up their house for a year and a half now. It's a gorgeous 17th Century building and they've refurbished the whole thing from the foundations up as it was a complete wreck so there have been builders, roofers, little JCB machines etc. making noise for months and months now. And it still doesn't look anywhere near finished. Sad

MacenroeTheBoatAshore · 29/05/2014 16:51

I still think thefire brigade SHOULD be called as the builders might be burning dangerous chemicals/materials.

one call one time and they'll be aware of it.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread