New neighbours and building work - wish they'd told us!

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

Hi - the house two doors down was sold recently and the new owners are obviously having some renovations done before they move in. The block we live in is a run of 8 terraced townhouses and people are generally friendly and helpful. AIBU to think it wouldn't have taken much for the new owners of the house to pop a quick note through everyone's doors warning us of the impending noise/mess? They're clearly moving a wall or something given the noise and debris coming out into skips and it feels like my whole house is shaking - pots and pans rattling in the cupboards, pictures shaking on the walls etc. I can't imagine moving somewhere new, causing so much hassle for the neighbours and not worrying that I'd upset them from the get go. It's been a week and a half now of pretty much constant banging, hammering and drilling.

Now, I appreciate that the work needs to be done, there's always going to be some disruption in a situation like this etc - but seriously, would it have been so hard to just let us know in advance? I have a 1yo and 3 yo and naps have gone out of the window. It doesn't help that it's rained all week so we've been stuck indoors a lot. When we had a new kitchen put in we took the neighbours bottles of wine to apologise for the noise disturbance it had caused!

Yabu. Not sure why they have to tell the whole neighbourhood they are doing work. Maybe neighbour each side but no further.

I can absolutely sympathise. When our neighbours moved in they completely gutted the place and it took what felt like forever. The noise really started to get to me after a while. Is it possible that they have warned/apologised to their immediate neighbours and perhaps didn't realise that the noise would carry to you as you're two doors down?

they haven't moved in yet - give them a chance!!!!

I am moving soon and having work done - I'd be worried about the neighbours if a bit of building work caused such upset - I'd always be wondering what else would they be complaining about [worried]

In an ideal world yes, but I guess they don't realise how noisy it is if they're not living there while the work is going on.

I wouldn't hold it against them, it's pretty stressful moving house especially if they're living somewhere else before moving. Little things like this get left out especially if you don't know people in the road. Hopefully they'll be lovely when they move in.

YANBU. When we had something done we gave the neighbours warning and wine. It's just common decency

Unfortunately, not everyone is so decent.

YANBU at all. If nothing else, the new people are going to be moving into a street where most of the neighbours are already pissed off with them before they even meet. Doesn't bode well - be glad they aren't right next door to you!

I would be tempted to pop your head in to the builders next time you're walking past and (in a friendly manner) enquire for how much longer the heavy work will be going on for.

I know they're not obliged to tell us or anything - and I definitely feel for the people immediately next door - but blimey, it's SO loud. And we are not a particularly quiet household with two young children. I think it's the sustained nature of it that's annoying. Yes, the odd bit of DIY is part of everyday life, but a renovation on this scale meaning there's dust everywhere, we can't hang out washing etc. I'm surprised people wouldn't warn others. I'm not talking about the whole neighborhood lights - just the houses this will affect most. And sadly it's not just 'a bit of building work' ghost - I wish it was - it's full on pictures falling off the wall vibrations, headache inducing banging and we have no idea of how long it will go on for. Immediate neighbours don't know any more than us.

I don't think people understand unless they have actually been through this. It's just plain selfish to not warn neighbours about constant noise. For 2 years running we had the neighbours on each side renovating during the summer holidays, drilling and banging from 8am until 7.30pm for 6 weeks on one side and 3 months on the other. Not a lot you can do about it but a heads up could have given you the opportunity to make plans away from home.

Very inconsiderate, like you say a quick note through the door would be nice. A guy recently knocked on my door to say he's bought the large building which backs on to our back garden. He's having extensive work done but showed me the plans and reassured they'd instructed builders to minimise noise and mess where possible d left a number in case of any issues. It doesn't take away from the annoyance of constant drilling and hammering but knowing timescale for work and that they are doing their best to be considerate really helped!

Not sure why they have to tell the whole neighbourhood they are doing work.

Good manners.

Thanks Rat and Always. It is doubly frustrating as we've not long got back from holiday and given we have no school holiday restrictions yet, can go anytime. If we'd known, I'd have happily gone for these two weeks instead!

they may be totally unaware - talk to the builders

if they have never done work like this before and don't live there they seriously might have no idea of the impact - don't judge them too harshly

I wouldn't assume that somebody 2 doors down would be affected.

YANBU.

We had neighbours move in a few years ago and had months of work going on before they moved in. It was horrendous, all over the summer holidays. We couldn't get near our garden. Noise, dust, bonfires, builders vans all over our driveway and blocking the road, we have a little communal area for visitors parking and they had 3 or 4 skips in there, lumps of rubble and mess all over the road.

They weren't living there at the time so didn't have to put up with any of the noise, mess or disruption themselves.

A quick note wouldn't have made the noise or mess any easier to live with, but it would have been nice to have been warned, and a bit of politeness/manners goes a long way