to think it's courtesy to advise if you are putting up scaffolding?

[Panicmode1]

Got home to find our neighbours have put scaffolding up all over their house. Some of the poles overfly our property, although none of the supporting 'legs' are encroaching. When we put scaffolding up to do roof works some time ago, we let them know we were doing so, as a courtesy. AIBU to think most normal neighbours living in a semi detatched would have let their 'other halves' know?!

(Also, I now have no idea what works they are doing, whether there is anything happening on our party wall etc. and no-one is home for me to ask...)

It would have been courteous, yup. Maybe they were afraid if they told you, you would object? So many stories out there about neighbour relations going tits up as soon as building work starts.

If the party wall is affected you would have been notified. Try not to worry.

I'm not worried really, just baffled at their attitude. (Although they did ask other neighbours in the street to "have a loud party too, so we're not the only selfish ones" so perhaps I was expecting too much from them!).

They don't have any obligation to tell you they are putting up scaffolding, although it would be polite given that parts of it overhang your property.

If they had told you, you wouldn't have had grounds to object though unless there was some reason why it would damage your own property.

Just accept that some people are polite and considerate, others don't consider being polite - you know which side your neighbours fall on, so you can treat them accordingly.

Ahh from your last sentence I thought you were worried about how the works would be affecting you (also totally reasonable!)

Either they're thoughtless or didn't want to give you an opportunity to object. Neither option is great, but hopefully it'll be a quick job.

Unfortunately, so many people are just rude, it's painful to be their neigbhours. Mine did warn me when they had work done, and we are detached and not even that close. There are people who don't even bother telling the others when they live in a block of flat!

If your neighbour are having loud party in a semi.. well good luck, they sound awful.

We arranged building works and they said they would come when they could over the next few months, so we just came back to scaffolding one day, no notice to give

I had this - turned out that the elderly guy next door had been scammed by cowboys - the scaffolding was up within an hour of them knocking on his door to inform him there was something —imaginary— wrong with his roof. I went from feeling very irritated with him for not having warned us, to spending the whole next day helping him with police and trading standards. So just take a breath before you go round all guns blazing.
If there’s no sensible expalination, then no, I don’t thing you are BU to want to know what’s going on. Problems with their house might affect yours too and in any case, having people banging around on the roof for days / weeks / months (?) certainly will be a nusiance.
Contrary to what a PP says, if they’re the kind of neighbours to put up scaffolding without mentioning it, they may also be the kind to “not bother” with a party wall agreement. Watch very carefully what they’re up to and have building control ready on speed dial!

I had scoffolding up last year for our roof.

I didn't even think to inform my neighbors, can't see why I would need to as it didn't effect them. No damage to there property at all.

building work usually mean more traffic, builders parking not always in the most respectful manners, and the odd cowboys with blaring music (thankfully not all)

It's just basic manners to warn your neighbours, even they are not directly attached to you. How can that not be obvious?

More traffic for 2 roofers that arrived in one van and parked on my drive so not obstructing the road at all.

It didn't effect my neighbors so I wouldn't inform them.

There's not more traffic*

Bloody phones.

I am guessing your roofers didn't require scaffolding? I don't warn my neighbours when the window cleaner is coming either, but I would in a flat.

I also dont see the point anyway, like, what difference does it make to anything? Sure, for an extension etc, but just for a bit of scaffolding, why bother?

Does it overhang a lot then?

Catching up.....no, it doesn't overhang much, maybe a foot and a half, but we live on a street where no-one has driveways, parking is difficult and the house opposite is in the middle of a major extension, so there is already inconvenience to the street. So, had the boot been on the other foot, I would have either popped a note in, or gone over to explain what we were doing (as I did when we had our roof done).

I'm not overly worried about damage, although if they are doing a loft conversion (they have permitted plans for that), it would just have been nice to have been told, even in conversation. I saw my neighbour this morning as I went to work and it wasn't mentioned....or maybe IABU for expecting anyone to be courteous these days

I have the most vile neighbours known to man so I definitely wouldn't have bothered informing them! Yes the polite thing to do is to let you know but I guess as long as it isn't affecting you in anyway I would be a bit 'meh' about it if they are ok in every other aspect.

We have neighbours that bought the place, gutted it, parked two skips outside our house (not theirs) and had the rudest builders known to south London. For London we are a reasonably friendly neighbourhood but they never get included. If they had only popped a note through the door to say "we are really looking forward to living here, apologies for any inconvenience whilst we make our home". Perhaps they don't care (they are generally a bit weird and unfriendly)