New neighbours and building

[HoustonBess]

Currently 36 weeks pregnant, also have a toddler. Live in a Victorian terrace.

Our next door neighbour sold his house without us knowing anything about it (no sign out, didn't tell us he was moving, DH bumped into him one day and he said he'd sold and moved out).

New neighbours have not moved in but there's loads of building work going on. None of the workmen can tell me what building works are planned or give any info.

AIBU to be royally pissed off that I don't know if there will be loads of noise when I'm trying to nest/have newborn? The least the new neighbours could do is introduce themselves and give us a heads up about how long noise will last?

I know I don't get to decide if people sell their houses or have building work done, but the total lack of manners seems too much!

Unfortunately I'd say it's none of your business what the neighbours do to their house, providing any work they do doesn't cause any damage to your property. I renovate houses myself and if someone knocked on my door with a newborn baby in hand I would feel sympathetic however the work would continue. You've just got to grit your teeth and hope it doesn't go on for too long I'm afraid.

It's not that I'm trying to stop them, I'd just like to know how long it will likely go on for. I wanted to know what kind of thing they're doing (e.g. patching up roof vs loft conversion) as a guide to how long it would take.

I accept they're not doing anything in breach of the law or anything, but it seems smart/considerate to tell neighbours about things like this, you always want a return favour at some point.

We are having some building work done and I thought about warning our attached neighbours. Ultimately I didn’t bother as they’ve never been interested or friendly in the past. I wouldn’t tell them if we decided to move one day either.

I think it’s the sort of thing that’s a courtesy but not really to be expected.

With a loft conversion party wall act may be applicable, if that is what they were doing. I'm doing my loft and had to serve notices on the neighbours

I do a lot of building work and when I buy a property I knock and introduce myself to the neighbours , usually they are politely disinterested except when they feel the compulsion to complain about something - usually a lorry unloading materials - or nosy as to seeing the internal work on near completion and the £££ symbols as possible uplift in value of their own property ( mine most probably would have originally been the street eyesore )
Even though they show little interest most of the time I'm friendly without the need to be friends

Why not just pop a welcome card through the door welcoming them to the area, and a polite question about the building work and could the6 ke5 you know what’s happening

Even Permitted Development is subject to Building Control. You just have to look at a different section of the planning website for the information

Contact your council to enquire about their building restriction times... I did after months of building works including weekends and evenings. The advice was to keep a log - I was told just because they're working within hours does not mean they can do what they want noise wise if it's causing a nuisance.