To hate my neighbours and their million pound basement??

[Amimissingsomethinghere]

Okay so yes IABU but lord help me guys I don't know what to do.

Background - we live in central London on a quiet street in the ground floor flat of a converted terrace house. Next door they are returning the whole house (basically ripping everything out top to toe) and then adding in a very elaborate huge cinema basement room. There currently is no basement so there will be a LOT of drilling.

Basement works haven't even started. They are currently only ripping out the existing kitchen but this is ALREADY causing my walls to vibrate and the banging noise is unbearable. It's so loud in my sons nursery. His bedroom wall is on their side (we are in a small flat) and there's no way he will be able to nap in there.

I am already feeling extremely anxious and every band makes me jump. I am a SAHM and so will be around the flat a lot with my little boy. (1.5)

What do I do? There's nothing I can do is there? It's awful. I feel like sobbing.

The party wall surveyor said the basement would probably take a YEAR to build.

I feel trapped.

A year to renovate a basement? Whoever is doing the work has seen them coming.

That is at least three times longer than it should be.

OP and others, heartfelt sympathy. I too have suffered from inconsiderate neighbours endless building work. With mine, we're talking about smallish apartments and I can't think why they need to do so much drilling and banging. You see them doing plastering one day so think the drilling and banging must surely be done now, then they're off again. And save my soul from the idiots who think they can do it themselves, eff it up then have to get professionals in to do it all. over. again. The powerlessness you feel, the helpless rage. Bursting into tears at the hairdresser's when you suddenly notice you've got more gray hairs and it's because of those bastards. Seeing a cardiologist about palpitations (not serious, fortunately).

BUT I discovered noise-cancelling headphones. They are saving my sanity. I also now blank the neighbours whenever I see them because being polite never got me anywhere and I felt pathetic being polite to people who only gave me grief.

Get the headphones.

I know I thought a year seemed like a king time but looking at the plans its some super basement that extends under into their garden... gah. I'm just jealous because it also includes a fuck off utility room and here I am sitting in my living room, next to my clothes horse and listening to the banging. Life's not fair is it!!!! Haha

*long

Thanks so much for the tips everyone. I'm just feeling so anxious. I was reading my son a story before his nap and the banging on his wall was really loud and he started crying. I explained 'next door' were doing work and he kept repeating 'door' (next door) pointing to the wall and crying. I felt awful.

There must have been planning permission for this, so I'd get a copy (online or from planning dept) and get familiar with any conditions imposed by the council, e.g. noise, working hours, access. Did you not see the original planning permission notice?

Also look at the specifications of the work, especially for sound-proofing. A home cinema can be made substantially soundproof. If there is nothing in the specifications then you could discuss with the planning dept., though tbh it's a bit late.

• A year to renovate a basement? Whoever is doing the work has seen them coming.

That is at least three times longer than it should be.*

Not sure you are grasping the scale of some of the “basement” works going on in London at the moment.

They sure as hell won’t be doing a reward and a bit of plaster boarding.

These thing are Major structural works in areas with very limited access for plant and with adjoining properties.

My guess is they will run over a year, especially if they have loads of restrictions in place about times vehicles can use the road, deliveries, where they can put skips, noise etc.

Doesn't any of this come under the laws about causing excessive noise for neighbours and spoiling "peaceful enjoyment of their property",
or do those only apply at unsocial hours ?

Get your house sold
a cunning plan but there is a flaw....prospective buyer will notice the building work next door and run a mile!

Weirdly we sold ours pretty much instantly to a bloke who literally didn’t care less about the building work next door. He didn’t even look at the plans when we offered to send the link to him. Some people just aren’t bothered by it

Amimissingsomethinghere Wed 12-Feb-20 12:37:59
@poohpooh
it was more a kind of joke. I mean it really wouldn't happen.. we don't have the money for starters!

So actually you would happily do exactly the same if you had the money. I would too but I wouldn't start a thread moaning about it.

If I were you i'd move out for a year and rent it to a couple who work and are out all day. Rent a 1bed and have baby with you (presuming its a baby : nursery/naps) - save some dosh and do your basement when you get back.

This new craze for excavating basements is bad for the environment, water table, causing subsidence in nearby properties, etc. Especially on London clay.

Move!!! 😋

I sympathise OP. I was also a SAHM with a little boy when we had building works just opposite us, so not as bad but it drove me crazy. Lucky my little boy learnt to sleep through most of it but it is soul-destroying listening to it all day.
I have chronic migraines and is extra sensitive to noise because of it. If you can move, then move! I saw you own your flat, is letting it out a possibility while you rent somewhere short-term?

I’m proud to say that my dad as a builder, always went and introduced himself to all the neighbouring houses, showed them the plans and explained what was going on and how long they should be

It’s one of the major drawbacks of living in London. Our street (well, the surrounding area too) was built in the late 1800’s. I’d have gotten more peace living in the middle of a an estate being built from scratch 🤷🏻‍♀️

YANBU and having suffered years of noise pollution I totally sympathise.

Agree suitable start and finish times but beyond this I've no words of wisdom.

You could contact environmental health but I'm not sure what could be done.

Could you stay with your parents for months at a time to give you some relief now and then ?

How awful OP. Can you do an activity that gets you out of the house every day? Do you have family nearby who you could go to?
Do you know what time of day the building work starts and finishes, when they have lunch? It might become bearable over time if you know they’re finished by 4.
You could time your toddler’s nap for the lunch hour, once they get into a pattern?
It’s particularly sad that the neighbours haven’t communicated with you

It’s unlikely that I will ever speak to my neighbour after the year on non-planning permissioned hell he put us through whilst he fucked off to Dorset. If he I ever have a chance to screw him over, he can count on it happening.

@CommunistLegoBloc only those aren’t the hours of work that builders have to stick to?

We went through the exact same thing when my daughter was 7 months. 18 month build. I did build a good relationship with the builders and they were happy to plan loud works around times when my daughter wasn’t napping. So basically they kept it down when she was asleep. It wasn’t great I won’t lie but we survived.

You should chat to the builder or owner.

You have a baby that needs to nap... I'd be going absolutely crazy at them if my son was unable to sleep when he needs to.

They should be able to stop work at a certain time throughout the day to allow your baby to sleep...

YANBU

I have seen houses collapse due to this kind of building work, if I were you I’d be very concerned that it’s being done properly

Flipping grand designs has a lot to answer for 🙄