New neighbours extension plans

[Greenfingeredsue]

Hi all

My current neighbour has died. Now probate is completed her house is being sold.

Her son has prospective buyers. He has mentioned in passing to me that they want to extend the property out the back. I am wondering wtf they can’t just buy a house that meets their needs?

The gardens are quite big so there’s plenty of room for them to do this. However, we don’t want them to.

We need a new shed, so my husband has suggested we build a new one with a greenhouse on their side right as near to the boundary as we can, next to the house.

We’ll do this once contracts have been exchanged so we don’’t scupper the sale, plus they would have to get planning permission.

My only concern is that the new neighbours could force us to dismantle them so the builders can work?

I suppose the longer you try to scupper their plans the longer everything will drag on and the more noise there will be.

@Genderwitched

I can’t believe the amount of people on this thread wishing bad things on the OP, it’s really quite disturbing. There is so much hate around at the moment. We had two years of hell with our neighbours and extensions, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but then I must be a fairly nice person. Not much evidence of that on this thread.

I agree. This thread is a sad indictment of what MN has become, what a nasty pile on by a bunch of obnoxious keyboard warriors. Most of the comments are just ad hominem attacks. I’d love to see how many of them would actually be perfectly serene about their neighbours potentially putting scaffolding up in their gardens or using their side access for months on end. Apart from anything else a developer who gives no shits about the locals or neighbours is extremely likely to buy this property if it needs a lot of work, it’s entirely understandable she’s concerned. Our neighbours bought on the assumption we would agree to them knocking down our garden wall so they could use the double width access to get machinery through. People can be so entitled.

Yes the wall on that side is ours, I’ve checked. So they won’t be taking it down.

I also know that they do need a surveyor and I will be getting our own.

This is just part of life OP. They arent doing it to annoy you, they just want a bigger living space. The disruption wouldnt be forever. Get a shed if you want a shed, avoid being bitter and spiteful over it.

I don’t understand the posters saying the OP will get off on the wrong foot with the new NDNs. Surely that should be the other way round. The OP is already established and doesn’t need to butter people up. The ‘new bugs’ need to not move in all guns blazing upsetting potentially people living all round them with massive erections.

deliberately planning to build a greenhouse in a place to prevent neighbour from building an extension isn’t a very nice thing to do

That doesn't make any sense. If your neighbour cannot do any building work without trespassing on your property, they are planning something very wrong!

You can't expect your builders to invade somebody's garden. If you have for example spent a lot of time and money on various plants and flowers on your side, there's absolutely no reason why these should get damaged

@Thaddit do you mean massive erections as that's a different problem altogether?!

Sounds like the OP’s neighbours will need some pretty big balls to take her on with their massive erection.

I think you need to take a deep breath because you seem to be escalating to walls being taken down etc. The likelihood is a simple back extension that they may need your side access for but as long as they dont destroy anything what is the issue

@Greenfingeredsue If you do decide to put up a shed and greenhouse, please make sure you do so without impinging on your neighbours land to either build or upkeep both.

Remember any wood will need to be treated both when put up (unless pre-treated) and at regular intervals and if built too close to the boundary this will be impossible. Also, depending on which way your garden faces, it is better to build a greenhouse where it receives most sun. Building against any future extension may be detrimental to the amount of sun the greenhouse receives.

I do think you should make your views clear now to any possible future neighbours, for both your sake and theirs, so that they are aware you will be disputing any planning applications they may submit. Also, remember that legal issues with neighbours have to be declared in any future house sales.

You sound absolutely horrible. Poor new neighbours!

YABU

You are worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet. You have no idea what their plans are. But have spent a lot of time thinking up ways to scupper their plans and make life difficult for them. I think that is quite unpleasant. By all means make sure proper survey ace is done or object if the proposed building causes an actual issue- such as being overlooked or blocking out light to your property. If you don’t want to grant access (and they have no access rights, as some terraced houses do have odd access rights) then you aren’t obliged to. You are free to not allow scaffolding on your land. That is your perogative.

You may not have a right of objection anyway, if within planned development.

However, being deliberately obstructive because you don’t want noise and inconvenience for what is in all likelihood quite a short period of time, in the grand scheme of things, is unreasonable.

It may also come back to bite you. Put your shed or greenhouse too close to the boundary may make it harder for you to properly maintain. Preventing them accessing your side can also mean things like pointing not been done from your side, so less attractive to look at or the build taking longer.

If you go in with a determination to be obstructive and unpleasant you will sour relations needlessly. You might find being on friendly terms would allow tweaks that you might prefer/suit you better that don’t affect them, for instance. You might need their consideration or help in the future, being unpleasant now may mean they don’t help you out.

If I were you I’d take a deep breath and step back. When the time comes, look objectively at their plans and base your decisions on those and the long-term impact on you. I doubt you’d prevent pp being granted on the basis that you don’t want the noise or inconvenience. I doubt your shed or greenhouse being on the boundary will prevent planning being granted either. So put the shed and greenhouse in the best place, not with the intention of causing your new neighbours as much trouble as possible.

@Genderwitched well deliberately planning to build a greenhouse in a place to prevent neighbour from building an extension isn’t a very nice thing to do or wish in someone is it

Posters are just saying if you wish bad for others then you jay get bad yourself

Exactly. I am lol that apparently the OP can express all kinds of spiteful things and then gets told she’s out of order only for others to say we are being “mean”. You give out hatred, expect it back. It’s a very simple concept.

We need a new shed, so my husband has suggested we build a new one with a greenhouse on their side right as near to the boundary as we can, next to the house.

Alternatively, you could try not behaving like a dick.

You've got to live next door to these people for, potentially, a long time.

You sound delightful. Full combat mode when you dont even know their plans

Fast forward 5 years and the new neighbours will have built their extension and be delighted that the not so nice neighbour next door has finally sold their house and moved.

You give out hatred, expect it back. It’s a very simple concept.

What a great way to live life, you're all as bad as each other.

I get how you feel but you can't obstruct them.
I have a neighbour whose garden runs alongside my property, my property is only 15ft from the side of their garden, their property is further back. The previous occupiers got their planning permission refused to extend both downstairs and up which would mean they could overlook my very private garden and also be able to see in my bedroom. It was one of the reasons it was refused. They sold up when it was refused.

As soon as the new ones moved in they also applied for planning permission with some slight tweaks to the plans. They also removed a huge tree on the boundary right next to me which had been there for over 25yrs which added to my privacy. I did object to the plans but unfortunately it was accepted.

I'm fuming because I only moved here 18 months ago and one of the reasons I chose it was the complete privacy I had in my garden and no overlooking of my windows.

Still, maybe they'll realise their error when it's done with the entire width of their ultra modern downstairs made entirely of glass at the south facing end and the black painted roof over the bedrooms in the loft that they've turned it into a sauna! Not even sure why they need to turn it from a 3 bed into 6 bedrooms when they've got 2 very young children.

There's nothing I can do about it, other than plant something fast growing my side to replace the tree they took down 3wks after they moved in.

God you sound vile and very spiteful. Glad you’re not my neighbour.

What a great way to live life, you're all as bad as each other

Oh, you disagree then? You think taking spiteful actions should foster kindness from others? Well it would be nice if it did but that’s not how humans work is it? It’s hardly shocking that if you go into a situation all guns blazing that you won’t get a brilliant response back. Seems pretty obvious to most people.

You don’t want the noise or disruption? This is just part of having neighbours. I think you’re being a spiteful cow to place your shed etc in a position to deliberately impede them and probably worrying unnecessarily.

YABU

You sound petty and pretty awful to be honest

You sound awful, OP.

Why on earth would you do any of that? It's nasty and vindictive.

I do have a little sympathy with the OP. Our next door neighbours had a humongous two storey extension, plus an enormous garden building and another car port in the front garden. This took 15 months! Delivery lorries arrived just after 7 in the morning and sat outside our house with the engine on; and there were diggers that beeped every time they went into reverse (frequently). It was hell. They'd moved elsewhere for the duration. Now there are large noisy gatherings in the garden house (yes, now).

Honestly, for what they spent on the house and on the work (half a dozen builders for 15 months) and rent I'm sure they could have bought something suitable without putting all their neighbours through this.