To kill my neighbours.?!

[Panicking40609]

Lighthearted, but not really

NDN has been having work done in the house for months. They said it’d be a week but alas 6 months later, there are workmen coming and going from as early as 7am to 11pm. Then had a card through the door a few days ago saying building work was happening next door but one for a few months.

I understand people need work doing but AIBU to think this is so selfish during the pandemic when people cannot get out for the day. Especially Now it’s lockdown and I cannot escape this apart from walking by dog, which I cant do all day!

Sorry, I mainly needed to vent because I’m sleep deprived and I can’t even escape noise!

Legally they are not allowed to start work that early certainly not work that late, but it's difficult getting anything done about it. Where we used to live there was a house being built, at 7 am a bloke was throwing scaffolding from the roof to the ground, they also broke a fence panel, between us, had bonfires by my washing,put cavity wall insulation in a house with out windows and doors, so it blew all over my garden and plants. blocked off my toilet, and everything overflowed into the room, had disgusting porn mags blowing over into my garden. spoke to the builders not interested, started ringing office complaining,they sent me a big bunch of flowers! Rang council, said they would visit the site "sometime", went to our local MP VERY well known bloke, he told me to make friends with the builders. Oh, my DH was away on a course, builder came round said he was going to have to remove some expensive trees to build a wall!

Those hours are not okay - contact your council ASAP, they need to be more reasonable. Also as the wife of a snorer, foam earplugs are your fruebd

Friend

Think yourself lucky, my friend lives next door to a house that's been rebuilt/extended and garden landscaped for almost THREE YEARS (in April), combine that with another next door house being built (including bank holidays, they didn't feel they could complain as at least they were getting on with it) they've had a shitty few years of lots of noise. Thankfully the next door rebuild don't do weekends now, and they've done the noisiest stuff, almost finished now.

But they're not allowed to start so early nor work so late so do report.

I’ve given up with the 7am thing. If they can start at 8 and be at it all day, the extra hour honestly doesn’t make any difference.

It’s so frustrating that you can be so out of control of escaping the noise. If we weren’t in lockdown it wouldn’t be so bad

It sounds rather selfish to do it during lockdown when people are at home working but at the same time this might be an only opportunity for them to have the time to do it. Tricky and unfortunate!
My stepson and his fiancé are completely gutting their London maisonette and doing a loft conversion which is super noisy unfortunately but they did ask the neighbours if they would like to choose whether it happens now (since November) or in the spring - they chose now to get it over with. I think it will take around 4 months.

I feel your frustration OP. In the summer we had 3 neighbours doing work all at the same time. They are all our neighbours at the back, and our garden runs along theirs. One was building a summer house, one was doing a kitchen extension and the other was doing a full renovation! It was weeks and months of hammering, drilling, shouting and even bonfires as one of them was also pulling up the garden and burning all of their tree debris. Not easy when working from home! Like you say, I understand people need their work done but it can really start getting to you when it’s all day and you have nowhere to escape to.

Also they are finishing early each day at extra cost to them to at least give people a bit of peace in the evenings. 11pm is far far too late! I would complain about that.

Well, they are starting a bit too early, and finishing a bit to late. But I don't think having home improvements during lockdown is rude. In a few weeks I will be having builders in to fix the roof, and rip out both the bathroom and kitchen and put new ones in.

Whilst this is going on, both myself and DP will be WFH during the whole thing, with a teen, and also a uni student at home. It is going to be a bloody nightmare for us for weeks. I will warn my neighbours of course and make sure the builders don't work past 5.

I would check with your local council when noisy work is allowed in your area. The general rule of thumb is 8am to 6pm, and I think 8am to 1pm Saturdays. It varies between local authorities.
You can't expect building work to not take place at all just in case neighbours are working from home. This is what noise reducing headsets are for.

Oh you poor thing, it’s so intrusive the constant noise! We had it from NDN for 2 months and I thought I was going to loose my mind some days, it was like someone drilling inside my head. (Same NDNs have the cheek to complain about the sound of my toddlers footsteps in the evening, some people are just so unaware)

I would like to shove next doors Alexa, down the bog. Also last year they were having a patio laid and as a night shift worker, it drove me nuts.

My previous neighbours had building works in progress for 4 EFFING YEARS!!! She was a stuck up selfish cow and couldn't give a flying whatnot about the noise, mess and inconvenience. They then sold the house at a massive profit and are now doing exactly the same thing in another location. Apparently she pissed off all the neighbours within weeks of moving in.

I feel your pain.

Often building work cannot be postponed because so much effort and money goes into the preparation stages - planning permission, architect and engineer’s fees, party wall, etc and then a contract is signed with the builder for a specific start date.

But they should not be starting too early or working past 5.30 or so.

I feel for you OP, building work is so annoying especially if you don't know for how long it will last.
I don't think people should stop building work during lockdown though, the timing is always going to be annoying for someone, and with builders you don't always have a choice in the dates.
I hope it'll end soon for you though!

I had some work done on a basement flat. The woman upstairs declared she needed to sleep until 9.30 so told the builders nit to work until then (they worked 8-4.30 like every builder I've ever had). They refused but did try and do quieter jobs if possible early on. She wasn't satisfied and got the council noise abatement officer in - he visited straight away and told her the noise was acceptable for the work. She then complained I didn't have planning for some of the work - council came out again and said I didn't need it (I had done all the checks and filed the right paperwork as I renovate for a living).
She made everything difficult and she was already selling the flat so I couldn't understand why she kept on and on. Luckily the new owners are friendly, but my point is the council were very pro active in dealing with her complaints, even if unjustified.

50/50 YABU, maybe, ish? I have sympathy, but I also think the workmen have a right to work/earn/feed their families (esp if self employed and not qualified for furlough), and the neighbours have a right to improve their home.

I assume you're WFH? Could you go to the/an office during the day? You can't reasonably work from home if you have that much disturbance.

Otherwise noise cancelling headphones, they work wonders.

Be there with my neighbours and I don't have an issue with the work so long as its within the hours for noisy works. But 7am on a feckkng Sunday and 6pm into the evening they can f* off.

Everyone is entitled to quiet time thsts why there are hours set. They were even at it kn Xmas eve ffs

Not that hard to just stick within hours and then noone would have a problem

Is there a cement mixer on the scene?
Accidents tend to happen around those gadgets, please see Midsomer Murders for reference and proceed accordingly .

I don’t think bonfires are allowed now. Call fire brigade if they have a fire, fire brigade then reports to local authority and they can be fined. Wet wood does not burn, just smokes, danger to health and a nuisance

Hi Op
Its against the law for them to start working at those kinds of times 7am and 11pm

They sound like inconsiderate Arseholes !!

Welcome to my world. We live in a 'desirable' area where knocking down houses and building new monstrosities is continuous. We've had this on and off for 30 years! We bought noise-canceling headphones and have the council's environmental health department on speed dial.

We live in terraced housing, and even though it’s a nice area they were built as the servant housing early 1900s so they are paper thin walls, hollow floors. It’s an absolutely nightmare. Even 2 doors down, I can hear the workmen bouncing around.

Walked past this morning and blinds were open and the house is gutted. So I’m pessimistic about how long this will take :(

11pm is ridiculous.
There are small children whom retire to bed as early as 6.30 or 7pm.
My pippins go to bed at 8pm and the eldest goes to bed at 9pm. Imagine trying to go to sleep with hammering and all that racket going on until 11pm. Absolutely absurd.

@Ariela

Think yourself lucky, my friend lives next door to a house that's been rebuilt/extended and garden landscaped for almost THREE YEARS (in April), combine that with another next door house being built (including bank holidays, they didn't feel they could complain as at least they were getting on with it) they've had a shitty few years of lots of noise. Thankfully the next door rebuild don't do weekends now, and they've done the noisiest stuff, almost finished now.

But they're not allowed to start so early nor work so late so do report.

A friend's neighbour has been extending his kitchen for 15 years and is still far from finished!