Am I being uptight or is she a cheeky sod?

[HarryorHas]

Neighbour has had insulation in house and shouted over to Dh on Saturday that the builders needed to do some work. Huge scaffolding has been in our garden, by the back door since then and only two hours work has been done on the wall by the builders. That was the first thing I'mgetying a bit 😩about. I have an active toddler Dd who needs to get out in the garden and can’t.
Second thing is, I looked this afternoon and a section of the wall that divides us, part of her house, yes, but also into our back garden is jutting out and will stay like that? 🤷🏻‍♀️
She hasn’t even asked if that’s ok, is that normal? It’s just been done, but goes into our garden. That wall section has chairs and table for sitting out.
I spoke to Dh about it and asked did she ask him, does he think it’s ok like that etc..cue huge argument, where he said I need to chill out and it’s not a problem at all.
Whatsapped mum and dad who said they wouldn’t like it either.
Aibu? will add pics and hopefully it makes sense.

@HarryorHas

Right, messaging with Dh now (Dd in bed with me and I don’t want to go down and argue with him)

Apparently it’s a foam core paintable insulation?

Is the fire safety ok on that stuff?

Would it also put potential buyers off if they looked around the garden?

@NotFabulousDarling Hadn’t even thought of that either!

According to Google images, it looks like there should be a layer of brick or shingles on the other side of the foam insulation rather than being left exposed?

I think in Portugal they do retrospective planning permission do it might be better complaining to the neighbor of its paintable then maybe they can shave it down or something before it's to late?

the scaffolding would be pissing me off if there for days - but the wall bit pfft, whatever

Personally, as a buyer I would wonder why next doors property juts out into your patio or why the garden wall is into their side. I would want to see proper boundaries if I was buying somewhere.

I know its only a inch but it may well prevent you from extending should you wish to. We bought a house, with the intentions of extending the kitchen out, but because next door had done something similar, building regs wouldn't pass it.

It may just be an inch now, but could have bigger implications longer term.

I also think they were cheeky just sticking the scaffolding up without asking first.

@NotFabulousDarling I don’t understand sorry? I’m crap at this as haven’t had insulation etc, well in my childhood home but can’t remember any of that.

A cottage down the road had this done and it does appear to be basically foam style cladding that looks like stucco that is then painted over. So although the brick boundary of their house is ok, the house sticks out onto the pavement by an inch, starting about 6 inches up from the pavement. Not sure if it is legal onto a public footpath, and even less so if it is onto another private property.

Now he’s saying something about there being a step in 🤷🏻‍♀️

A step where the insulation stops?

Is this basically going to make the seating area look hideous and strange or will it be ok?

I think you are being precious about the scaffolding. It'll be secure because it's bad form for it to collapse under workers. There is no reason your toddler can't play under supervision. I have similar age children and would have no problem with it.

A few years ago (when I had a 1 year old) both sides to me had extensions. One took from approx march - June, the other from July to October. The latter involved scaffolding on our side for months. It's just one of those things.

Personally I'd let the inch pass, but I can see why you might not want to, and that's your call.

Ahh Portugal - my second guess 🙄 my mum had a Villa in Portugal and we know Amanha all too well.
I wish I had some good advice to offer the only thing I can think of is speaking to a solicitor - but not sure how much help they will be xx

Dh is now saying she did tell him and he mentioned it to me, he didn’t and he knows he didn’t as he obviously forgot or whatever.
He says he doesn’t see the issue and it won’t impact anything?
He also said she’s said it should be done by the end of this week 🤷🏻‍♀️Don’t know what to think if others are saying their scaffolding was up for months

@Thisgirlcanrun Yep! It can take years 😬this is why I’m worrying..starting to warm up here and the thought of a cup of tea in my sitting area in the morning and Dd in the paddling pool was keeping me going. It’s been 4 days and Dd has been climbing the walls (here now parks open or anything basically)

If the building work is on your property, do something about it. Complain through official channels. If those channels exist where you live.

If that's not possible in the country you live, there's not much anyone can do to help.

If you can complain, do. If you don't, you' *will be stuck with this.

That section jutting out would normally be in her kitchen/ extension but she's taken that space from yours. In our kitchen where the previous owners extended we have a slight part like that which makes the wall uneven but it's in our house not space taken from neighbours.
I would definitely bring that up with your neighbour regardless of whether it's an inch or 4 inches( ours is around 4")

Plus if it's just foam insulation then obviously they will be covering it with something which means more space taken from your land. I would definitely take it up with official channels if that's possible

I would say it to them. At the end of the day it’s on your land and she likely wouldn’t want you doing it. I don’t blame you being annoyed!

Dh says houses in Portugal aren’t built with double walls so the insulation has to be on the outside? 🤷🏻‍♀️So there’s no way of it being in her space? I know round the other side of her house it’s on the outside too..( no one lives on the other side of her)

You need to complain to the authorities and to tell your NDN that this is not OK. YOU need to to do that as DH won't.

Personally I think you are over reacting about the piece jutting out, it's not going to look hideous, walls everywhere had steps and angles to them, it seems like a couple of inches at most. I would be annoyed she didn't go through plans with me but If she said it to your hubby then that's that However, I would look for a date on scaffolding being removed and say it must be gone by X date at the latest

The issue is that in order to insulate her property, she's taking some of yours. Cheeky mare. I wouldn't stand for it. It's not the look of it that's the issue, it's the fact it's take space off your garden. If she wants to insulate her house she needs to do so internally.

@IstandwithJackieWeaver That’s the thing, Dh said that they can’t insulate inside here or something as they aren’t double walls..I really don’t get it or how it will look, he really doesn’t understand what I have an issue with.