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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have told the builders to go away?

170 replies

highroadtothedangerzone · 02/04/2021 10:45

The house next has had major building work going on for over a year. So all the way through lockdown with a very short break of maybe two months in spring last year.
It's annoying but I accept it as part of everyday life.
But, the local laws state that building work is only allowed between 8am-6pm, Monday to Saturday. Not on Sunday's, not on Bank Holidays.
They've had a really annoying habit of starting at maybe 7.45 fairly regularly. Skips get delivered very early. Or they start to gather outside the house chatting from about 7.15.
They turned up on one of the bank holidays last year and started banging at about 7.40am. I told them they had to go home (they did)
There have been quite a few occasions where I've told them to stop whatever they are doing as it's not 8am yet.
DH forgot it was BH today, so when the builder told him he was coming to do some work today he said ok. I wasn't happy, so he messaged him to say please don't start before 10am. 7.30, chatting outside and emptying lots of glass bottles into the recycling bin. 8.30, sanding or something that we could here in all our bedrooms
We told them to stop. They got arsey, denied they'd been noisy early. But they have stopped. For now. We messaged the owner who was pretty unhelpful and said they wouldn't do anything noisy till after 10am. But they shouldn't bloody he here at all!!!!
I'm just so sick of it. DH is much more laid back than he and thinks if we just let them get on with it the end they'll finish more quickly. But I just want them to follow the bloody rules. I work bloody hard. I just don't want to be woken up all the time by sodding building work?
AIBU? Or just slightly unhinged and making a fuss out of nothing? MN jury, give it to me straight.

OP posts:
Original poster
highroadtothedangerzone · 02/04/2021 11:48

@Jessbow

DH forgot it was BH today, so when the builder told him he was coming to do some work today he said ok.

I'd assume if i was the builder that it was okay

Yes we accept that. I was cross with DH! But he messaged the builder where he realised his mistake and asked him to start at 10am instead. But no, I was woken up by therm at 7.15. So there was an option for a compromise there which the builder chose to ignore.
OP posts:
Alsohuman · 02/04/2021 11:52

there was an option for a compromise there which the builder chose to ignore

Probably because you’ve pissed him off.

Original poster
highroadtothedangerzone · 02/04/2021 11:57

Maybe. But if he wasn't such a cheeky fecker then I wouldn't have needed to Grin

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 02/04/2021 11:57

@Alsohuman

there was an option for a compromise there which the builder chose to ignore

Probably because you’ve pissed him off.

Who cares. They are breaching planning rules by being there at all.
shittingthreeeyedraven · 02/04/2021 11:59

I do feel that the more you insist the builders follow the rules, the longer it will take and the longer you will have to put up with it.

We had a loft conversion a few years ago and my horrible neighbours (who already had converted their loft previously) complained non stop about it, even going to the extent of trying to get other neighbours to complain too. The whole project took 9 weeks and really wasn’t that bad.
BUT they did non stop work in their house at the weekends instead such as knocking out bathrooms and walls, but because they were doing it themselves apparently it was ok Hmm
Anyway, long rambling story short, building work sucks but you just have to live with it or buy a house in the arse end of nowhere with only fields around

Taciturn · 02/04/2021 12:00

Fun fact: Good Friday is not a public holiday (which is not the same as a bank holiday)

The government guidelines refer to public holidays

Alsohuman · 02/04/2021 12:01

Who cares. They are breaching planning rules by being there at all

Well obviously OP cares so she’s cutting her nose off to spite her face. But MN has a tendency to do that anyway.

LittleBearPad · 02/04/2021 12:06

My comment about who cares was about your comment on the builders being pissed off.

Original poster
highroadtothedangerzone · 02/04/2021 12:07

@shittingthreeeyedraven

I do feel that the more you insist the builders follow the rules, the longer it will take and the longer you will have to put up with it.

We had a loft conversion a few years ago and my horrible neighbours (who already had converted their loft previously) complained non stop about it, even going to the extent of trying to get other neighbours to complain too. The whole project took 9 weeks and really wasn’t that bad.
BUT they did non stop work in their house at the weekends instead such as knocking out bathrooms and walls, but because they were doing it themselves apparently it was ok Hmm
Anyway, long rambling story short, building work sucks but you just have to live with it or buy a house in the arse end of nowhere with only fields around

Your neighbours sound like a nightmare! We have no plans to do anything noisy in our house to get our own back. Plus we're far too lazy to start early in the morning. It's not really fair to say we should go live somewhere surrounded by fields, though. I've said loads of times that I accept the building noise. But to make it acceptable there rules in place. There's an interesting split on this thread of people who think IABU, that builders should just be able to get on with it at whatever times they like, and those who think IANBU. So I'm good with that. Thanks all!
OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 02/04/2021 12:10

There's an interesting split on this thread of people who think IABU, that builders should just be able to get on with it at whatever times they like, and those who think IANBU. So I'm good with that. Thanks all!

Be interested to see of the Ianbu who has building work near them at the moment!

woodhill · 02/04/2021 12:14

@Taciturn

Fun fact: Good Friday is not a public holiday (which is not the same as a bank holiday)

The government guidelines refer to public holidays

But everything is closed and I still think it is inappropriate. It's very quiet around here today.
woodhill · 02/04/2021 12:15

It existed before the BHS's anyway for obvious reasons

diddl · 02/04/2021 12:18

@Taciturn

Fun fact: Good Friday is not a public holiday (which is not the same as a bank holiday)

The government guidelines refer to public holidays

I thought that it was both a public holiday & a bank holiday.
Original poster
highroadtothedangerzone · 02/04/2021 12:19

@Taciturn

Fun fact: Good Friday is not a public holiday (which is not the same as a bank holiday)

The government guidelines refer to public holidays

It's a bank holiday according to the .Gov website. Our local laws say no building work on bank holidays.
OP posts:
NailsNeedDoing · 02/04/2021 12:23

I’m with you OP, it’s very selfish of your neighbours to allow this, and bad practice for the builders. If they are on websites like check a trade or anything like I’d report them as being inconsiderate, and if there is anything that building control can do to make them be less of a nuisance, it would be worth reporting to them as well.

woodhill · 02/04/2021 12:24

I suppose it is a public holiday like Easter and Christmas which are derived from our Christian tradition and therefore should be covered by the same legislation

MargaretThursday · 02/04/2021 12:31

I suspect part of the problem may be that you're coming across as a bit picky, so they're not bothering to try and keep you sweet. You're then getting worked up at every little thing you know is out of the rules.

If they've arrived at 7:40, either you're up (in which case does it matter-they'll probably finish 20 minutes earlier-or it may add up to a day or two earlier at the end), or you're not, in which case by the time you've gone down and asked them to wait until 8, it'll nearly be 8 and you're thoroughly disturbed anyway.
Yes, it may be a little irritating, but I would have thought that 20 minutes wasn't worth making a fuss about in the grand scheme. If it was a general thing, than a quiet word of "I know this seems a bit petty, but you're not meant to start until 8, do you think you can hold off an anything noisy until then. Thanks." would probably have solved it most of the time.

As your dh said it would be okay today, I think you probably should have ignored it today and told him he owed you

I tend to go by the philosophy that I don't complain often, but when I do I expect action. I normally get it too, because people who know me know that if I complain it's reasonable. By complaining too often you're just an irritating sound to ignore.
I would ignore the 7:45 starts, I'd have not been happy with the 7:40 on the bank holiday. However this one I'd have had a chat with them about my idiot husband not realising it was bank holiday, and if they had to do bank holiday could they look at 10am or later start please.

I've found that actually the give and take attitude works well. I'll often find that eg a workman next door will see a tile out and pop it back for free or similar, or they'll offer to clear the weeds while replacing a fence etc.

roguetomato · 02/04/2021 12:34

Personally, if they start working 15 minutes early, that doesn't bother me at all. With lock down, it really doesn't feel like it's bank holiday or not either.
If my neighbour has work being done, I'd rather they did a work early and finish early than hanging around doing nothing for 15 minutes to meet the law requirement.

QueenValentina · 02/04/2021 12:36

You sound as if you're giving off a bit of a vibe of thinking you own the street, so I'm guessing the builders are probably a bit sick of you complaining.

HuxleyPigPanic · 02/04/2021 12:37

I have seen whole estates go up in less than a year.

Acovic · 02/04/2021 12:39

@goldierocks that may be the case in your local authority area but in mine the planning dept take breaching the agreed hours of work very seriously.

I've been lobbying unknowingly along with others to get agreed hours of works incorporated into planning permission and publicly available. This is an area where there is a lot of renovation and working on weekends / bank holidays is the final insult for those of us who actually live here. It has taken our backhander loving council time to adjust but they are slowly coming round. They need a local population to continue to attract new developers and commercial premsies.

diwrnachoflleyn · 02/04/2021 12:52

YANBU. It's their fucking music blasting that does for me.

Dentistlakes · 02/04/2021 12:53

If it was a short term thing I would be tempted to let them get on with it. A year long project is completely different. The rules are there to protect your sanity and should be adhered to. I presume the owners aren’t living on site but expect you to put up with it! Presuming they are planning on moving in once works are complete, it would be in their best interests to keep good neighbourly relations, otherwise you will hate their guts before they even move in!

Original poster
highroadtothedangerzone · 02/04/2021 12:54

@QueenValentina

You sound as if you're giving off a bit of a vibe of thinking you own the street, so I'm guessing the builders are probably a bit sick of you complaining.
Do I? See in real life I'm very much a "erm, I'm really sorry but would you mind..." kind of person. And I started out like that with these builders. But the more they took the piss, the more weary I got and the more blunt I became. I've never claimed to be complaining on anyone's behalf other than my household (the house to the other side of them is empty). However I do also know the people directly behind have had words too. I also have that complex of worrying they think I'm lazy for not being up and working at 7am. But I work long hours in a job they really wouldn't want to do so I really shouldn't care.
OP posts:
ThatsNotTheTeaHunty · 02/04/2021 12:56

Telling them to go home 😂😂.
Sorry forgot you own the road.
You sound like an absolute bloody nightmare.

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