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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be pissed off at neighbours loft extension work?!

58 replies

UserOfManyMonickers · 22/03/2022 12:31

Neighbours behind us have just started a loft extension meaning weeks of noise and builders on scaffolding overlooking our garden! Gardens are only 30ft long so it’s very in our face.

I was looking forward to enjoying sitting in the garden now the weathers better. WFH at back of house (nowhere else) and can hear banging, shouting, drilling and sawing constantly.

AIBU to think they could have at least knocked and let us know in advance?

Especially considering we called the fire brigade to stop their house burning down (saw smoke coming out) when they were out last summer!

They cut down a row of mature trees when they moved again with no warning, just went in the kitchen and saw they’d taken up back fence and were cutting them down, which gave excellent screening for us and them so now even more invasion of privacyAngry.

OP posts:
MalbecandToast · 22/03/2022 12:34

Sorry but yabu. The weather is an anomaly, back to freezing next week. You'd be even more upset if they waited until May to get it done when the weather is likely to stay nice.

Womencanlift · 22/03/2022 12:34

You will get lots of posts saying their house they can do what they want but agree that a cursory knock on the door would have been polite

FairyCakeWings · 22/03/2022 12:36

YABU. It's nice when people let their next door neighbours know if these going to be building work, but not 'behind' neighbours. Knowing about it in advance doesn't make much difference to the disruption anyway.

anotherheadache · 22/03/2022 12:38

It would have been polite for them to let you know it was starting but they're not BU with doing it.

Re the trees, if it's their trees it's up to them, they clearly decided they were to much maintenance or over imposing in their gardens. Plant some trees your side of the boundary. You can buy fairly mature trees and you can get fast growing varieties.

anotherheadache · 22/03/2022 12:40

Just realised it's not your neighbours it's a house backing on to you. YABU.

Marvellousmadness · 22/03/2022 12:43

Yabu.

SirChenjins · 22/03/2022 12:43

Yes it would have been nice of them to let you know in advance. Presumably it’s not the kind that requires planning permission - our council would have sent notifications to immediate neighbours.

Trees - if they were on their side then nothing you can do except plant mature trees on your side.

LaLaLouella · 22/03/2022 12:50

Well it's irritating but you just have to grit your teeth and put up with it - at least it should be over by the time the really nice weather appears!

As to the trees, a heads up would have been good but they have no obligation to keep trees in their garden they don't want. Plant your own!

elbea · 22/03/2022 12:53

What has calling the fire brigade got to do with anything… would you have not bothered if you’d known they were going to extend the loft?

ManateeFair · 22/03/2022 12:57

Telling you in advance wouldn’t have made it less noisy.

They are entitled to have work done on their house. They are entitled to remove trees from their own property - again, why would warning you have helped? So you could express your objections and they could point out that they were going ahead anyway because it’s their house? If you want privacy screening, plant some fast-growing trees or shrubs of your own.

Yes, it’s annoying. I like privacy and quiet too. But they haven’t actually done anything wrong.

Whinge · 22/03/2022 13:00

@elbea

What has calling the fire brigade got to do with anything… would you have not bothered if you’d known they were going to extend the loft?
I'm glad someone else is confused by this statement. It seems like such an odd thing to include.

Op if you hadn't called the fire brigade then you'd have been dealing with the disruption of a full house renovation.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 22/03/2022 13:01

They could have mentioned it out of courtesy but that wouldn't make any difference to the noise/mess. It's one of those things we just have to get on with when we live side by side with other people.

Our extension went on way longer than expected .... started in March and was finished at Christmas. Our neighbours were lovely about it .... to our face Grin

Fatgalslim · 22/03/2022 13:02

Wait until it's finished and they sit in there looking over your garden all day, no privacy then

sweeneytoddsrazor · 22/03/2022 13:04

Presumably having a loft conversion involves removing some roofing tiles to enable windows to be placed. Best time to do this is when it isn't to cold or raining. Better to do it now then you can enjoy your garden in the nicer weather

NewName9273 · 22/03/2022 13:05

Especially considering we called the fire brigade to stop their house burning down (saw smoke coming out) when they were out last summer!

Completely irrelevant to their building works

Yeah it would have been nice, but they are under no obligation to do so !

luxxlisbon · 22/03/2022 13:06

You will be able to enjoy your garden for most of the summer, it’s only March which is prime time for domestic building work as it has dried up from winter.
If they weren’t allowed to do it because of the weather in March then April, May, June, July, August and September would be out too which is pretty unreasonable.

Even the letting you know, most people would let their neighbours either side know but not the houses that back onto theirs. Otherwise they would be knocking on the entire street as other people will be able to hear it too.

Building work is annoying, it’s loud and messy but it’s part of life and you just have to suck it up unfortunately. Houses need maintenance and also updating for family life. Over the course of your lifetime I’m sure you will be the one putting others through loud building work too.

whoruntheworldgirls · 22/03/2022 13:07

They don't have to but I think it's nice to give a heads up, when we had our drive and patio done we put a note through peoples door with dates and rough times to expect noise and dust (didn't want to ruin anyone's laundry!)

KrisAkabusi · 22/03/2022 13:08

What would telling you achieve? It would happen anyway, you'd just be pissed off for an extra couple of weeks in anticipation!

cushioncovers · 22/03/2022 13:11

I think you are being a bit precious. It's the neighbour at the end of your garden not the one you share a wall with. It's also only March. Summer is weeks away yet.

Riapia · 22/03/2022 13:12

This is AIBU any views expressed on here are not necessarily those of the person posting them.

NippyWoowoo · 22/03/2022 13:21

Can't expect an office environment when WFH

DebtheSander · 22/03/2022 13:22

A note through your door giving you the heads up about the work starting would have been the polite, neighbourly thing to do.

The timing does however, work in your favour. The bulk of the noisy, outdoor work should be done before the proper good weather kicks in.

But having lived and worked through various neighbours and their building projects, you do have my sympathy @UserOfManyMonickers

LindaEllen · 22/03/2022 13:23

Knowing it was going to happen wouldn't stop it happening though, would it. And I'm not sure what the fire in their house has to do with it - I should think anyone would phone the fire brigade if they saw smoke. What a bloody odd thing to mention.

DillDanding · 22/03/2022 13:29

Yes, it would be polite to put a note through neighbours’ doors to apologise in advance.

At least the worst will be over by summer!

godmum56 · 22/03/2022 13:29

so they would have told you? What then? I mean yes it might have been a courtesy to let you know but it wouldn't have changed anything.