To think if you’re a new neighbour (in a semi) and you’re doing EXTENSIVE renovations then

[tearsbeingwashedaway]

You at least tell your next door neighbour?

They’ve made so much banging today that it’s actually making things on my shelves move.

it’s been going on months

They should have given you a heads up in advance, but if it's been going on months then presumably you've known for a while, so not sure what good it'd do them telling you now.

If you've got a specific issue with the volume or force they're banging etc then speak to them.

I agree with you but I think I may be in the minority.

I live in a block of flats. We have noise, nuisance and neighbour notification covenants that apply to work.

I still get neighbours who are suprised that I (as director of the management company) contact them about work taking place outside the allowed times, or the fact that they haven't followed the (simple) neighbour notification procedure.

They are always special so the rules don't apply to them.

I periodically dream of living in a remote location!

It's not very neighbourly. I'd be embarrassed if I thought we were causing disruption to our neighbours. It only takes 5 mins to knock the door or put a note through detailing the works so you know what to expect.

Have you thought about knocking and letting them know the works are having this impact? It's not like you're telling them to stop but maybe they think it's all ok as you've not complained? (This is probably how my DH would process something- no complaint means no issue so carry on)

Someone with more knowledge will hopefully be along, but all I can tell you is that when my neighbours had extensive work, there had to be a party wall agreement between them and us and they had to pay for a surveyor to inspect our home before and after the works. Do you share a party wall with them? I think they might be breaking the law.

I agree - my parents old neighbours had a load of work done without telling them, they got home from a day out to find the front of their house COVERED in render, dust everywhere from all the banging etc, and a huge skip blocking their gate. My mum (who is very resilient and tough 😂) burst into tears it was so bad. They apologised profusely, but the front of their house is still a mess 4 years on.

Our neighbours on the other hand are at the other extreme and tell is if they've got so much as a gardener coming over or a decorator coming to do an inside room 🤣

It would be polite to let you know but you can't stop it. Is there any party wall work or right of light infringement? That's a different kettle of fish.

I agree. At our last house the owner next door died and the house was sold, the buyer gutted it and re modelled it, never gave us any warning or party wall agreement, still a bit angry at myself for not going round and challenging that especially as whatever they did meant we could hear more from that side and building vibrations made one of my picture frames fall off the mantel and smash

I will be that neighbour next spring, but will definitely inform my neighbours of our start date. However, it will make dust and noise and that in unfortunately unavoidable. Hopefully they will be ok as they did a very similar extension when they moved in!

I agree. We were in such situation this summer. We heard banging and drilling, but never saw the neighbour. My husband was going crazy while WFH.

Sounds like they should have done a party wall agreement with you OP..
Could you pop round and ask them for an approximate end date, and make it clear that notice should have been given

I think maybe I'm just more laidback, I'd expect new neighbours to want to change things.. I hope it's soon finished so you can have peace, though..

We didn't move straight into ours as luckily we had somewhere to stay that meant we could avoid living in a freezing, messy shell.
I put a card through the door introducing ourselves with a number they could call if there were any problems. I would think it makes good sense to try and start off on good terms. They're nice neighbours and we rub along pretty well I think.

I agree but it rarely happens as people aren’t considerate anymore. When our next door was being renovated we knew it was coming and was dreading it as we had a baby. But it knew it would happen… didn’t think the cunt would start pneumatic drilling the driveway up with no notice. Now the awful neighbours over the road have bought it to rent out…. Wish I had the money to move 😬

I agree. We had 15 solid months of it, seven days a week, often from about 7am. They took the entire house back to bare brick, removed internal walls, ripped down the back fence, which caused ours to partially collapse because they took out the support where the two met - all while we were WFH/home-schooling during the pandemic. Never a single word - the first time we actually spoke to them was right at the end, when they drilled clean through our garden wall in front of DH and he pointed it out to them. We were far too tolerant, because the owner was a young lad doing the work almost entirely by himself with a view to moving in. It was horrendous, though, and a quick chat at the beginning would have made a world of difference.

We are in a semi and our neighbours have been doing work since May. They refuse to let us know when work will happen or even a end date. There attitude is, they are entitled to do the work so we should shut up and put up. We fucking hate them now for being so rude.

Just remember the work should only be done during specific hrs.
Monday to Friday: 8 am to 6 pm.
Saturdays: 8 am to 1 pm.
Sundays and bank holidays: No work permitted, or noisy work prohibited.
Examples of activities that might be prohibited outside of these hours could include:
The use of hammers and saws.
The use of drills and sanders.
Pile driving.
Erecting and dismantling of the scaffolding.

It is unreasonable not to tell you, but I think people get nervous that neighbours will complain about the noise, when there is nothing that can be done about that (other than to limit it to permitted times). No one wants to create that amount of noise, but it can't be helped. Builders shouldn't be adding to it with loud radios etc though.

I do think neighbours should be told when the work is going to end though, and if any of the work creates a lot of dust, to offer to get the windows washed.

18 months of banging drilling usually starts at 1800 after they get home or on a sunday afternoon.