Is it common decency to inform neighbours who wfh about loud noises?

[Pouche]

Neighbours have literally removed their entire hedge and whilst that is being wood chipped down on their drive there is also a drill being used for the construction of a new fence. The noise is unbelievable. Detached houses with wide-ish plots.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking the nice thing to do would be to inform next door neighbours?

Especially when you know they wfh and have young kids.

Apologies, just seen OP answered above

See I picked up much more like this:

OP: AIBU?
Half of MN : Yes because we hate anyone who WFH
Other half of MN: YANBU, it's courtesy to let neighbours know about work, whatever type of life those neighbours have

So I guess it depends which bits you're blocking out 🤷‍♂️

The job has to be done of course, but a warning of the noise ahead would've been nice. My son is working from home and when the neighbours started building an extension promisses were made to warn in advance when there would be very loud noise and heavy machinery. Never happened. Problem is that DS cán book a desk at the office but not after the workingday has started. So time and again he has asked the neighbour to warn him the evening before, neighbour each time says of course he will but never does. It's mindboggeling!

I hate noise. People always say I'm very considerate. Everyone has different views. Like people that hand out gifts on planes because they're flying with their baby. Ridiculous. It seems thoughtful but why are we excusing normal behaviour? Everyone needs to get work done. YOUR work in YOUR home doesn't trump THEIR work at THEIR home. It's different if it's going to be ongoing. But OP when you slipped them a note about your work because you "know they have a reactive dog to strangers" what difference do you think it made? Were they supposed to move out for a few days so their dog wouldn't react? Is the world supposed to stop because of naptime? I gotta tell you OP, if you're sheltering your kids from noise and teaching them it's a fact of life you are setting them up for a myriad of challenges including dealing with noise in the classroom.

I personally think it’s courtesy and I would let people know but I know not everyone does. I live in a row of new build terraces with walls like paper. If someone has work done the entire row vibrates. I work from home and have rescue animals. Where I live the majority of people have zero consideration for the impact of noise / vibrations and also they think nothing of doing it in unsociable hours. I do ask my immediate neighbours if they could give me a heads up and explain why it’s helpful but 50 % of time it happens 50% it doesn’t.

I’ve come to the conclusion the majority of people just don’t think about it. All you can do is try and have contingency in place eg I have an office I can book into if needed at short notice, can move my pets into quieter part of house etc

I think the issue is that your neighbour is unlikely to know that you need a heads up to be able to go to the office due to childcare arrangements, etc.

You should just explain, as politely as possible, that they would really be helping you out if they could give you a bit of advance warning of any noisy work on their house in future.

It's not because of WFH. It's because a certain amount of noise is expected living next to each other and one day of garden work wirh a bit if excess noise as holes are dug isn't excessive.

People are so intolerant of other people around them making any kind of noise

I would have spoken to my neighbours if I'd been having that level of work done and I'd like to think they would do the same

How many neighbours? Just immediate? Maybe two deep? Four?

sound travels. It’d be a lot of work to notify everyone

See I picked up much more like this:

OP: AIBU?
Half of MN : Yes because we hate anyone who WFH
Other half of MN: YANBU, it's courtesy to let neighbours know about work, whatever type of life those neighbours have
So I guess it depends which bits you're blocking out

@GrandHighPoohbah . I guess it depends on which bits you are blocking out too.
I have wfh for at least part of the week for years - long before Covid. I still think the OP IBU, as I love wfh, but I understand that there can be external noise to deal with and that my working at home doesn't dictate to my neighbours what they can or can't do to their property.

My son is working from home and when the neighbours started building an extension promisses were made to warn in advance when there would be very loud noise and heavy machinery. Never happened. Problem is that DS cán book a desk at the office but not after the workingday has started. So time and again he has asked the neighbour to warn him the evening before,

@Sennelier1 the point you seem to be missing here is that the owner of the property won't know when there is going to be a particular noise. a) because building work can't be planned that meticulously, trades have to deal with the issues that present themselves at that time. b) plans change sometimes (weather being one, but not the only reason) c) even if the builder were to give the homeowner some sort of estimate of what they were doing 2 days ahead, it is probably the homeowner wouldn't know how noisy that would be.
If your ds can't cope with noise of an extension being built, then he needs to go in to the office. The onus isn't on anyone else to make those arrangements.

I think the issue is that your neighbour is unlikely to know that you need a heads up to be able to go to the office due to childcare arrangements, etc.

Exactly. Plus, the neighbour wouldn't necessarily know how noisy one part of the work is going to be. Plus, they are unlikely to know (with enough notice for the OP) exactly when the tradespeople will get to them. It is rarely an exact science.

How many neighbours? Just immediate? Maybe two deep? Four?
sound travels. It’d be a lot of work to notify everyone

Quite. I can probably hear garden machinery noise from about 15 houses where I am. I also hear sirens quite a lot - do you think I should ask the emergency services to re-route so they don't disturb me as I have chosen to wfh ?

I’d be more upset they’re chopping a hedge down and replacing it with a fence. Ever reducing space for wildlife and less greenery.

You seem to miss my point : it's the neighbours themselves who are building an extension ánd all work done by themselves. So yes, would be perfectly possible to say something the evening before, like "I'm gonne drill the wole day tomorrow and the day after, you might want to book a desk at your office". For pete's sake, they share a frontdoor and a communal entrance hall, how hard can it be?

No? I WFH, have dogs, and 3 children. I wouldn't expect anyone to give me a heads-up. It's life, noise happens. Just get a pair of headphones? Put the TV on?

I have worked from home since 2015. So long before covid. None of my neighbours have ever informed me of any noise they plan to make. Once I was in a really important meeting and my next door neighbour started flattening their sloped garden. Really loud pounding for 2 hours.
Two of my neighbours have also had extensions built which involved a lot of noise.
I can't expect my neighbours to stop living their lives because I work from home.

I would inform and give an approx to and from date.
Rather than leaving them with.. when the buggery will that racket end.

Would you have appreciated them letting you know ie common decency?
We are not talking about rights and expectations just whether it would be a kind thing to do.
I think it's a shame.