To think that if you have noisy unnecessary building works done, you lose the right to object to noise made by your neighbours?

[CrispieCake]

Inspired by another thread. AIBU to think that if you subject your neighbours to months of disruption and misery in their own homes so that you can have a bigger kitchen or loft conversion (and particularly if you move elsewhere so you're not disturbed), then it's open season on you as far as noise is concerned from then on? You lose your right to object to your neighbours' babies crying, kids screaming, pool parties, garden raves, essentially any lawful use of their property from then onwards. And if you try to complain to them, they're fully justified in laughing incredulously, shutting the door in your face and inviting 20 5 year olds round to go wild in the paddling pool.

I know I'm not BU on this but interested to know what others think.

YABU. But you could also build an extension etc. Thats the real tit for tat and you wouldnt be at all unreasonable.

Work on a house is temporary. Whether or not YOU deem it necessary is an absolutely moot point if the owner of the house has deemed it necessary. It's impossible to do work to a house silently so it's just one of those things we all accept is annoying but it happens. Kids playing outside - fine. Kids screaming outside - not so much and I'd tell ds to rein it in if he did that. A birthday party with a load of kids, fine as a one off but I'd warn the neighbours.

I'm not really sure where you're going with this thread - you sound petty and vindictive and a nightmare of a neighbour. Would much rather live next door to someone getting noisy work done for months (and have done) than live next to someone spiteful and passive aggressive.

In this scenario you're the one coming across as anti social.

I agree with you. My kids were very noisy (still are sometimes) so I refrain from complaining about the neighbours' noise. I think it would be cheeky.

If you make a lot of noise, it comes off really badly to then complain about noise made by others.

In the same vein, do you think you have no right to complain about another neighbour playing loud music in the middle of the night, s after all you've inflicted the sounds of your kids crying, screeching, playing in the paddling pool etc on them?

Having building work is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, and the disturbance is for a relatively short period. Your kids will likely be an annoying noise disturbance for at least a decade.

I fully understand the rage that might drive this reasoning, OP! But ultimately YABU. We need reasonable rules about noise that are well enforced and that make allowances for building work. Because building does need to happen.

If someone complains about noise that is within the rules then neighbours should be encouraged to be neighbourly, but ultimately I think this is where they live with the consequences of their actions - they can complain, but you can laugh in their face.

There is a big difference between something unpleasant but temporary, day to day reasonable noise, and bloody minded anti social behaviour as revenge. My neighbours have a new baby. Sometimes it cries in the night. Do I get to make as much noise whenever I want to in response?

Clearly a wind up because no one could be this stupid.

If my kids were playing so loudly and violently that they were shaking the house next to us and the noise was unbearable for those living there, then yes I'd think it was unreasonable to complain about the odd late night party.

YABU.

You sound rather unpleasantly vituperative and envious of your neighbours’ extension. Not a good look.

Interesting. So lots of people on here have built extensions, disturbing their neighbours for months on end, but are very sensitive about their own peace and quiet being disturbed.

I would like to think if I'd had months of noisy building work I'd absolutely be very reluctant to complain about anyone else's noise.
In fact, in the last 2 houses we've lived in we've been next to quiet old people while we bring up noisy kids! I absolutely wouldn't be complaining about it if they happened to make a bit of noise.

However. I think it's going too far to imply that a neighbour's noisy building work gives you carte blanche to make as much noise as you want. Apart from anything else, what about the other people who live nearby?
There is a difference between home improvements and having a garden rave until 3am in my eyes. One is far more inconsiderate. I also really don't think it's reasonable to expect nobody to have building work on their homes.

Complaining about the noise from building work, and then making more domestic noise as some tit-for-tat is petty as hell.

The builders are also working, and carrying out their job. It is also temporary, and also not up to you to deem it as necessary or not. I know someone who had a lot work done on her property so it would better accommodate her and her spouse's disabilities.

Obviously excessive noise would constitute a legal nuisance but, for example, just letting my older DC practice their drums whenever they liked probably wouldn't.

Completely inconsiderate and you sound very vindictive and spiteful. And practicing drums at unsocial hours is probably grounds for a legitimise complaint.

I know how frustrating and disruptive nearby building work can be. My neighbours on both sides had loft extensions while I was working from home and it was stressful for months. One of the builders drilled through the electrics in the party wall, fusing and damaging my computer, and left my loft full of builders dust.
But I don't see that it gave me the right to make a lot of noise or put builders dust in their loft. The less noise and dust the better, when their work was finally completed.

This is just making me so grateful for my lovely neighbours. We all tolerate each other's noise because no one takes the piss and no one would even consider making noise just to punish anyone else. This kind of vindictiveness sounds really grim.

I'd say you get a free pass for your own reasonable construction noise. Nothing else.
Building work is a means to an end - it's not being inconsiderate for the sake of it.

I agree that deliberately making noise would be somewhat petty (though might be justified if they or their builders have been arses!) but on the other hand not going out of your way to keep your own family's noise down after living next to construction noise for months on end seems perfectly reasonable to me.

I think we've all got a right to be a bit noisy sometimes. We have to live our lives. I try and be tolerant of others by remembering my kids yell and scream at various times. If someone wants to do some construction or DIY, it's going to be a little noisy. They're also entitled to enjoy a late party (or, like my neighbours, rev their car) every so often. I would hope they're showing me the same tolerance.

But what if you then get into a noise off with your neighbour?

Because honestly if one of my neighbours was spitefully making noise on purpose to get back at me for my building work I would one) assume that they are a jealous petty bitch, and two) take up an interest in experimental industrial acid jazz played at the loudest legal volume at any hours I am legally allowed to do so, with speakers pointed directly at the adjoining wall.

The downside of being petty is someone might be petty back 🤷‍♀️

Like others, I think you have a point but you're taking it to the extreme. I think you have to accept time limited building work (assuming it's within reasonable hours) but I think the same applies to noise from children (again assuming it's within reasonable hours).

Where does that end though??

If I get an extension built over two months and it's noisy and a nuisance are you saying that you as my neighbour now have the right to make excessive noise for the next ten/twenty years? What about the other neighbours near you who haven't made any noise or bothered you in any way? You're happy enough to bother them as what - collateral damage for your own revenge?

People are not responsible for the actions of their builders either- that's down to the company the builders are working for.

I'm thinking this is a reverse or a troll because I can't see anyone being so brazenly horrible.

I think I'd start leaving recordings of their construction noise on a loop and telling them I was having "work done" if they tried that 😂! Within the permitted hours, of course.

Trust me, your children will be making endless, annoying, irritating, disturbing noise for at least a decade. Far, far worse than a one off building project for a few months.

Just as your neighbours will be accepting that children crying, playing, bickering, babies crying in the night etc is normal neighbour noise, you need to accept that building work is also normal and reasonable neighbour noise.

I presume you will at some point make annoying building noise of your own. Even if you're not planning an extension, I expect at some point you'll need roof repairs or a new driveway or repointing or new windows or new kitchen/bathroom etc, all of which will make noise and disturb your neighbours.

Not really.
If you had road works outside of your house for ages (and that tends to be more noisy than building as it involves breaking up concrete etc), would you think it acceptable to find out where the workers live, and make noise outside their house?
If not, why not?

Yabu. If course you don't! Please complain if your neighbours are being noisy op. Building work is allowed noise wise if within working time. Loud music etc isn't if after 10pm...