AIBU to think neighbours should let you know if they're getting noisy work done?

[Twasasunnymoonlitnight]

My neighbours are having their ensuite done. Cue lots of banging, tile cutting etc etc. It follows weeks of them banging about in the evenings and on weekends too.

My partner and I booked this week off to spend time at home together. If we'd known about this work we'd have picked another week.

Now we're stuck here with my teeth on edge with all the noise. Can't go out as we have (quiet) stuff that needs doing at home.

AIBU to think it's courteous to let neighbours know when you're about to have very noisy work that goes on for days?

Yep, I completely agree it's just basic manners to let your neighbours know if there's going to be an unusual amount of noise/dust etc due to works at your house.

I've always let my neighbours know if we're doing something loud or in any other way obstructive and let them know roughly how long we'll be.
It seems a very rare thing though.
I was brought up that way but we've lived next door to 3 intense DIYers (2 separate ones in the same house) who have made noise at all hours for months on end who have never let us know.
Even when I was in bed, really ill, recovering from a stay in hospital where they'd watched me be blue-lighted away in an ambulance, they carried on.
I think most people don't care anymore about disturbing others, so long as they get what they want to be done, done.

@AddictedToBooks sounds horribly familiar.. solidarity

Pressed yabu by mistake but meant that you’re not! Yes, they should have told you. We had a year of noise and dirt when new neighbours moved in and my nerves were on edge. It was 7 days a week and often into the night. I still haven’t really forgiven them 😂

Yes it doesn’t take a minute to either knock or post a note explaining there is work being done and for how long. My NDN were drilling for 2 weeks solid, starting at 6am and finishing at midnight outside. They disturbed everyone on the cul de sac and were fined.
As you have a week off can you plan things to do during the daytime even a hotel stay for a night or two?

I usually casually mention it to the neighbours even though I live in a detached house. There's nearly always something noisy going on outside even if the job is inside (eg cutting wood or tiles). But I have lovely neighbours and don't want to fall out with them.

We've recently finished 2yrs of renovating a derelict property. I did inform neighbours when I was aware of anything noisier than normal and especially noisy, outside jobs. I'd also run around asking the workmen to turn down, or ideally turn off their radios. Each trade would bring one and be blaring out music outside, on the roof, on the windows- despite using drills/hammers etc!

1 thing which annoyed me, was when I'd notify neighbours that on Wed, XYZ would be happening, then the tradespeople would change their day last minute!

Sadly not, the week off was to sort things that really need doing. Can't afford to go away or take more time off! Nice idea though...

You can change it by just pressing yanbu instead. At least, I can do that on my phone…

What sort of things really need doing but are quiet and must be done at home? If it's admin or something can you go to a coffee shop together? Or do it at night once the banging has stopped? Unless there's a dripfeed coming that they go on until 11pm.

Although I would tell my neighbour if I was getting noisy work done I probably wouldn't tell them ages in advance as you don't always know the exact dates they're coming. So honestly I wouldn't expect my house renovation plans to impact someone's annual leave. Presumably they have now told you they're getting work done as you know the specifics (it's their ensuite). Meh. Couldn't get worked up. Part and parcel of having neighbours. Put headphones on or go out.

That’s a shame, stick some music on when it’s at its worse to drown them out then plan revenge in the coming months 🤣

They should let you know, it's good to know what to expect and for how long It will last. Ours didn't, they ruined a while Summer for us gutting their while house and both gardens, they moved out of course but we were stuck with it. Not one word🙄

You’re right! Thanks

Oh that's awful. I think this is just a week at most but who knows...

They're always hammering away at anti social hours too and their child is a menace.

Wtf has a drumkit in a terrace ffs...

Did you tell them you were having a week off to gaze in to one another's eyes and hold hands?? Maybe they would have scheduled their renovation differently if you did

I always tell the neighbours if we’re doing noisy work that’ll last more than an hour or so. It’s just simple courtesy. Particularly as one neighbour works unsociable hours and the other occasionally works from home

Our neighbours have never let us know so we won't be doing so in the future if we have any noise! But YANBU.

We did it the opposite way - had the work done then left a note a bottle of something to thank them for their patience.

Work was scheduled to be done and we weren’t going to not have it done so why give people the chance to object?

Having said that we did apologise to the neighbours whenever we saw them and it was an old property in need of renovation when we bought it so refurb work was expected.

Our next door neighbours are the same op, selfish.

Noisy building work so I texted to ask how long and they just casually say 2 weeks every day. And I'm just sat here thinking and you didn't think to mention this?!?

Dh had great trouble trying to sleep during the day for his 12 hour paramedic night shifts. With a bit of a heads up he could've tried to swap those shifts for day shifts but no they couldn't be bothered to take 30 seconds out of their day to warn us. Ffs!

It’s common courtesy to inform neighbours. I could have written this myself. My neighbours have had two major building projects in four years. I saw someone measuring up yesterday, I assume it was to get the drive done. As they have never let us know in the past I’m actually going to ask them when works starts and try and not be here 🙄

I get that it's probably annoying but this really is such a first world problem

If no one works from home and work is happening at appropriate times I wouldn't inform neighbours

Whatever happened to common courtesy? 🙄

I see where you’re coming from, but in my experience (personally and seeing friends and family do building work) some people just hate building work and will do nothing but complaint about it.

So if I say to someone new kitchen going in next week and they say oh that’s no good for us, we’ve got something on - I’m not/can’t cancel it and surely that’s worse? Oh well that’s a shame but I don’t care I’m doing it anyway?

Doing the en suite wouldn't have struck me as noisy, notifiable works, but clearly it is louder than id have thought it