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?

I don’t think I would. It gives them the opportunity to say “sorry that doesn’t work for me because XYZ” - like you’re asking for their permission. Then where does that leave you? Because you’re not going to be changing anything on your neighbours say-so, you’re going to be ploughing ahead even though you are now starkly aware of the impact it’ll have on your neighbors.

better to apologise after the event than be seen to be asking for permission, to be honest.

I’d add to my post above that I would of course notify if it was something that directly affected them e.g drilling into a party wall or repairing a fence between gardens etc. But for a bit of noise, no.

For me the noisiest bit is the ripping out of the old bathroom and the cutting of the new tiles

My neighbours didn’t let me even though they know I work from home (they had all their parcels redirected to me and a note on their door I didn’t know about saying deliver to boardwalk as they knew I’d be in)

what was annoying is I could have worked somewhere for the first and noisiest day but it was too late when I realised.

I think it’s basic manners to let people know if you are having work done

I’m maybe biased because I live in a flat? Communal noise is expected and unavoidable.

In my experience people who live in houses become very accustomed to being able to control their own environment and become very unhappy very quickly when that control is challenged. I’ve rented holiday apartments and had someone tell me it was wrong to flush the toilet late at night because that kept them awake and someone else suggest that wearing high heeled shoes walking up the stairs late at night was anti social because they liked to get up early!

I work from home and it’s fab but it’s not right to expect your neighbours to change their behaviour to accommodate it

The parcel thing is taking the utter piss though.

Playing devils advocate

If you usually work out of the house they may have assumed it wouldn’t impact you anyway as all the noise is in your working hours.

Also they may not have known which week it would be until quite recently- builders can be like that! - so possibly too late for you to swap your AL anyway.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting the OP gives permission, but it’s good manners to let your neighbours know and apologise in advance for any inconvenience 🙄

I always would. YANBU.

I wouldn't let people know because the works is all during normal daytime hours when noise is to be expected. I also wouldn't expect my neighbours to tell me. When you live in a normal house (eg semi detached on a housing estate) you have to accept you will hear other people's noise and they'll hear yours.