If you have a big extension to your home, AIBU to think you should consider the impact on your neighbours?

[angelos02]

Neighbour is having a huge extension - so much so, we have found out that they are moving out for 6 months. It will have a huge impact on my life - noise, scaffolding etc. At the end of it I will have lost a huge amount of view - they will gain everything and the only person to be negatively impacted is me! So do I just have to suck it up as it is just the way things are now?

Because we need more bungalows and developers are not building them. Instead 4-5 bed “affordable” houses. Because the land the a bungalow uses is larger than what they could build a block of flats or an even two semis.

You should have been informed when they asked for planning permission, and you will have been given a window to raise objections before permission was granted- if you weren't informed I would go straight round to the building control department of your council to ask why you were not informed and to object now.

Buying a house that suits future needs is impossible. We bought a 3 bed detached several years ago because it was the only thing we could afford.

After one child it was fine but after 2 we are finding ourselves a bit cramped. Could do with a spare room and a bit more space downstairs.

When we bought the house we moved from a small 2 bed semi so this was a step up (still is!) but at this time we hadn't really decided how many kids to have.

We've looked at moving but the repayments are borderline unaffordable and a lot of the houses for sale are on an estate I would prefer not to live on. We are limited to area because of the kids school.

So we have a choice, wait for something to come up on the estate and pay more, move to a not so nice estate and get more room or build a conservatory/extension to get more living area and suck up not having an extra bedroom. Option #1 is more desirable because we have the nicer estate, we like the physical location of the house and it's a lot cheaper after you've factored in moving costs and stamp duty.

I have no desire to piss my neighbours off but if I can do something legally that will improve my life why would I not do it? Especially when there is more than likely to be a finite finish.

We've had someone replacing our facias (banging) replacing the fence (banging) and the bathrooms. As we are detached it's only the outside noise people can hear but obviously there is some. But tough shit, everything is 30 years old and needs replacing for function. Fence falling down, gutters leaking, bathroom leaking...

That's it until the autumn and then there will be another bathroom. It needs doing sooner or later, we could sell tomorrow and I'm sure the first thing they would do is replace it so as far as I'm concerned that's life. We

I find it puzzling that you only know of cities and countryside and think there's no other places that people live! I live right on the edge of a large town, I can see fields and trees from my upstairs windows. I have no desire to live out in the sticks, I've got the best of both worlds. And no being in a town I am not exposed to permanent construction noise, it's very peaceful where I live! My aunt lives in an apartment in a city and it's peaceful where she lives. You can't make these assumptions and tell people that they have no rights and should go and live in the middle of nowhere if they don't like it!

So you think a view is not a big factor in why people choose the houses they do? You think it's fair to come along and brick up the view a property has and lower it's value! There's nothing worse than these new builds surrounded by other people's brick walls and windows staring in at every inch of their life! When you get to a certain stage in life and stage of paying mortgages, you earn the right to have views and greenery and a bit of space between houses!

@FlyingCatGirl but people don’t have any right to stop permitted building/renovation work & the associated noise?

I would say it’s unusual to live anywhere with neighbours & have no one undertake some kind of work.

When you get to a certain stage in life and stage of paying mortgages, you earn the right to have views and greenery and a bit of space between houses!

What? there is no right to a view unless you earn enough to own all the land around you. 😆

People in new builds can't extend, have you seen the foot prints of new builds these days?

Eight of our neighbours have had big extensions, since we have lived here - so, I don’t think we needed to worry about the effects of noise on the neighbours, when we had ours done. Our builder didn’t allow his men to have the radio on, while working outside, and I never heard them swearing outside. He gave his card to our next door neighbours if they wanted to complain about anything to him.

You are being extreme! Nobody is saying people can't do anything to their homes, but you don't have to be an unpleasant person that wants the biggest, ugliest extension that absolutely ruins your neighbours home that removes day light, views and ultimately property values! You really didn't work that out?

You are being extreme

the irony 😆

I don't think you really understand how life works! People pay higher prices for properties in nicer areas! You are too extreme in your views, you think you should have everything you want but that your neighbours deserve absolutely nothing and that you should be able to take whatever you want away from them no matter how badly it impacts them! There's a post on here where someone of your mindset built a big obtrusive extension, blocked out all the sunlight to the very elderly neighbours garden, broke them mentally, the elderly people had to move, the poor lady died the day of exchange as the stress brought on a stroke, the old man died 6 months later in his new home. Do you have any compassion for that? Should there be limits to how badly you ruin someone's life?

@FlyingCatGirl I suggest you take a break and calm down….

I am not the one who doesn’t understand how life works.

If I buy a house backing onto fields with a lovely view I do not own that view unless I own those fields. Do you really not understand that?

As I already said I also understand that my neighbours can do any permitted building/renovation work & I cannot stop them. Which part of this are you struggling with?

The above are not extreme views, it’s extreme to argue the opposite!!

Stating the above also doesn’t mean I have ever carried out an extension or loft, why on earth would you assume that?

you think you should have everything you want

Lol, what gives you that idea? I live in London and have no choice but to compromise. 😆

Have you seen and appealed the planning permission?

Totally agree - we have a huge building project going on next door to us. New people moved in and didn't tell us their plans to practically re-build their house. First we knew about it was when we got a letter from the council. A huge extension at the back, converting the loft, the garage, new roof chimney breats out and much more. They moved out to live with her parents so they didn't suffer at all. It has even nearly a year now. They also immediately cut down beautiful mature trees and shrubs so now it's just a muddy wasteland. That upset me most of all- we had such a sense of loss of the beautiful view we had. Now also to the left of our patio we have an extremely tall brick wall. They also demolished hold the fence on our side.
You're definitely not being unreasonable. I really feel for you.

Try and look on the bright side people are investing in your area and improving it. The type of people doing this are “get up and go” types. I would rather live amongst people like that than a neighbourhood in decline with properties decaying away and HMOs with as no one spending money on them…

There is a huge difference between a small extension within permitted limits - say a loft conversion, garage conversion or conservatory and the type of extension described by @angelos02 which is so enormous that the house owners move out to escape the destruction but the poor next door neighbours have at least six months of disruption in the form of mess, noise, vehicles and workmen and are unable to do anything about it. It is a nightmare and @angelos02 will not be able to even enjoy her own garden while the work is underway. To add insult to injury, her enjoyment of her own home is going to be reduced as she will not be able to enjoy the view and, very likely will have less light. You have my sympathies.

This has to be one of the craziest posts on this thread.

I would far rather work next door as temporary disruption then a house going to rack and ruin next door that drags the look of the area down and could have repercussions. Friends of friends were semi detached with an uncared for house that caught fire then was left - they got overrun with rats. Why is that crazy?

How on earth does anyone know stress brought on a stroke! Such drama!

People can and will extend their properties, fact of life! Manage your stress better but accepting such things in life!

You can’t just do that anyway. A little thing called planning permission where the neighbours are warned about plans and if they have a good enough reason like it blocks out the sun and changes view they can contest it. Very likely successfully and the neighbour has to change their plans

That's right, the only way to guarantee your view is to buy somewhere where your view cannot be blocked. It's a fact of life. Even if you own all the land around you it can be compulsarily purchased.
Sometimes people buy flats with nice views and then they lose them when another block is built - your solicitor has to ensure that there are no planned buildings between you and the view, particularly on new developments.

Sadly you usually have no right to light and blocking plans is not always possible especially when the new work is "permitted development".

That's not true @angela1952 you absolutely do have a right to natural daylight and any prospective development can be declined if it is proven that the elevation deprives your neighbour of natural daylight.

What you don't have a right to is an unrestricted or protected view. I've seen a housing estate go up in my area, where a property over the road previously had an unrestricted far reaching view of the Severn Estuary. Now all they can see is houses. I am sure they will have contested that development, but will have been told they don't have a right to a view and that their natural daylight is in no way impacted by the development,

Permitted developments tend to be minor constructions such as a conservatory (within permitted dimensions), greenhouses and outbuildings eg a log store. Anything like an extension is unlikely to fall under the constraints of permitted development and in any case, LAs recommend the property owner submits for a review of their proposal, so the Planning Department can advise whether there are risks that will require their neighbours to be consulted, taking it into full planning permission.

I disagree, it has happened to us.