What to expect living next to a building site?

[StareIntotheMaggotDrawer]

There is a plot of land which has recently been sold with PP to build a house. It is on the other side of my NDN, but a corner plot on the next street.

The streets are a mixture of terraces, semi detached and the street the house is on leads to a culdesac with terrace bungalows so it is quite a crowded area with lots of cars parked on the road. The plot isn’t very big, it is just a corner plot split into two.

The PP documents say the build will need to start within 3 years from approval (2017), so I am not sure if that has been extended due to covid, or the sale date (September 2020) but I guess it will be starting pretty soon, unless the buyer needs to reapply for planning at this stage, I’m not entirely sure how it works.

The thought of living so close to a building site leaves me feeling really bleak. Even though it’s a crowded area, it’s fairly quiet and very pleasant.

I knew the plot was for sale a couple of years ago, but I didn’t know about the planning application when we bought this house 4 years ago. The planning app was submitted around the same time, so it’s possible that any notification was addressed to the previous owner, which I wouldn’t have read. I didn’t see anything else. It didn’t come up in the searches when we bought either.

I don’t know if I am overreacting but I am just internally panicking at the thought of working and living here whilst a house is being constructed.

We’re not in a position to sell right now, but I was thinking about in the next couple of years. If the work is delayed and ongoing for a few years (no idea how long it takes to build a house, but things can go always go wrong and take longer than anticipated), I feel like we will be stuck here as I doubt anyone will want to buy whilst it’s going on.

I don’t even know what I’m asking really, just need a bit of a moan and wondering how bad it’s going to get.

Sorry I mean the street the land is on leads to a culdesac!

A whole lot of fucking noise? 😬

I lived about 100m from a small block of flats being built.

Time... It took about 8months. The external walls went up quickly. It's the internal stuff that took time.

Road was occasionally blocked by deliveries, but it's a narrow road.

Noise... Got used to it quickly. Not UK, do they could start at 6am.

I don't think one house will be that much disruption really.

My sister lives next to a school which has had major building work going on for the last couple of years and it's been pretty grim. I doubt if a single house would take that long but her advice would be to get a meeting with the site manager asap and get him/her to explain the plans, phases and how long it is likely to take and make sure you have a contact number for them. She had problems with generators and lights being left on all night, flooding into her garden and a soil heap left where it would have obscured a lovely view before she got them to move it, but having a good relationship with the site manager helped a lot.

I think you are worrying too much in advance. This could happen almost anywhere you moved to, a house could be knocked down and a new one built, a massive extension or some other redevelopment.

Yes it can be noisy at times but It could be a quick process (under 6 months). I don't think people are put off buying in any case as they understand that there is an end in sight (I say that as someone who just bought with two houses about to go up very close by).

There are also some good threads on here on how to survive a neighbouring build with recommendations for noise cancelling headphones etc.

Try not to catastrophise about this, is there anything else going on to make you so anxious?

I lived next to a building site at the end of my street (20 houses). For me it was the constant dust. Windows and cars filthy. They sent a road sweeper up twice a day but the road was always muddy.

Our street is quite narrow and the lorries ruined some front gardens so I'd say take pictures now if that is a possibility. They you can show the damage.

We lived near beautiful farm lands that quickly turned to a building site.

Dust, lots of dust and Eminem rap god on repeat.

Planning permission lasts for 3 years. Work has to start before the 3 years expires or else they will need to reapply.

We live next door to a site that had 4 large detached houses with land knocked down a couple of years ago to make way for a block of 25 retirement flats. So it was a huge build, just on the other side of our garden fence.

Of course there was noise, but it was surprisingly quick and painless. I think we had to ask them to turn music down once during the whole build, but a quick word with the site manager sorted it. As a PP says, the actual build goes up very fast, it's the internal stuff that takes the time and you don't really hear / see that.

Obviously it's not ideal but I really wouldn't have said it was something to panic about. And one single house will take relatively little time at all.

Ironically, we have now sold to developers too, and the people who live in the new retirement flats are kicking off about the potential noise and disruption

Builders here are really fucking rude and aggro about their radios, which they use to blast shitty music all day so expect that.

Thanks all. My first thought was to google ‘how long does it take to build a house’ and the first suggestion was a year which didn’t help. Glad to know it can be a lot shorter.

Yes it could happen anywhere but, at least where I live, it is extremely rare for a house to be knocked down and rebuilt. Whilst I know it’s not fool proof, I actively avoided buying close to fields or types of areas that typically get turned into housing developments here. I never expected someone to sell part of their garden.

How does it compare to an extension, noise/disruption wise? If anyone has been able to the compare the two? I can deal with the usual renovations, but I think because it’s a whole house, parking and a corner plot it is going to affect both streets a lot more than an extension would.

I’m terrible at estimating distance but I would say the plot is less than 50m from my back garden and maybe 20m distance from my front garden.

Thanks for the tips on keeping in touch with a site manager.

I just hope they wait until next summer, so I can try to enjoy this one!

Noise. Dust. Builders singing at the top of their voices to a very loud radio. Builders effing, jeffing and c u n Tuesdaying. Mud. Excess traffic blocking your drive and access. Temporary loss of power and water plus all this happens between 8am and 5pm every day except on a Sunday.

My NDN sold their house in Spring 2019 and three houses are being built in their (huge) garden. The final of the three is expected to be finished by the end of this year.

If it is immediately next door then expect noise, dust, litter if a large site with loads of contractors, parking issues and general congestion at key points of the build.The main issue I would say is mud everywhere all the time in the early stage of each house and noise and then later dust and noise!

It sounds like you'll be OK as it isn't right next door.

Thanks for the info @Seeline
Do you know if anything would be published to say it has expired or has been extended?

The approval notice was September 17, and it sold October 20- sorry I have just reread my OP and the portal and I got the sale month mixed up.

So it was sold over 3 years after approval, as having PP so I assumed it has been extended.

PS. The builder is a local 2 man team with various contractors so much slower than a big developer.

@StareIntotheMaggotDrawer

Thanks for the info *@Seeline* Do you know if anything would be published to say it has expired or has been extended?

The approval notice was September 17, and it sold October 20- sorry I have just reread my OP and the portal and I got the sale month mixed up.

So it was sold over 3 years after approval, as having PP so I assumed it has been extended.

You could check your Council website to see if a new application was submitted. If you go to the planning section, there is normally a link called something like see planning applications or comment on planning applications. You can normally search using the address of the site.

House near us was totally gutted and renovated, recently. Biggest issue was the sheer number of vans parked outside. Part of the land the house is on was sold off and has pp for a house on it. Thankfully the people who bought that land are neighbours and are putting a timber framed flat pack house on the plot, which should minimise the worst of the disruption though we still expect a lot of mud and vans.

What is it about builders and their radios? I swear to god.

18 months ago there was a single 3 bed detached house straight opposite my house on a small street. Developers bought it, knocked it down and got planning permission for 2 x 5 bed 3 story detached houses. We objected but the council frankly don't give a shit. They are far too big for the plot, detached in so far as there is 1 meter between them and barely any garden due to their size.

Anyway, despite the houses being a disgrace, the build really hasn't actually been disruptive really. Occasional lorry delivery and rumble of cement mixer lorry sometimes but I've been pleasantly surprised at how undisruptive it's been.

@ChristopherTracy

What is it about builders and their radios? I swear to god.

Well, they need to drown out the building noise I guess

Thanks for the info again Seeline, there’s nothing recent on the planning portal. The house that the plot originally belonged to is also for sale, I’m hoping that the same people are buying that one and will just reinstate the original garden (unlikely I know)

Thanks everyone, I do feel a little better!

A bungalow was built about 20m away from our bungalow last year.
Didn’t bother us at all, took about 9mths but a lot of that time work was internal so no noise at all. We work from home and spend a lot of time in the garden.
We live in a tiny village in the country so used to it being very quiet but with the usual country noises like tractors, animals etc. They did have lots of room to park off road which I guess was a big help.
So I wouldn’t worry ahead of time, you might find it no problem at all.

We lived between two house builds. Both just finished. TBH the construction noise wasn't that bad. Despite working at home during lockdown and having it in stereo.

The worst thing was the music. One set played loud dance music on a car stereo that had ridiculous bass and used to shake the windows. The other played a radio station that had endless ads but used an old school stereo in a converted shipping container.

It was like living in the midst of a fucking rave.

I really wouldn't be counting it PP expiring and it being turned back into garden. Even if it has expired it is easy to get it it again once it has been granted. Be prepared for the build (and hopefully you will get lucky and it will be quick and relatively painless!).

Noise which if you are WFH can be really aggravating & wind blown plastic rubbish. It’s annoying there is no doubt about it but it doesn’t last forever. Try to not let it get to you at all and see it from that perspective otherwise it can get under your skin a bit!

The house next to us (terrace) was converted to flat. There was a bit of banging etc. but nothing too bad - I worked from home even then. If it's being built there might be more noise from the vehicles but as it's not directly attached/next door it might be manageable. Remember they'll only be there during the work day and not at weekends etc.

There's a plot at the end of our cul de sac (6 houses down from us) where two houses have been built and another converted to flats. They started last summer and they're nearly finished. I think they carried on during lockdown. Noise wasn't an issue, there wasn't much dust or mess and because it was right at the end of the street parking wasn't impacted too much. In fact it made it better in some respects as the delivery vans belonging to people who live on the next street over miraculously found other places to park!!

If they start to build, there's not a lot you can do about it, so I wouldn't worry and address any issues as they come up.