building noise | Mumsnet

janehopper · 28/09/2025 21:55

His name is John, you've put it in there. Just knock on the door and ask when it will be finished?

24Dogcuddler · 29/09/2025 08:18

Have you tried ear defenders?

Geneticsbunny · 29/09/2025 16:11

I think this is just one of the disadvantages if working from home. You can certainly ask what they are having done and when it will be likely to be finished but people need to maintain and repair houses and the least disruptive time for most people is during the week Monday to Friday.

PattyCatty · 29/09/2025 19:42

Can you go and work in the local library? I understand neighbour noise can be highly stressful so maybe best to get out of the house as much as possible so you avoid the frustration.

KimberlinaBallerina · 29/09/2025 20:06

What’s him being Liverpudlian got to do with anything 😵‍💫

Emmz1510 · 29/09/2025 20:18

The work surely can’t go on forever! What work is it they are doing?

Ohhellnooo · 29/09/2025 20:44

I have sympathy for you, but if they need/want building work done, when are they supposed to do it?

We are having building work done at the moment. It’s a long project, lasting 10 weeks, we are 5 weeks in and it’s been incredibly noisy. Next door isn’t happy as he works night shifts. We warned him months in advance that it was going to start. The builders are here between 9 and 4.

Realistically, what could we have done? Continued living in a shithole rather than disturb our neighbours sleep?

Dh has been working from home while the noise is going on downstairs.

amigafan2003 · 30/09/2025 10:43

dan131 · 28/09/2025 21:40

The builders wall side in a semi are banging Monday to Friday and its excruciatingly stressful. He is a Liverpudlian builder called John. His elderly mother lives in the house who i have no contact with Its the second time he and his mates have done prolonged work
I have to go out every day all day weekdays. And cannot afford to. And i work from home and my work is curtailed/ limited. i don't even know his or his mothers name and can't find out. The banging is just ongoing stress .

Do you have a question?

Wot23 · 30/09/2025 11:33

so you do not know the name of your (elderly) adjoined neighbour
shame on you

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 11:52

It's horrible but unfortunately there's little you can do. We had similar (although they were working 7 days a week which is illegal) when we had a 1 year old and 4 year old both who needed to nap, plus working part time from home.
Our relationship with the neighbour never recovered but if they just ignore reasonable complaints you just have to suck up all the stress and aggravation.
When they finished I could hardly believe how much less stressed we were.

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 12:03

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 11:52

It's horrible but unfortunately there's little you can do. We had similar (although they were working 7 days a week which is illegal) when we had a 1 year old and 4 year old both who needed to nap, plus working part time from home.
Our relationship with the neighbour never recovered but if they just ignore reasonable complaints you just have to suck up all the stress and aggravation.
When they finished I could hardly believe how much less stressed we were.

As someone who is having building work done, what would you have liked your neighbour to have done?

7 days a week is ridiculous, but other than that, what could they do?

Building work is noisy. My next door neighbour just scowls at me now, he’s really pissed off. My builders are finished for the day at 4pm.

But there’s no way round the noise. My husband works from home, he’s working in his office with all this noise around him!

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 12:16

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 12:03

As someone who is having building work done, what would you have liked your neighbour to have done?

7 days a week is ridiculous, but other than that, what could they do?

Building work is noisy. My next door neighbour just scowls at me now, he’s really pissed off. My builders are finished for the day at 4pm.

But there’s no way round the noise. My husband works from home, he’s working in his office with all this noise around him!

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I'd have liked them to tell me more than a day before the builders started, provide the right party wall agreements, keep to the legal working hours at a basic level, but ideally acknowledged that we had young children and avoided doing noisy work around their nap time. Or just any kind of discussion about how it would affect us.
I had to go round and complain repeatedly when they were drilling or scraping on Saturday afternoons or Sundays (and even 9pm one time) and they just acted like it was nothing to do with them.
The actual work, ok it's unfortunate that it's loud, but before that we thought they were a lovely considerate couple and we used to help fix their fence and ask how they were, now we realised they don't give a second thought about us.
So maybe it's more the attitude rather than the actual noise.

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 12:41

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 12:16

I'd have liked them to tell me more than a day before the builders started, provide the right party wall agreements, keep to the legal working hours at a basic level, but ideally acknowledged that we had young children and avoided doing noisy work around their nap time. Or just any kind of discussion about how it would affect us.
I had to go round and complain repeatedly when they were drilling or scraping on Saturday afternoons or Sundays (and even 9pm one time) and they just acted like it was nothing to do with them.
The actual work, ok it's unfortunate that it's loud, but before that we thought they were a lovely considerate couple and we used to help fix their fence and ask how they were, now we realised they don't give a second thought about us.
So maybe it's more the attitude rather than the actual noise.

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We let our attached neighbour know months in advance that work was starting. There was no need for any party wall agreement, it was all internal work to my house.

He wasn’t happy as he works nightshift, but what could I do, never do any building work to my house?

You can’t reasonably expect them to work around your toddlers nap times though. Work gets done in specific order and it could mean taking time out and increasing the time they are there over all.

My builders are here Monday to Friday, 9- 4, your neighbours builders don’t sound professional if they are still going at 9pm.

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 13:34

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 12:41

We let our attached neighbour know months in advance that work was starting. There was no need for any party wall agreement, it was all internal work to my house.

He wasn’t happy as he works nightshift, but what could I do, never do any building work to my house?

You can’t reasonably expect them to work around your toddlers nap times though. Work gets done in specific order and it could mean taking time out and increasing the time they are there over all.

My builders are here Monday to Friday, 9- 4, your neighbours builders don’t sound professional if they are still going at 9pm.

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I don't know why you're arguing back, you asked what I'd have liked my neighbour would have done so I assumed you were interested in the answer.
I was talking about them not you, and also I didn't ask if it was reasonable or not

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 13:52

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 13:34

I don't know why you're arguing back, you asked what I'd have liked my neighbour would have done so I assumed you were interested in the answer.
I was talking about them not you, and also I didn't ask if it was reasonable or not

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I’m not arguing back.

Sorry if it came across that way. I was just saying I think I’ve done all I could do. I was asking incase if missed anything glaringly obvious. my neighbour very obviously hates me now and it’s not a great feeling. It’s better than continuing to live in a dump though, so swings and roundabouts.

I was just giving my opinion on the nap time thing, as I would if you were a friend and we were having a conversation face to face.

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 14:15

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 13:52

I’m not arguing back.

Sorry if it came across that way. I was just saying I think I’ve done all I could do. I was asking incase if missed anything glaringly obvious. my neighbour very obviously hates me now and it’s not a great feeling. It’s better than continuing to live in a dump though, so swings and roundabouts.

I was just giving my opinion on the nap time thing, as I would if you were a friend and we were having a conversation face to face.

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thanks for replying and I guess it's a subject that gets everyone feeling defensive! Anyway hope yours goes well. Even a bottle of wine might help your neighbour (when we did our extension the party wall house was empty, but we bought flowers and can't remember what else for the non attached neighbours, and I think it was better than saying nothing)

Ohhellnooo · 30/09/2025 14:25

johnd2 · 30/09/2025 14:15

thanks for replying and I guess it's a subject that gets everyone feeling defensive! Anyway hope yours goes well. Even a bottle of wine might help your neighbour (when we did our extension the party wall house was empty, but we bought flowers and can't remember what else for the non attached neighbours, and I think it was better than saying nothing)

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Yeah, we’ve taken a couple of tubs of chocolate round over the last few week, when our builders said they would be stripping down the plaster and it would be noisy for next door. We just got scowled at though when he took them. I do feel bad. I worked nights myself for a while so I know how awful it is to sleep in the day anyway.

Might take some beers round this weekend for him.