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Last year, our next door neighbours, who'd moved in about 9 months previously, had a huge amount of building work done. We had very little notice of the planning application, and then a short while later we came home after a weekend away to see scaffolding up - encroaching on our property, and then we endured 4 months of noisy building work, 7 days a week. While we'd been cordial with them before, we barely speak to them now - usually only if one of us takes a parcel in for the other. They're separated from us by the width of their garage. So we weren't exactly thrilled when our neighbours on the other side - with whom we share a party wall - announced they were having an extension built this summer. It's expected to start in early July and take about 4 weeks, but he spoke to me last night and said he had a consent form he needed us to sign, which would allow their builder onto our property at the rear for a couple of days, presumably to build the external wall. He's said that they would erect a temporary barrier to give us some privacy. Thing is, there's only about 18 inches between the boundary and our patio door, so if they encroach too far, we'll be left with no access to our back garden. We get on much better with this couple, and I don't want to be objectionable, so as far as I'm concerned, as long as there's no building work in the evenings, it stops at midday on Saturdays and nothing on a Sunday, plus they don't encroach too far into our garden, we'll probably be ok. Anyone know what our rights are? We got in touch to our local planning office with objections last year and they were absolutely useless. I'm hoping it can all be taken care of with just some common sense and polite behaviour, but much of it will be down to the attitude of their builder, who clearly won't give a toss what we think. |
Neighbours building an extension - anything to be aware of?
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boo 13,901 posts
Seen 5 days ago
Registered 18 years ago -
challenge_hanukkah 14,400 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 8 years agoboo wrote:
Bet they voted remain.
Last year, our next door neighbours, who'd moved in about 9 months previously, had a huge amount of building work done. We had very little notice of the planning application, and then a short while later we came home after a weekend away to see scaffolding up - encroaching on our property, and then we endured 4 months of noisy building work, 7 days a week. While we'd been cordial with them before, we barely speak to them now - usually only if one of us takes a parcel in for the other. They're separated from us by the width of their garage.
So we weren't exactly thrilled when our neighbours on the other side - with whom we share a party wall - announced they were having an extension built this summer.
It's expected to start in early July and take about 4 weeks, but he spoke to me last night and said he had a consent form he needed us to sign, which would allow their builder onto our property at the rear for a couple of days, presumably to build the external wall. He's said that they would erect a temporary barrier to give us some privacy. Thing is, there's only about 18 inches between the boundary and our patio door, so if they encroach too far, we'll be left with no access to our back garden.
We get on much better with this couple, and I don't want to be objectionable, so as far as I'm concerned, as long as there's no building work in the evenings, it stops at midday on Saturdays and nothing on a Sunday, plus they don't encroach too far into our garden, we'll probably be ok.
Anyone know what our rights are? We got in touch to our local planning office with objections last year and they were absolutely useless.
I'm hoping it can all be taken care of with just some common sense and polite behaviour, but much of it will be down to the attitude of their builder, who clearly won't give a toss what we think. -
THFourteen 54,987 posts
Seen 18 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago@boo
Heh if I didn't know what you looked like I would assume you lived next door to me, as our neighbours were unhappy with our extension plans when we did them.
We invited them round and had them talk to our architect and agreed exactly what we would and wouldn't do. They still weren't happy but we gave them a few freebies like offering to paint their wall and redo their fence for them free of charge, which sweetened the deal.
Subsequently they actually did their own extension a year later.
Bottom line is, we needed ours to have a better living area for our kids and it really has changed our lives. We do appreciate that we created noise and had builders around 5 days a week for 3 months. But equally once its done its done.
I guess we live in a cul de sac where everyone is always doing something, extension, loft conversions, whatever so we are a bit more blasé about it.
Although I do think 7 days a week is actually not allowed? -
freddymercurystwin 2,825 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agoGet yourself over to the Diynot forum and get your posts in the Planning and Building Regs section, waste of time asking that on here. -
freddymercurystwin 2,825 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years ago.
Edited by freddymercurystwin at 20:29:05 21-06-2018 -
Dougs 100,414 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoOur neighbours had an extension last year, which we were very relaxed about. We're good friends, my wife works with one etc. More than happy for them to use our garden for access, didn't care about the noise etc. They said that the fence they wanted to put up would be on the boundary. As it turns out, it's actually about 3 or 4 inches inside our boundary. This got me a bit worried, mostly if we had to sell the place etc. But then I realised that if they didn't put the fence up, I would have to, so fuck it.
Edited by Dougs at 20:44:07 21-06-2018 -
Dead hookers under the patio. -
From my understanding there is not a great deal you can do. It sounds like you should also have a party wall agreement put in place and this should protect both of you to some degree. Be careful around these as there are a lot of ambulance chasing party wall companies out there and your neighbour has to pay for it and it can create some tension.
For extra insurance you should consider taking pictures of your walls before work starts so you have some backup if they break anything.
If it is permitted development there is very little for you to do but if they are adding over a certain square metreage then I think you have some more rights.
Your only recourse in these situations is to place an injunction which will stop the work until your problems are addressed but that is the nuclear option and it won't stop the works but delay them and make them awkward as it is more of an arbitration situation to resolve issues. -
As for getting builders to not be feckless, horrible and obnoxious, well, that may be more tricky. -
RunningMan 3,098 posts
Seen 4 days ago
Registered 15 years agoGoogle "party wall agreement" and don't sign the agreement unless you are happy. They need your consent to continue. Make sure, it's clear that the guttering will not overhang. Check their builders insurance. You can insist on a surveyor being called to check the site before the work starts, and then if issues arise, an expert witness is available. It will cost you neighbour money but wish I'd done it. It should happy f you don't agree to the party wall agreement automatically.
Had a nightmare when my neighbours did this, but your neighbours have spoken to you, so it'll probably be OK. If you trust your neighbours then you will probably be fine. Good luck. -
THFourteen 54,987 posts
Seen 18 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoMr_Sleep wrote:
We got lucky with ours, they were all really nice guys. I mean we paid them well enough!
As for getting builders to not be feckless, horrible and obnoxious, well, that may be more tricky.
I even went to the pub with them after they finished up on a Friday once.
Edited by THFourteen at 21:40:05 21-06-2018 -
elstoof 28,126 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago -
THFourteen 54,987 posts
Seen 18 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoAhahahahahaha!
It was a bit like that yeah.
The boss guy was an Arsenal fan too. -
Rogueywon 12,387 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoSign everything they ask you to.
After that, every 3-4 days for the rest of the time you live next to them, wait until the depths of night when nobody is watching and vault the fence to do a big poo in the middle of their garden.
They'll never be able to prove it's you. But it will gnaw at them. Oh how it will gnaw. -
elstoof 28,126 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoUntil the next job, working for a Chelsea fan -
elstoof wrote:
Disappointed no one has even mentioned Alan Partridge
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/middle-class-man-convinced-builders-like-him-2013041265450 -
Decks 31,014 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 6 years agoThey're brown aren't they. -
2old4disshit wrote:
Jesus. That'll teach them for probably making an honest mistake eh?
Last Christmas the neighbour got cancer, so needless to say I had the last laugh. -
fontgeeksogood 12,913 posts
Seen 5 months ago
Registered 3 years agoThose were the original Wham! lyrics, it was named Dark Christmas until Andrew and George realised it might not have been a commercially successful move -
2old4disshit wrote:
Fair enough. At least they're going to die soon like you said.
Intentionally built across the boundary when I asked them not to, used a dodgy builder with no building regs working only weekends so it took ages and put a flue in my garden. Nothing honest about that. -
Rhaegyr 5,499 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 10 years agoJust moved into a house where the neighbour is in the middle of a side and rear extension - check out Party Wall Agreement and Right to Light (though the latter is pretty useless).
They should have surveyors, architects and the like checking it out and providing your reports before you sign off on anything. -
Psiloc 6,368 posts
Seen 14 hours ago
Registered 14 years agoI’m not an expert, but I’d have thought that you’d have some protection from somebody completely blocking access to your garden -
Jyzzy-Z wrote:
Get the pitchforks lads. JUSTICE!
2old4disshit wrote:
Fair enough. At least they're going to die soon like you said.
Intentionally built across the boundary when I asked them not to, used a dodgy builder with no building regs working only weekends so it took ages and put a flue in my garden. Nothing honest about that. -
BreadBinLidHero 10,803 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 12 years agoTBF living next door to 2old would probably give me cancer too. -
Mr_Sleep wrote:
Good advice here.
Your only recourse in these situations is to place an injunction which will stop the work until your problems are addressed but that is the nuclear option and it won't stop the works but delay them and make them awkward as it is more of an arbitration situation to resolve issues.
If things break down, like they did with my neighbours, a strongly worded letter threatening them with an injunction does wonders to get them to see right. Our ex-neighbours were arseholes who didn't bother to consider that their work needed party wall consent despite them attaching stuff to the party wall, and were absolutely mystified when we objected to them attaching stuff to the front of our house without even asking, and because I asked them to detach their work and actually build it to plan I was apparently 'being petty'.
I'm glad that the injunction threat did work. Planning really couldn't have given less of a fuck - as long as they throw up something that merely resembles the plan and building control say it's safe, it's a civil matter and you should talk to the CAB.
My blood pressure rises just thinking about it. Hope all goes well, OP.
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