Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Mar 16, 2009 12:36 pm Help, our renovation is taking over our lives. It is not so much the stress of the renovation - it is the neighbors who are causing a lot of stress. We are renovating/extending a semi detached brick house. Of course there is nothing worse than living next door to a building site - especially if your wall is joined to it They moved out because it was all so horrible and then moved back and put in requests for when certain parts of the work can be done. And then get angry because the builder can't/won't accomodate. We can't work out if we are supposed to be telling the builder when he can or can't work - we have tried but then he gets annoyed because then that would hold up all the building timeline and the whole thing could go on longer and longer and the completion time on the contract will be affected. We are not owner builders. We have employed a builder to oversee the project. Should we tell him to accomodate the neighbours needs or should he be working to his schedule? Lizzie J Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 2Mar 16, 2009 1:05 pm I'm pretty sure most council's have rules as to hours of when power tools etc can and can't be used so say not before 7am and not after 8pm or something like that, check with your local council to see if they have any of these rules.. if they do then the builder needs to work within these 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 3Mar 16, 2009 1:13 pm Thanks so much for your reply. The builder is working within the usual hours. It is just that the neighbour sometimes works from home and wants some peace. Also, not happy if they work on Saturday [which is allowed in our council]. We so want to sustain a relationship with both the neighbours and the builder but it seems both are deteriorating. . . . we had no idea this would be one of the problems of renovating/extending.
Thanks again. Lizzie J Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 4Mar 16, 2009 1:19 pm Maybe you could ask your neighbours to write down the times and details of what they do or don't want done and when. Then pass it onto the builder. Also find out what the regulations are (from council) and tell the neighbours that you have passed on their requests to the builder, but at the same time they need to be aware of the regulations and advise them of what they are.
I don't see that you can do any more than that. Blog: http://bluemistkids.blogspot.com "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic." Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 6Mar 16, 2009 8:57 pm I work at home a lot of the time, and we're in a new estate. The building noise from next door, across the road, and now several blocks at the rear, drives me nuts. But while I'd love a reprieve at times, it's part and parcel of living near houses under construction.
I understand that it won't go on forever (Man, I hope the block directly behind us starts construction soon.... ), and as long as the contractors don't start at 5:30am - which they did once or twice - I have no legal grounds for complaint. We already put up with a year and a half of road construction while we were renting, so we're kind of over it, but that's life. I sympathise with your neighbours, but as long as you have a building permit and the contractors work within the allowed times, I don't think they have any right to grizzle. You could dance around on their front lawn wearing this: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ But perhaps it might be more prudent to buy them a nice bottle of wine or something, as a "make amends", nice-neighbour kind of gesture. After all, you're stuck with them as neighbours, may as well try to smooth things over... Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 7Mar 16, 2009 9:05 pm Love it Kek! Nice one! Building Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13002 Site start: 8th July 2009 Handover: 11/12/2009! 5 months total build time. 40 sqs of luxuary...Bliss! Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 8Mar 16, 2009 9:22 pm Kek, you crack me up
Lizzie, if your builder is working within hours stated by your Council then there is nothing that your neighbour can do about it. I am in the opposite situation, we are in and I have 9 houses being built around me. I don't really hear the noise anymore, and thankfully all the external stuff is finished. Bottle of wine sounds like a good idea. I think I'd be more inclined to get the builder to keep on working and get it finished rather than having to stop and start which is going to make the whole process alot longer. Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 9Mar 16, 2009 9:27 pm oh kek, that is sensational - I think I might get one for me (I have a 5mth old baby girl!)... hehe
And as for opinion, I def agree that you should not bother your builder (unless he is working inappropriate hours) because you want to get it finished, don't want to upset your builder! but a bottle of wine or something for neighbours, great idea. And try to explain to them that it is too hard to tell a builder when and where he can work, but you will do your best. Just get the damn work done n' dusted! Then everyone;s happy. Annie A thankful person is a happy person. [/color]My hobby design blog: http://aviewondesign.blogspot.com/ Re: Builder responsibility to neighbours 10Mar 17, 2009 6:58 am You may also like to point out to your neighbour that the longer they try to cause delays the longer the building will take to get done 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure the conduit would need to be undamaged regardless of what network is in play. The conduit needs to be able to have fibre run through it. NBN and Opticomm are just… 4 2858 it depends on the natural ground level, if they excavated their boundary wall needed to be built as a retaining wall. If you filled, which sounds like the case then you… 1 7063 |