Construction work in residential areas

Savvy

I must admit when I look at the property website, the words 'recently renovated' make my heart sink. I know if I took on that property I'd be ripping out most of their renovations to get it back to near it's original state.

Most of these properties look awful after these renovations.

Yes I don't unders people who buy a lovely old house and then remove all the original fireplaces and flooring and other features and install a modern sleek interior. I always think 'why didn't you buy a brand new house in the first place. It's obviously what you wanted'.

I think it's about the price of housing, really. Round here, housing costs about £2,500 per square metre to buy (and it's a cheap area) but extending only costs about £1,500 per square metre. In places where it's more expensive, £3,000 upwards, there is even more incentive to build what you can't afford to buy.

Why on earth shouldn’t people be able to renovate their homes if they wish without being called selfish ? I’m very much afraid this conversation is making you sound like miserable old curtain twitchers !!! Can’t you be happy that people , especially the young people, are able to make their own mark and also make their own home their own ... perhaps you could ask them how things are going and perhaps see what changes there have been...you never know you might like what they’re doing as well as being friendly with the neighbours

People are entitled to build within certain limits. After this they have to have planning permission. You are entitled to complain about these extensions to the planning department. So.. speak up or shut up. So many people moaning...

Glad I’m not your neighbour!

What a lot of moaning old codgers you sound. We are in our 5th house and we extended 3 of them (one of which we live in now). We moved back to an expensive town to be near our GC and would not have been able to buy a house of sufficient size without over stretching our finances. There is no way we moved into this house if we could not extend the back of it. The first few years when family came we were all practically sitting on each other knees. Now we have a lovely big rear of the house but unfortunately at the moment no visitors. Hopefully that will improve soon. We live in a 1930s cul-de-sac and 50% have been extended. If my children were still small we would have extended upwards as a lot of the younger ones have done. They look great. Before we moved here we lived in a 1830 cottage which we did not extend - horses for courses.

I bought an old detached bungalow that was left in the 1970s. It needed rewiring and complete overhaul throughout, the electrics were so old they were dangerous. It had a built-in deep fat fryer in the electric hob, how they were ever allowed is beyond me.
Some people live in houses and don't keep up with the maintenance or updating that is needed. This place lay empty for over a year, for a bungalow where I live it's very rare, they sell in a week, but nobody would touch it cos it needed so much money spent on it. I've obviously had to have workmen in, but luckily it's detached and my neighbours were delighted to have someone finally move in they didn't care about the activity going on. I didn't have big lorries arriving or anything, but new windows needed installed, electricians, plumbers, kitchen fitters, etc were all here. I would never of built up or on it, it's a bungalow and staying that way.
The old saying is " you can't make a omelette without cracking eggs".

I bought a totally run down bungalow in a lovely area. The kitchen and bathroom were tiny and the place needed so much doing to it. We have had builders here for the past couple of months, making a lot of noise. Thankfully our neighbours have been lovely, when I have apologised for the noise they all say "oh don't worry, we've been in the same situation"

We have always bought "the worst house in the best street " as the saying goes.
Neighbours have always been contacted before any major disturbance and builders told to clean up at the end of the day.
Never had a problem, in fact quite the opposite, nobody wants to live next door to a neglected property surely.
DS and DIL are renovating and extending at the moment, neighbours both sides could not have been kinder. After all it enhances the other properties also.
Young people have to start somewhere !

Yes where does all this money come from.
I have just spent a lot of money on essential repairs - nothing left for 'nice to haves'

We’re in the midst of having an extension built on the back as well as a new patio. It’s a detached house but in a cul de sac. We are 68 and 70 so not youngsters! I am very conscious of our neighbours and ask the workmen/lorry drivers to be respectful of them and to move if they get in the way. Our (near) neighbours have been very courteous about the whole thing so hopefully that will continue one neighbour offering us a space in their drive for us to park our car. I appreciate it’s disruptive and we’ve never had extensions built before but I don’t see why we shouldn’t extend if we want to and would not expect anyone else to abort plans just to keep neighbours happy. Who knows they might be next! I certainly would not complain although I do appreciate at times it can be disruptive. No work is carried out at weekends when most are home or in and out.

Coco51 hear, hear!

My Aunty’s two bed bungalow was sold before Christmas as she’s now in a nursing home. The new (elderly) owners have put in plans to extend at the side and into the loft and many of the neighbours are up in arms because the proposed plans “don’t fit in with the area”.
Tb absolutely h my cousin and I think it’s a wonderful design and are all in favour of it. And are wondering if there’s not just a tiny bit of the green eyed monster involved as the house will look so much better than the rather dated 1960s bungalows surrounding it!

A lot depends on the builder/contractor, our neighbour informed us about an intended extension but we arrived home one day to find a digger on our drive alongside various building materials, drive is now damaged, since then our downpipe has also been damaged by the builders, nothing has been repaired despite repeated requests. Our relationship with neighbours is now somewhat frosty.

Huitson1958 totally agree.

check your local councils rules on construction sites working ( this also includes extensions etc) most councils have hours that can be worked and most say no work after 12 on a saturday and no sundays its worth checking as if they are working all hours the council can stop them.

On the run up to our extension work (starting on Monday) we have kept our neighbours up to date, told them where to view the plans to comment even though they will have received a letter from planning about the work. I don’t think it is selfish at all to add extra space to a house, add a porch, bedroom over the garage or whatever anyone wants to do to suit themselves and how they live. Not everyone can afford what they want immediately and do not have to keep selling to get a bit more space it’s not always financially beneficial to move with associated costs. The last thing I want to do is disrupt my neighbours but it is our house and planning have agreed to us doing the extension. No amount of whinging will stop us from going ahead luckily we have very understanding and helpful neighbours considering we have only been here a few months.

The problem is that families can no longer afford to buy a good quality house which would immediately meet their needs. They buy a small house with the potential to develop. It may be their only way to achieve a property which meets their needs.

But that's not what anyone has been complaining about.

Apologies my comment above was to loulou.

We had this trying situation for over a year - our peaceful road beame a building site, and we endured loud radios, a portaloo in full sight of windows, dust and dirt, endless racket and our fence knocked down - it was replaced without quibble. Then the bonfires started - the builders were too lazy to go to the tip. One morning I heard my neighbour, who had been at home unwell for a couple of days, screeching at the builders. I went outside and she was having a complete melt down, scarlet face, arms waving, threats coming thick and fast. The builders stood silently like four naughty children while she gave them chapter and verse of the past year and all their misdemeanours. The radio went off, the portaloo was moved down the garden, the whistling stopped, and so did the bonfires. The rest of the work was relatively quiet, but were we glad when they left.

I don't think building extensions is the problem as it's not usually very noisy but after weeks of daily walls being knocked down, ceilings coming down and kango hammers taking up floors next door my head is ready to explode. I never said they shouldn't be able to do it, of course they should. It doesn't mean it's fun to live next door to. At least we should now be on the last leg of plastering and painting etc. the quiet trades but who knows.

Do the rules around the hours builders can work still apply if you are doing the work yourself?

Last year my upstairs neighbour almost drove me berserk with their flat renovation.

The professional builders were in during the day, then the father of the owner would turn up and work would continue until after 10 at night. This was 7 days a week for almost 2 months. I was woken before 7 every morning by something heavy being dropped on the floor above my head, which shook my place.

Of a weekend I was treated to the 3year old grandbrat being allowed to run from room to room in an empty flat and use the floorboards as a trampoline while screaming!

no one has mentioned how expensive moving is. If you extend, then every penny of what you spend goes into the extension. If you move there are removal costs and so on.

Savvy, did you conplain to the coucil environmental department?