Contributed Content
Image Source
Whether you’re starting a living room makeover or carrying out substantial renovations to your property, you need to make sure you don’t intrude on your neighbours. These types of home improvements can be long, messy, and disruptive, and the last thing you want is to upset the people you share a boundary. While most neighbours will understand – at least at first – if anything goes on too long or gets too loud and obstructive, you may cause problems for the and even the rest of your street. To prevent issues here is some advice to keep the peace.
Tell Them What You’re Doing
It’s common courtesy to let your neighbours know what you are doing before the contractors arrive or before you start lugging tables, chairs, sofas, and more out of your home. Letting them know as soon as possible, preferably before you arrange the work, will give your neighbours time to prepare and ensure they do not get any nasty surprises.
You can also ask them if there is anything they need you to do, especially if they have pets or young children, as you don’t want to disturb them and cause problems while the work is going on, no matter how long it takes.
Arrange to Clear Things Quickly
Renovations or clearouts come with a lot of rubbish. You don’t want to leave stuff on the driveway or the kerbside for too long, as this can interfere with their lives and may make it difficult for them to park their car.
Arranging clearing quickly can avoid this. You can book a Rubbish Clearance service that removes anything you don’t need as soon as it is outside. If you want to make things easier for your neighbours, you can take smaller items to the tip.
Work With a Respectful Company
Finding a reliable builder will make your neighbour’s lives (and yours) much easier. Professional contractors should be respectful of everyone on your street and do everything they can to minimise disruptions.
Although some work is bound to cause disruptions, these should not last too long, so research the best companies in your area. Those with the highest-rated reviews should be a priority, but you can also look for recommendations from friends and relatives who have had positive experiences with other companies.
Respect Boundaries
Understanding the regulations surrounding party laws and building work can save you and your neighbours plenty of grief. You don’t want to overstep any boundaries or adjust parts of your property that you may not be responsible for.
This commonly happens during garden work, as homeowners often don’t always know which fence boundary is theirs. The same applies to working on specific walls. If you and your neighbours share a wall in a terraced or semi-detached home, you must provide them with all the information regarding your home improvement project to avoid breaking any laws, as this could put you at risk of liability claims.
Peace
Keeping the peace is essential when living next door to someone. You don’t want to become a Neighbour From Hell, so this advice should enable you and your neighbours to live in harmony even during large-scale upgrades to your home.