As the housing market continues to heat up, many homeowners are being proactive about making their homes more desirable; most of these proactive approaches involve construction on the property. As a neighbor, very few things are as obnoxious as a constant stream of noise from your neighbor’s property. This article will briefly discuss what you can do to mitigate the annoyance associated with your neighbor’s construction project.
It seems like a lost art, but the first thing you should do is just talk to your neighbor. Sure, some people are rude, inconsiderate, jerks, but most people are reasonable; explain the situation to them, and they will likely find a way to accommodate you. Asking for a timeline of the project is not unreasonable, it may allow you to plan on being out of the house during those times. Of course, your neighbor may tell you to go pound sand, but you still have other options.
You’ve tried talking to your neighbor, and it’s clear that they refuse to accommodate you – talk to the general contractor on the project. Get the general contractor’s phone number and reach out to them about reasonable concerns. As a general rule, people aren’t just jerks to a single person, they’re jerks all around; there is a good chance you can bond with the general contractor over your shared experience at the hand of your jerk-neighbor.
Noise and dust are agitating and should be avoided; even if your neighbor is a jerk, they’ll probably tell you what days demolition-type projects will be performed. It’s obnoxious but make a point to be out of your home during those times.
Next, check with your local building department to find out the regulations on start, and stop, times for construction; many localities prohibit construction Sunday, and generally prohibit noise before 8AM and after 5PM. While your neighbor may not listen to your requests, they will likely think twice before violating local ordinances. If there’s no way to amicably resolve your issues with your neighbor, file a noise with the local police department (provided they are violating ordinances). Chances are you’ll burn a bridge with your neighbor, but let’s be honest – who cares about being friends with an inconsiderate neighbor.
At the Chernov Team we understand that knowledge is power, and knowledge of how to get through an increasingly common situation vis-à-vis construction projects in your neighborhood is powerful knowledge indeed. At the Chernov Team we know that whoever comes to the table most prepared leaves with the most, and the Chernov Team always leaves the table with the most.