Last year my wife and I found out that we were expecting our third child and we knew immediately that our home would no longer be big enough for all 5 of us. We were forced to decide whether we should move house altogether or undergo an extension on our existing property. After much though and deliberation we decided that moving out would simply be too much upheaval and instead we set the wheels in motion to upgrade the home that we were already in. There were many things that I learned during this process and one of the most important things that I would recommend to anyone who is having a similar extension, is to keep your neighbors onside, and here is why.
Machinery
Regardless of how small or large the housing extension will be, there is likely to be a great deal of heavy construction equipment arriving at your house. Equipment like this is noisy and cumbersome and could cause a problem with your neighbors. Making sure that your neighbors know exactly what to expect in terms of your house extension is going to be crucial to ensure that it goes without a hitch.
Dust and Debris
Whether you like it or not, during the construction process there will be a great deal of dust and debris flying through the air. This can result in dirtying your neighbors windows as well as the risk of them breathing in fumes or pollution as a result of the extension. In order to make sure that your neighbors are ready for this, try to give them a timeline of events so that they can understand what days are going to be worse than others.
Power Outages, Supply Problems
There is always risk with these kinds of projects and to your neighbors, that could mean a power outage or even problems with their gas and their water. In order to minimize the problems that this could cause, you must ensure that you have a great relationship with your neighbors and that they can expect the potential for something like this to go wrong. Sometimes an outrage such as this is pre-planned and it is vital that you keep your neighbors informed.
Planning Permission
You simply cannot start a project such as this without planning permission and your neighbors have the power to contest the work which you have planned, and ultimately prevent you from getting the permission which you need. For this reason you must ensure that you have a great relationship with your neighbors and that they are completely informed about how the process will take place. The permission is vital to what you do and you cannot afford to have a neighbor contesting it simply because you didn’t put in the effort to inform them and talk them through how everything will take place.
Remember that your neighbors live here too and you should respect that and keep them in the loop.
