Keeping in with the Neighbours

Author: Chris Hogan

Keeping in with the neighbours can be critical to any home extension and it's well worth putting some effort into it. This was touched on in our article about Obtaining Planning Permission, in that you don't want your neighbours to find out about your plans when the little notices go up on the lampposts and fences near their homes.

Take Neighbours Into Consideration

Even if the neighbours wouldn't really have had anything to say about the development of your property, in terms of it's style and situation, then the fact that you didn't tell them first might well make them sit up and take a lot more notice than they otherwise would have. You don't have to ask their permission, just have a casual chat with them and mention the work you'll be doing, answer their questions, and gauge their reaction to see if you're likely to have a problem.

Neighbours have a right to prevent you from doing work on your property that will adversely affect their living conditions. Talking their light is one thing that will almost certainly result in a planning permission refusal, so look at how close your neighbours are and where their windows are. If your building will block light getting to their property, resulting in significantly less light reaching their windows, then you will very likely have to reconsider your plans.

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Access and Party Walls

Another area where you should take care is if your work will affect a neighbour's access to their home or land. As with most things, this isn't forbidden, its perfectly all right if your neighbours agree to the change and get access that's as good, if not better, after you've finished your work. It's the getting permission that's the tough bit, and obviously you will have to pay for any work necessary to affect that new access.

Party walls, i.e. walls that sit on the boundary line and are therefore owned or used by more than one neighbour, are covered by a separate act, the Party Wall Act of 1996, which was put in force to clarify the processes and procedures to follow when trying to make changes to such a wall. It is essential that any works that might affect a party wall are discussed with the other owners and agreed in writing, and you must start this process at least two months before you intend to start work. The Act also requires those other neighbours not to be unduly obstructive, but it can be difficult to know where the dividing line is between a genuine, if perhaps petty, objection, and being unduly obstructive.

Once you have applied for planning permission the council will put notices up in the area of your house to let people know of the work that is proposed, and your plans must be on display a the local planning office for any neighbours to look at. If neighbours object, then it doesn't necessarily mean that permission will be refused, but the planners will take their views into consideration.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Keep Lines of Communication Open

Once you have planning permission, the dialogue shouldn't stop there. Your builders or other contractors may need access via a neighbour's house or garden, for example, so make sure you agree that up front and see any damage is made good. Let people know what's happening as the work progresses, such as times and dates when heavy equipment or suppliers' lorries are expected, so that neighbours can make sure they don't get blocked in.

Consider buying presents for people who are inconvenienced by contractors' vehicles over the period of the build. In the context of an extension budget, an extra hundred quid or so on nice wine or chocolates for the neighbours isn't a big item, and it may turn out to be a spend that's worth it's weight in gold

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Planning Permission Checker lets you tell us about your planned extension and find out whether you need planning permission or can build under permitted development. Try it now →

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Baileu 26/08/2021 at 6:25 pm

My upstairs neighbour is thinking of converting her side bedroom window into french doors and attaching a narrow staircase to it so she has easier access to her part of the garden that backs mine. Currently (we both own) she has to come out of the main front door, walk down the side passage open the back gate into our shared side return and then access her garden vianits onw gate next to mine. Would it devalue my property resecurity/privacy? It would mean attaching the staircase to a party wall (it would not obscure light as i dont have a window that side). However it is in a conservation area and the victorian build is i believe listed. She could perhaps get round it by saying health and safety requires she has a fire escape however its been over 17 yrs we have been neighbours and i dont think wandsworth council the freeholders would agree otherwise they would have put it in when they originally converted the house into 2 flats to sell off. We both bought what was originally a shared garden off the freeholder and divided it as reflected in the deeds into 2.

All Trades 22/11/2020 at 12:53 pm

I live in an Edwardian mid-terrace with typical L shape footprint with a long, narrow kitchen that faces my neighbour's kitchen. In fact, our kitchen windows face each other directly so we always wave when doing the washing up!
If they were to do a side return extension then I would be looking at a solid brick wall so my question is equally - how do I add my side return extension without annoying them? The obvious solution would be for each of us to do the side return extension (perhaps even at the same time?) but my main point is do I need planning permission or my neighbour's consent because am I blocking their light?

Andy 26/02/2020 at 11:16 am

Hi, I'd appreciate your advice - a very helpful article indeed. I've recently purchased a house with a building plot, on a cul-de-sac of semi detached houses, on my plot, I'd like to get planning for a pair of semis, with parking around the back. Currently, the driveway for the plot goes down the left side and to the back, I plan on keeping this the same (and obviously I own the house to the right). To the left, there is a detached bungalow (only one on the street) which was build fifteen or so years ago, although my build would still be 3 metres away from their bungalow and set back so it doesn't block light out, I don't want to fall out with them, as they're a sweet old couple. Do you think my architect would deal with the neighbours during the planning stages or should I hire a project manager to deal with this? Do you think there is such a need for lengthy conversations with the neighbours, as it shouldn't affect them too much?

Pebs 17/02/2020 at 1:47 pm

We received no notice from planning of our neighbours building plans we live in a very old timber framed semi we've tried to be fair about every thing and explained to both owner and builder the frailties of the walls but the final straw is the changing position of their stair case which has been moved from the outside wall of the house to the party wall side and its obvious this will mean a lot more stress on what is the only brick wall in the plus a lot more noise coming through to us maybe to late to do anything about and as my neighbours mum has just died it's a very difficult time but I really feel planning has a lot to answer for.

Pidd 28/10/2019 at 2:03 pm

We live in an end terrace house.
The garden of one of our neighbours from an adjacent road, backs onto our end terrace wall.
This wall is in serious need of rendering and pointing as is causing damp in our house.
The neighbour is refusing us access to carry out the repairs, despite us confirming that we would pay for them to have a new shed and pay for storage of anything that is inside.
What can we do next?

MrsF 14/08/2019 at 10:52 am

Hi,
We are linked detached with our neighbours and having a 1 storey ground extension.

We need a new garage roof as part of the build and as we are linked by garage, we have agreed to pay for the neighbours to have a new garage roof as well.

The neighbours have agreed and are very happy at the prospect of a new roof and also the non the cost associated with it.

Do we need to get the neighbours to sign anything?

Jan 01/07/2019 at 4:40 pm

Help. After having problems with a very difficult neighbour I put a very polite letter in door asking her to remove a greenhouse and other bits and pieces away from my garage wall. She put letter back in door then a piece of paper saying your behaviour is disgusting leave me alone. How do i get her to move stuff. Garage now has a crack and getting damp.

crabby 11/05/2019 at 7:59 pm

my neighbour has started their single story extension, but they have extended the wall near my boundaries and it was not on the originally drawing plans. the wall they have build by my boundaries and has effected my wright to light. what can i do

Badger 17/10/2018 at 5:23 pm

I’m in a Victoria semi. Neighbour has applied to build HUGE First Floor (with access from upstairs bedroom) Balcony/Terrace the full length of the back of the home, stopping at the start of my property.
It would be 9 feet deep, and basically be a viewing platform into my entire garden and bathroom. We would enjoy no privacy whatsoever. Currently we have a large fence that separates gardens and gives us both privacy.
What grounds can I use to object.
Incidentally the neighbours are all objecting..
thank you - stressed.

Broady 20/08/2018 at 4:30 pm

My neighbour has had a porch built and we were going to do the same and with the neighbours permission, join the porches. Someone has told us that this isn’t legal. Is that true?

ExtensionBuild Editor 08/08/2018 at 2:38 pm

There's not usually a requirement of windows with obscure glass in these situations to be non-opening. In fact, there's often a requirement for them to open as an escape route if necessary. You could grow something tall, or erect a freestanding trellis there?

NewishOwner 07/08/2018 at 1:55 pm

We have a small detached property with a side return - one wall of which is our neighbours house. They built a single storey extension about 6 years ago - before we bought the property (we've been there just over 3.5 years). The windows on their new extension include full length bifold doors, two skylights (all of which are fine) and two windows that lead onto our side return/garden. These are above 1.7m high, about 1 m in length and 50cm high, obscure-glazed windows. Every summer our neighbour leaves the window that opens directly onto our garden open for weeks at a time. I don't believe they put these windows in for light as they have other means of getting that with their skylights etc. it seems to be for air/ventilation. My question is: are these windows legal? And can we ask them to change them to non-opening ones?

CR 20/07/2018 at 8:11 pm

What if part of your driveway is adopted, and your neighbour takes advantage of this by putting a storage garage (can't fit a car) on their land, but needing access to this garage by using your driveway. The garage is on our boundary as well, and it does not have a flat roof. I want to change my driveway, and enclose my front garden, ultimately 'stopping up' the adopted part of my driveway. Can my neighbour's challenge this. There garage has been there less than ten years. Also, the reason why part of my driveway is adopted is due to having Public Water Sewer access, which I believe can be moved at my expense. What are some other issues I should worry about or anticipate? Thank you!

ExtensionBuild Editor 15/06/2018 at 3:14 pm

You will need to get this resolved via arbitration or a solicitor as you don't know whether your neighbours had an agreement with the previous owners for the overhang etc.

Si 15/06/2018 at 8:00 am

We have plans approved for a single storey rear extension to our semi detached home. Our neighbours have already extended their home some years ago (before we moved in) and built right up to the boundary. Their flat roof/fascia overhangs the boundary by a few inches so we can't build tight to the boundary without altering this. They have said they won't sign a party wall agreement unless we guarantee not to touch their flat roof, which means we have to leave a silly gap between the extensions and build several several inches back onto our land. Where do I stand legally on forcing them to remove the overhang so we can build tight to the boundary? I don't see why we should be penalised just because they built their extension first! We haven't got surveyors involved yet but I'm wondering if there's any point...0

ExtensionBuild Editor 11/04/2018 at 10:33 am

Your neighbour (or anyone else) cannot attach anything to your property...it's criminal damage and you can take action in the civil courts.

Daggie 08/04/2018 at 6:01 pm

My neighbour has built a garage right next to my garage therefore now making my property link detached. I cannot maintain my garage at all. Further they have a bedroom window which looks directly into my lounge obviously lacking privacy. Further than that the have a large extension on the rear of the house. My Council Tax is for a detached property which obviously it is no longer. Please can you advise. I did put an objection into the Council but was told I could only do this once and my neighbour could apply as many times as the wished.

ExtensionBuild Editor 14/11/2017 at 12:10 pm

The planning department will consult neighbours in the vicinity, but an objection doesn't always mean consent will withheld. Talk to your planning officer before making an application, they will happily provide you with general details of what may or may not be considered acceptable (although of course they won't be able to state categorically whether consent will be given/refused)

HerneHillHelp 12/11/2017 at 4:23 pm

Hello, I would be grateful for you advice. I am a leaseholder in a ground floor flat with one flat above. The leaseholder has agreed, in principle, that I can build a Orangery/SunRoom extension to the back of my property - with at least some glazed roof. The upstairs neighbours have a small balcony which will hang over (a few centimeters above) some of the roof of the extension. I know I need Planning Permission, but before I move forward and develop plans, I want to understand whether their balcony might give them or the Council more of a reason to object to or decline planning permission.Thanks so much, in advance.

ExtensionBuild Editor 06/11/2017 at 10:56 am

Assuming you own the property (i.e your downstairs neighbour isn't actually your landlord), your neighbour doesn't have any rights to come and inspect what you've done. As she lives in the same building, it's understandable if she's concerned about any structural work you've done. You almost certainly need planning permission to put in a new window (where there wasn't one originally) and possibly also to put a staircase into your loft. You will definitely need building regulations approval for both types of work.

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