So we bought our house in May 2023 and kicked off a major renovation in October. The house is about 50 years old and needed a lot of work – we started with the interiors, including a complete overhaul of the bathrooms, and got rid of asbestos flooring, replaced all the copper pipes, and did a complete rewiring. We also fixed up the kitchen and bathrooms, and had to rebuild a poorly done addition to stabilize the house. We replaced two glass doors and several windows too.
After settling in, we took a breather of about six months before starting Phase 2, which involves replacing exterior siding, more windows, and rebuilding the deck. We've been super careful to adhere to HOA guidelines, and our construction crew sticks strictly to working hours from 8 am to 5 pm to limit any disturbance.
However, I invited a neighbor over for wine to be friendly, and after a few drinks, she let loose about how much our construction is bothering her. She was extremely emotional, even crying while expressing her frustration about the mess and how our house looks while under construction. I felt really caught off guard by her reaction, especially since we've been making an effort not to disturb anyone. Her behavior seems overly dramatic to me, and it's hard to understand why she's so fixated on our project. I'm looking for some advice on how to deal with her and maintain a peaceful neighborhood during these renovations. This is just Phase 2 of a four-part project, and we won't start the next phases for a while, so I'm hoping to sort this out now!
3 Answers
It’s tough dealing with an unreasonable neighbor. Just keep following the HOA rules and be polite when she confronts you. Maybe you can document the construction timeline and share updates with the neighborhood so they’re informed. The craziness is temporary, until your lovely renovated home pops out!
Sounds like you need to put up some nice tall hedges! Jokes aside, there’s not much you can do. Maybe a nice note or gesture saying you hope it will all be worth it soon might help. But at the end of the day, her feelings are her responsibility, not yours.
Honestly, it seems like you’re doing everything by the book already! Some people just love to complain, and it sounds like your neighbor is one of them. Just keep doing what you’re doing with the renovations. If she’s that upset, maybe minimize contact and don’t engage too much. She has to understand that renovations are part of living next to real estate that's being improved!
Exactly! You can't please everyone, and many people may even appreciate the upgrades once you're done. Just keep your head down and focus on the project.