Link-Detached Conversion - Noise question

ProDave

Next time buy a properly detached house where there is a gap between your house and your boundary on all sides so nobody can possibly join a habitable room to any part of your house.

teachfast

I'd go with the majority of comments - you are both re-purposing an area to spend time; an area that was not originally designed for this.  Your way of spending time is different to theirs and it's not particularly inconsiderate of them to create a play area for their children.  Children can be noisy and they're not really breaking any rules, moral or otherwise, giving them a space to play in.  I can see how this shifts the noise from them to you, and that must be frustrating, but if you still had just a car in your own garage then it wouldn't be bothering you at all.  The fact you (or your predecessor) have made it a more habitable area and you've chosen to put your office in there is not really their concern.

I agree with the poster who said this novelty will wear off.  It will be cold in there, and kids don't like the cold and protest quickly at it.  Standalone heating is expensive and they won't want that on for too long or too often when they've received a couple of bills.  It may well be damp in there and this will start to seep through and it's likely the area will not be used so much, moving forward.  Alternatively £90 buys some fantastic noise-cancelling wire-free headphones now which I often wear while working.

Anesthaesia

SpiderLegs said:

Anesthaesia said:

Maybe another way I should be looking at it is that it's simply a building they have available to them that they can do with as they please - as someone pointed out it could be a car revving in their garage. But does that mean they can turn it into a living space with electrics, musical instruments and gaming equipment and just scream and shout as much as they please, and be entitled to make noise any time of day or night? Surely under those conditions most people would feel frustrated.

Yes that is exactly the way you should be looking at it. Your conversion was done on the cheap. You have not magically acquired some rights that determine or limit the rights of your neighbours.
if you are frustrated it should only be at your own failure to properly understand the property which you were purchasing.

You must really be the life of the party...

Carrot007

ProDave said:

Next time buy a properly detached house where there is a gap between your house and your boundary on all sides so nobody can possibly join a habitable room to any part of your house.

This and also rule out new build where the properties are near enough to be attached. Also remember where ever you buy yout neighbour can buiuld up to the border. It's up to you to stay unattached and have enough space.

SpiderLegs

Anesthaesia said:

SpiderLegs said:

Anesthaesia said:

Maybe another way I should be looking at it is that it's simply a building they have available to them that they can do with as they please - as someone pointed out it could be a car revving in their garage. But does that mean they can turn it into a living space with electrics, musical instruments and gaming equipment and just scream and shout as much as they please, and be entitled to make noise any time of day or night? Surely under those conditions most people would feel frustrated.

Yes that is exactly the way you should be looking at it. Your conversion was done on the cheap. You have not magically acquired some rights that determine or limit the rights of your neighbours.
if you are frustrated it should only be at your own failure to properly understand the property which you were purchasing.

You must really be the life of the party...

I’m not the one trying to find a way to stop the neighbour’s kids from playing in their own property.

Neil49

ciderboy2009 said:

Anesthaesia said:

ProDave said:

So neither of you have converted the garages properly to building regs standards?  And then you wonder why you hear noise through a single skin wall never intended for a habitable room?

Oh and for both of you, your "link detached" houses are now semi detached and worth less.

I have looked into regs but have not found anything indicating that either has been done incorrectly, since neither have had plumbing added or any excavation.
Yes I would have loved a cavity wall, but haven't seen where that is a requirement in the building regulations for a garage conversion. Or am I missing the point about what building regs are? Can you advise how these have not been converted "properly to building regs standards?" ?
As I pointed out in my post, at no point have I been responsible for any part of the conversion.

A quick Google and I found this which seems to cover your situation:

"Yes, a garage conversion will need Building Regs approval.

You or your builder will need to adhere to the Building Regulations when converting an attached garage into habitable space. The Regs apply to various aspects of the construction, including:

• thermal performance
• acoustics
• fire safety
• ventilation."

Regardless of whether or not you were responsible for the conversion it is your property so you are the one responsible for ensuring the legality of it.  I'm really surprised that your surveyor didn't suggest that you got confirmation of building regs approval for the conversion.

It would also appear that your neighbours have ignored building regs and just blocked off a space in the garage. This may well be acceptable given that it would probably be quite easy to restore the garage back to its original purpose with minimal cost and effort. 

letsbetfair

Also worth saying that people often use garages for other things, even if they're not converted (I don't drive, but use my unconverted garage as a weights room...mine is detached, so won't bother the neighbours). Even without a conversion, they could still have let the kids play in the garage.
First thing to try is just speaking to your neighbours! I'm doubtful that you'd have any good legal remedy, but even if there is potential for one a friendly chat might be far quicker and cheaper.

RelievedSheff

Carrot007 said:

ProDave said:

Next time buy a properly detached house where there is a gap between your house and your boundary on all sides so nobody can possibly join a habitable room to any part of your house.

This and also rule out new build where the properties are near enough to be attached. Also remember where ever you buy yout neighbour can buiuld up to the border. It's up to you to stay unattached and have enough space.

We are in a new build detached house. Our nearest neighbours are 6m away.  There is no way that our neighbours can build up to our property as we own all the land surrounding it.

RelievedSheff

Anesthaesia said:

SpiderLegs said:

Anesthaesia said:

Maybe another way I should be looking at it is that it's simply a building they have available to them that they can do with as they please - as someone pointed out it could be a car revving in their garage. But does that mean they can turn it into a living space with electrics, musical instruments and gaming equipment and just scream and shout as much as they please, and be entitled to make noise any time of day or night? Surely under those conditions most people would feel frustrated.

Yes that is exactly the way you should be looking at it. Your conversion was done on the cheap. You have not magically acquired some rights that determine or limit the rights of your neighbours.
if you are frustrated it should only be at your own failure to properly understand the property which you were purchasing.

You must really be the life of the party...

Says the person complaining about children playing in their own home 🤔

Sistergold

Soot2006 said:

Anesthaesia said:

You've summed it up perfectly Soot2006, and sadly I felt this was the case all along but really didn't want it to be.

I just find it heartbreaking that at a time when we're being forced to work from home and be considerate, your life can be turned upside down by selfish individuals. I'd never put a neighbour through what we've had to endure from them.

I guess the only option then is to sell and move on. At least this has taught us a lot about link-detached properties and they are now certainly off the list.

I am noise sensitive so I do sympathise with your situation, but selling the house seems a bit dramatic as you can end up with difficult, noisy, inconsiderate, bullying, or even violent neighbours wherever you are.  At the moment, the "new" playroom is fashionable so they're using it a lot. This probably won't last. Soon, the damp will seep through the insulation boards, the excitement will wear off ... and the kids will be back at school!

Give it a few months. I know the noise is upsetting, but selling/moving is also disruptive and with no guarantees of a better outcome.

I also second this. You probably loved the house and all it advantages and so you bought it. Selling is rather drastic as there are known to be worse neighbours than this causing other forms of nuisances in detached properties. 

One thing is since all has been okay upto now things will become better as the children will grow? For now use one of your bedrooms as office maybe? 

To be honest if it was still a garage the noise could truly be worse and this should not be considered as bad neighbours! If a car enthusiast lived there aswell as noise from fixing the car they will be playing loud music while you would have been doing the same in your garage but you have all converted. They are using their garage as a play room which is better than using a bedroom to make the said noise. 

Noise sensitivity becomes worse once annoyed and best is to look at what YOU can do and change your mindset. 

See how you can use another room as office for now as office really needs to be in the unattached part of your house and also sound proof your conversion? You don’t want to worsen neighbourly relations over this as truly children do have energy and they need to spend it. The garage is really the best place for the children to run around and they truly are not deliberately trying to be bad neighbours. 

I feel it will be unfair to ask your neighbours to ask the children to be less noisy? Children do need to be left to make some noise during the day and any level of child play noise will be too loud I think for some working from home? 

Good luck