On holiday, next to a building site

We’ve booked a family holiday in the South East, a self catering house. Not cheap at £1650 p/w but very nice. The owner showed us round and laid down some ground rules. What he failed to tell us is that he’s bought the plot behind said house and he’s got the diggers in.

What would you do? Get on with the holiday and forget about it?

Phone him and tell him it’s unacceptable and that he’s ruining our relaxing holiday and he should reimburse us some of the money we’ve paid because we’re having to listen to heavy machinery all day?

It would have been courtious for him to let us know beforehand, so we knew what to expect.

Looking forward to your replies!

Bit out of order, you might have some comeback.

talk to the owner now and try and sort something out.

the longer you wait the more frustrated you’ll feel and the more your holiday will be affected.

Unacceptable to have not told you in the first place.

Phone him and tell him it’s unacceptable and that he’s ruining our relaxing holiday and he should reimburse us some of the money we’ve paid because we’re having to listen to heavy machinery all day?

^^ This.

Go out somewhere. Do you spend all your holiday in the house? Might as well have stayed at home!

Did you book through an agent?

How did you pay?

Do you spend all your holiday in the house? Might as well have stayed at home!

I guess that the word ‘holiday’ might give the game away here. On ‘holidays’ some people like to relax a bit. Sometimes on ‘holidays’ they stay in bed a little later than normal. On some ‘holidays’ people have leisurely breakfasts with a good read of the paper and a cup of nice coffee.
🙄

Unless the building work is starting very early or finishing late I’m not sure what the issue is. The world can’t stop because you’ve got the week off, and you’ve only rented the house, not the whole street.

Its bad luck but I don’t think its unacceptable

I agree with maccruiskeen.

So Mac / TheBrick – you don’t think that a warning about the work going on would have been polite? I know I would be very upset if I found myself in the OP situation.

What would you do? Get on with the holiday and forget about it?

Do that, and have a nice holiday. It’s just some diggers, no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

I think it would be bad luck if it was not the owner’s plot and his diggers. As it is, it’s v. cheeky not to mention it.

Just got back from a week in Dorset. Lovely house, pretty village, ace pub etc etc.

No mention in the brochure of the dawn chorus that kicks off at 4:30 every single f*cking morning and lasts for three hours until the birds finally f*ck off.

ARRK! ARRK! CAW! CAW! ARRK! coo-coo, coo-ca-choo, coo-coo! AARK! ARRK! cuck-oo, cuck-oo, twit-twoo, twit-twoo, ARRK! CAW!

etc…

+1 ebygomm

So Mac / TheBrick – you don’t think that a warning about the work going on would have been polite? I know I would be very upset if I found myself in the OP situation.

I think it would have been nice but if I was in that situation I would not expect it, life goes on out side. When the booking was made the situation may not have been clear, when the person arrives it make no difference.

I know the world keeps moving, even though I’m on holiday but he should gave mentioned it. I’ve come away to relax. Some of this earth moving equipment is actually shaking the house! Literally, the whole place is rattling.

Just reading his ‘manual’ he says he’s not responsible for any work outside the property, even though it’s him who’s building another house in the original house’s back garden

OP – the sound is clearly not acceptable to you – I would have words.

Complain he should have at least warned you. Being a digger operator at times I understand who noisy they can be banging about and if its dry the tracks can scream like a banshee while they are tracking and also shake the ground near by.

Apart from the building site, is the location quite? ie, did you book the house because the location would offer you peace and quite? If, for example, it’s on a busy road next to a night club, a bit more noise shouldn’t be a problem. If it’s in the middle of nowhere, then a building site is a bit unfair and I would expect to be told, and given a reduced rate.

Just reading his ‘manual’ he says he’s not responsible for any work outside the property

The fact that he includes this statemetn makes it seem he’s well aware that the noise would be considered a nuisance

He shouldn’t be renting the place out while performing such work unless he makes it perfectly clear in advance what’s going on and what the guests should expect.

It just got a whole lot better. Looks like he’s bought next door as well and there’s even more machinery turned up now. He’s splitting that plot into 2 as well. Sneaky get

have you spoken to him?

Although not on holiday but when I rented a flat some time ago the viewing was after 5pm. The owner never mentioned that there is a huge building opening soon and it will take 3 years to bloody finish the place.

Sooo, before the building was finished outsie with windows so the noise was not as bad I had a full summer with the angle grinder and other noises on for the WHOLE day. Not good if you work on nights and sleep during the day.

I can understand that it can be frustrating and I would speak to the owner as You are paying good money for it and there was nothing mentioned about any work being done.
On the other hand, if it was not the owners plot then there would not be much that could be done.

Complaining on birds singing in the countryside is funny, I prefer that then the noise of a bin lorry at 6am 😉

Funnily enough, I can’t get hold of him. I’m going to ask for a rebate off the sneaky little rat

Rented a nice flat about six months ago. What the bastards never told me (owner and estate agent) is that a new tramline was opening along the old bridlepath that runs 15 feet from the bedroom window.

I work shifts and the noise has been unrelentless – find it hard to believe that they didn’t know it would happen.

There are some tossers in the world – perhaps understandable if it was unrelated to him but if it’s his plot it’s no different to him sitting in your garden with the noo-matic hammer.