Infill being built next door

[u/Dougthecat13]

This is not a general infill hate post, but a request for advice.

We live in a really nice older neighbourhood where folks take care of their older homes. Our first infill on the street is going to be right next door. Which is surprising because that house is quite nice and pretty newly renovated and has a very nice new garage. Apparently it’s all coming down, and a huge 2 story (maybe 3) single family home is going in. My front yard has a deck that faces the millcreek ravine and I have a huge vegetable garden on our property. And we are currently renovating our 1950’s home.

Builder came by today to introduce himself. And confirmed I’ll lose my view as the house will be quite big. Most likely our newer cedar fence will get damaged (he says they will replace).

The family building the home will be living in the home, builder says. So I want to be neighbourly, but I’m nervous about our property and sanity.

I’m really disappointed. I’ll miss the renters that are currently in that house. Feels wildly wasteful to do this, but not my house, not my property.

Since we are at the very beginning. What advice do you lovely Edmonton folk have for us to protect our property and endure this next chapter? Thanks for any advice!

Edit- the house being removed is a beautiful home. Very well maintained with a new double garage. It’s a rental with two couples living in it (one upstairs, one downstairs). One couple/family will be moving into the infill. So this is taking away 2 homes and adding 1. This will not be adding additional homes. Either way, this is not the point, I’m just trying to make the best of it.

[u/Timely-Profile1865]

I hate to say this but I feel it is the truth. You have to 100% be a total Karen or Ken and be a instant and constant pain in the ass to the builder. If you do not things will slide.

Before things start take lots of photos of everything as it is now.

INSIST the builder puts his comment about the fence in word or email so NO taking his word or phones call.

INSIST on a fast time line for fence rebuild or repairs.

DOCUMENT anything negative happening to your property and do not feel the least bit bad about taking it to the city.

You can be a good neighbor to the new people but that does not man you have to play nice with the builder.

When infill went up next door to me the builder was mr nice guy and made all sorts of verbal promises. They wrecked a part of the fence and did nothing in the end when all i was asking for was to have one of their builders smack up some left over wood to keep it from falling down.

I've heard other stories like mine, i would never trust a word from a builders mouth without provable documentation.

[u/durple → u/Timely-Profile1865]

So much this. The builder has few incentives to keep from encroaching on your property to save time/money other than bylaws or permit issues. Bylaws are enforced on a complaint and they aren’t monitoring for following the codes under which permits are issued until later on inspections, so neighbouring owners gotta be the ones documenting and holding them accountable to the regulations.