Block couple commits deadly renovation sin

Despite The Block’s very distinctive and highly irritating marketing strategy - “Don’t forget to watch tonight’s BLOCKisode: filmed at the BLOCK where lots of BLOCKITY BLOCK BLOCK stuff happens…Tonight at 7pm. I mean O'BLOCK” - last night was the first time I’d actually caught an episode.

I’m glad I tuned in, as it was no ordinary “watch the paint dry” episode. Instead, it was drama ahoy as couple, Dan and Dani, decided to work through the night grinding tiles, keeping the rest of the Block residents up with them. Massive no-no. Read a (hilarious) recap here.

As an art deco apartment dweller, I know this pain all too well. My neighbours are constantly updating and unfortunately they’re not all courteous about it.

Sure you get the types who’ll leave a note in your letterbox with the exact dates and times trades will be there and apologising for the noise, but they’re generally the exception not the rule.

A few months ago I was sent absolutely crazy by all the drilling and hammering going on in the unit below me. No amount of rationalising, like: “maybe their improvements will help increase the value of my place” (which made absolutely no sense) could console me at 6am on a Sunday when they fired up the floor sander. 

Renovating noise is bad at the best of times (fittingly, I’m typing this post to a soundtrack of hammering next door), but when it’s out of building construction hours – it’s criminal, well it should be.

Exact construction hours depend on your local council but generally speaking they're from 7am to 6pm on Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm on Saturdays with no work allowed on Sundays. If you’re making renovation noise (obviously something like painting is fine) outside these hours and your neighbour dobs you in, you can expect a fine.

Dan and Dani were fined $1,000, which I think is peanuts for a night of lost sleep for not 1, but 6 other people – and probably the whole street! What do you think?

I look forward to the next installment of “Tilegate.”