Everybody needs good neighbours: 60% say avoiding disagreements ‘top priority'

Yahoo

2 days ago

More than a third (36%) of people have had a row with a neighbour, according to research involving users of a property website.
Curtain twitching (70%), noise (78%) and parking spot poachers (71%) are among people's top annoyances, according to Rightmove's survey of more than 1,200 people, including homeowners and renters.
Neighbour behaviours deemed to be the biggest red flags were asking for Wi-Fi passwords (87%) and overflowing bins (71%).
Young adults aged 18 to 34 are particularly sensitive to noisy (82%) and nosey neighbours (73%), the research indicated.
People aged 55 and over (39%) and those living in the South East of England (42%) are particularly likely to have had disagreements with other locals, according to the study.
Avoiding neighbourhood disagreements is a top priority for six in 10 (60%) people when moving home, rising to nearly seven in 10 (69%) among people living in the East Midlands.
Prospective buyers are taking extra steps to dodge potential problems, including driving by the property at different times of the day to check for issues (59%), expanding their area search (58%), and checking local community groups online for any disputes (43%), Rightmove's survey, carried out in May, found.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove said: 'Neighbourly disputes are an inevitable part of community life, but our research highlights just how significantly these everyday annoyances can influence people's decisions when moving home.'
Mary-Lou Press, president of NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark, said: 'When buying a property, it can be essential to spend time researching and learning more about the immediate area that surrounds it.
'In addition to a comprehensive and physical look around the local vicinity during the day, the weekend and/or the evening, it can be helpful to strike up conversations with people, such as surrounding neighbours, if the opportunity arises.
'Online snippets of information might also help you make a better decision too, such as checking the rate of crime in a particular neighbourhood, the performance of schools and health-related services, or even running a car insurance quote to help with your financial planning.'