The cost of nuisance neighbours: from property damage to legal disputes and the impact on property values

• 28% of people have fallen out with a neighbour;
• 48% wouldn’t buy a property with rubbish strewn in a neighbour’s garden;
• A neighbouring student let would stop 37% of buyers from purchasing a property;
• 6% of people have been in a legal dispute with a neighbour.

As the theme tune goes - ‘Everybody needs good neighbours’ – but not everyone is lucky enough to get along with the people next door.  According to new research, bad neighbours are not only stressful to live next to, they can adversely affect the sale of your home, with would-be buyers looking for tell-tale signs of potentially problematic neighbours.  

The survey, commissioned by GoCompare, found that 28% of people have fallen out with a neighbour, with the most common disputes concerning noise, issues with pets and rubbish.  For 6% of respondents, the relationship with next door became so bad it escalated into a legal dispute. 

The survey also revealed that 48% of buyers would be put-off a house if the garden of a neighbouring property was littered with rubbish, with 43% claiming they wouldn’t buy a property if the neighbouring address was in a dilapidated state.  Over a third (37%) wouldn’t buy a home next door to a student let.

On the bright-side, the survey also found that many neighbours get along well and help each other out.  Half of those surveyed said they would call their neighbour a friend, 51% have lent items to a neighbour and 42% have borrowed items.  Just over half (51%) of respondents look after a neighbour’s property if they are away and water their plants or feed their pets.

Commenting on the research, Ben Wilson, GoCompare’s home insurance spokesperson said, "Most people get along well with their neighbours, however, not all neighbours are easy to live next to. If you have an issue with a neighbour, the first thing you should do is to have a friendly chat with them, as they may be completely unaware of any upset they may be causing.  If you’re unable to resolve the matter amicably, depending on the cause of the dispute, there are a number of options available to you.  Citizens Advice have a useful step-by-step guide on the action you can take, and your home insurance may provide valuable help as well. 

Ben Wilson continued, “What’s also worth noting, anyone looking to sell their property is legally required to disclose information about any disputes they’ve had with neighbours on the ‘Seller’s Property Information Form’ provided by their solicitor.  Providing false or omitting information could lead to legal action taken against you by the buyers – so as ever, honesty is the best policy.”           

For more information on legal expenses insurance and home insurance visit: http://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/legal-expenses-and-home-insurance/

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For further information please contact:

Anders Nilsson/Martyn John/Louisa Marsden at GoCompare on 01633 654 054 / 01633 654 725 / 01633 655132

Gordon, Jason or Liz at MAW Communications on 01603 505 845

Keep up-to-date with GoCompare on Twitter; @GoCompare

Notes to editors

*On the 19 March 2018, Bilendi conducted an online survey among 2,046 randomly selected British adults who are Maximiles UK panellists.  The margin of error-which measures sampling variability-is +/- 2.2%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and regional data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of United Kingdom. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About GoCompare

GoCompare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.

GoCompare does not charge people to use its services, and it does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Gocompare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.

GoCompare does not sell its customers’ data.

When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. GoCompare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest, and has teamed up with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.

GoCompare is the only comparison website to be invited to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

For more information visit www.gocompare.com and www.gocomparegroup.com