Bad neighbours can cost £1,000s
A North Staffordshire estate agency is stressing the importance of maintaining a good relationship with neighbours after new research revealed that bad neighbours could wipe anything up to £30,000 from the value of a property.
Heywoods Estate Agents, based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, warned homeowners that it was a legal requirement for sellers to report problems with their neighbours and therefore they should think twice about the long-term consequences before getting embroiled in neighbourhood disputes or feuds.
Not only could people end up losing money when it came to selling their home, the company added, but they could also end up alienating a potentially valuable asset to their property.
It said that having a good relationship with neighbours was one of the best aspects of owning your own home, offering the opportunity for close friendships, security while away on holiday and someone to lend a helping hand.
The survey, conducted by Halifax Home Insurance, revealed the full extent of the problem, with as many as one in ten people prepared to fork out moving costs to the tune of £5,000 just to get away from their neighbours.
Aggressive and noisy neighbours were cited as the common complaints at 60% and 53% respectively, followed by the state of a neighbour's property or garden (19%), stealing (12%) and nosey neighbours (11%).