I’m a property expert – do you have lazy neighbours?They could be devaluing your home by up to £75k, says Laura Hamilton
WITH interest rates rising, selling homes has become a very tricky business – and our neighbours aren’t helping.
Average property prices have dropped 3.2 per cent since August last year, according to building society Nationwide, while estate agent Flying Homes says nuisance neighbours can reduce values by up to £31,000.
But A Place In The Sun presenter Laura Hamilton thinks neighbours could be costing you much more – up to nearly £75,000.
The property expert says: “When buyers turn up to a house, the first thing they wonder is what the neighbours are like.
“Their issues might stop your sale altogether.”
Here, Laura, 40, tells Kirsten Jones the ways our neighbours can cost us – and by how much.
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OF-FENCE-IVE GARDENS - £1,000
IMAGINE settling down to sunbathe in the back garden, only to see your new neighbour popping the washing out in their pants.
Tatty fences rip a hole right through your privacy – and your house price.
Laura says: “Gaping holes in the neighbour’s fence is never a good look, especially if you enjoy your privacy.
“It won’t stop a sale, but it will slash the house value by up to a grand.
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“But you can easily put up a new fence right next to the tatty one, as long as it’s within your boundary. Problem solved.”
OLD BANGERS ON DRIVE - £5,000
YOUR drive might be perfectly weed-free but rusty hatchbacks all over next door’s lawn is going to be the first thing buyers notice.
The last thing they want is to live next to a garage.
Laura says: “If rusty cars and caravans are clogging up next door’s drive, there could be all sorts of vermin on the property – and it won’t be long before they pay your place a visit.
“Find out if your neighbour buys and sells cars. If that’s the case, the cars won’t be around for long.
“But if they’re a permanent fixture, you need to find out what they plan to do with them. But at the end of the day, it’s their house, they can do what they want.”
WANDERING WHEELIE BINS - £1,000
IF the neighbour has no home for their wheelie bins, the chances are that they – and their contents – are regularly littered across your front lawn.
Buyers will spot a wandering wheelie in seconds – and their offer will be a rubbish one.
Laura says: “It won’t just be trash strewn across the lawn, foxes will have a field day dirtying the grass, and their high-pitched screams are something that we could all do without.
“The only way around this issue is politeness. Approach your neighbours and suggest a storage solution. All you can do is ask.”
ENDLESS IMPROVERS - £5,000
STACKS of scaffolding, whirring cement mixers and loud lorries are the last thing a homeowner wants to contend with.
So if next door is planning extension number three, it’s probably time to lower your expectations.
Laura says: “Building work is massively off-putting.
“No one wants to live next to that commotion every day.
“The calmest resolution is to ask next door if they have a timeframe.
“If you know when their improvements will be completed, you can assure buyers that there’s an end in sight.”
EYESORE EXTENSIONS - £30,000
IF next door throws up an eyesore of an extension which blocks sunlight to your home, buyers will be just as turned off as you are.
Laura says: “This doesn’t just devalue your property, it can completely kill a sale.
“A beastly extension isn’t going to go away, so if you’re struggling to sell, buyers will be well aware they’ll struggle too.
“A neighbour’s extension is completely out of your control.
“There is no solution, it’s just an unfortunate situation to be in.”
FLYING FOOTBALLS - £500
KIDS always love a good kickabout in the garden, but if buyers see squashed flower beds, ball-littered bushes and forgotten toys on next door’s roof, you might be in for a poorer offer.
Laura says: “Neighbours with kids won’t have a problem with a few balls flying over the fence now and then.
“But having a football team next door could be really grating for a child-free household.
“Have a polite word with the neighbours.
“Perhaps the kids could be a bit more mindful, but at the end of the day, buyers will have to expect to throw back a few balls.”
GROTTY GUTTERS - £1,000
WE’RE not expecting neighbours to climb up and clear their gutters every week, but any build-up of dirt and leaves not only looks grim, it can cause flooding issues and affect the home you’re trying to sell.
Laura says: “Dirty gutters aren’t the end of the world, but some can be so blocked that flooding water begins encroaching on your property.
“Next time you get your gutters cleaned, why not ask next door if they want theirs done too?
“It’s the perfect remedy.”
SMASHED WINDOWS - £30,000
ACCIDENT or not, smashed or boarded-up windows will scream “danger” to any potential buyer and make your house price drop faster than a brick.
Laura says: “Anyone who sees smashed or boarded-up windows is going to wonder what’s going on.
“Has there been a crime, or do the owners have no care for their own home?
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“It’s about the worst property turn-off there is.
“And to be honest, there’s really no solution to make it look better.”