You’ve meticulously planned your finances for the next 25 years, sacrificed countless weekends to attend property viewings, and finally discovered your dream home.
However, on your first night after receiving the keys, you are greeted by the thumping beats of drum and bass music coming through the thin walls at 11.23pm on a Tuesday.
It turns out, you have unknowingly purchased a house next to a source of public disturbance.
While it may offer little solace, you are not alone. According to a survey of 1,000 homeowners conducted by Good Move, 64% reported having experienced «issues» with neighbors, and one in 10 even went as far as lodging complaints with the council.
Buyer Beware
Sellers are obligated by law to disclose any past or ongoing disputes with neighbors in a Property Information Form (TA6) – failure to do so could result in legal repercussions.
However, the questions on the form are limited, and how can you prove that the seller was aware of the noisy neighbors?
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«In reality, your rights are quite limited,» a real estate agent insider informed Money.
«You will never know if an agent failed to disclose information about troublesome neighbors or if the seller deliberately withheld such information. Sellers are unlikely to volunteer such details if there have been any disputes.»
So perhaps among all the responsibilities you have shouldered during the buying process – from arranging surveys to examining legal documents to packing up your belongings – there’s one role you overlooked: that of a detective.
We have consulted with leading buying agents to gather their advice on how to identify problematic neighbors and have compiled a list of lesser-known resources that could spare you both literal and metaphorical headaches…
External Indicators
Henry Sherwood from The Buying Agents asserts that most disputes stem from noise or financial issues.
«If the neighboring property or building appears neglected, it likely indicates that the neighbor lacks the resources to maintain it or simply chooses not to,» he stated.
«For apartments, inspect the communal areas on the floors above and below. Look for strollers and an excess of bicycles, which may suggest the presence of crying babies or student residences.»
According to Sherwood, flats with a porter or concierge offer better protection as they are managed by a management company and have onsite staff. Additionally, most flat leases contain clauses pertaining to permitted forms of tenancy.
Review of Noise Complaints
Several local councils maintain a public register of noise complaints categorized by postcode.
For instance, Leeds City Council’s noise complaints register is a useful resource.
Next Door App (and Local Groups)
This app enables local residents to share information about community events, missing pets, garbage collection schedules, and inevitably, noise disturbances.
A quick search for «noise» in a specific area of north London revealed multiple complaints within the past month, each specifying the exact street:
• A second noisy party on a residential street during a weekday;
• A homeowner carrying out disruptive renovations with no clear end date, causing disturbances throughout the summer;
• A resident in an end terrace property complaining about thin walls and noisy neighbors;
• Construction work continuing until midnight on a Sunday, as reported by a frustrated neighbor.
Aside from the app, explore local social media groups and consider joining them to stay informed. Chances are, any significant issues will have already been brought up there.
If you’re not comfortable knocking on doors, our social media survey indicates that most people find it acceptable. Around 91% of the 5,000 respondents said they would make an excuse to talk to a neighbor to get a sense of who they are.
«Just say you are thinking of buying the property next door and wondered what the parking was like at 4pm, etc,» suggested Sherwood. He recommends Sundays as a good time to run into neighbors.
The internet is full of stories about people who didn’t do their due diligence. Mommabear20 on Mumsnet shared a regretful experience of not knocking on doors and discovering a threatening neighbor.
When knocking, remember to be polite. Edington advises a casual and respectful approach, introducing yourself, asking friendly questions about the area, and observing daily life.
For more tips on assessing potential neighbors, such as checking for Airbnb listings, crime stats, and whether neighbors are landlords, continue reading the full article.
Check out the times that are important to you.
You may just get unlucky
Ultimately, there’s no way to guarantee a peaceful and quiet co-existence.
Sherwood said: «There are no guarantees who your neighbours will be long term as the current owners could sell, rent it, turn into an HMO or Airbnb.»
Back on the Mumsnet thread we mentioned earlier, a poster called Thirtytimesround illustrated the point: «We popped back a few times at different times of day to just sit in car near house and listen to see if anyone noisy. It helped. But honestly so much luck is involved.
«Like, we bought in a quiet road in a smart area and my neighbours are a lovely, kind, generous couple in their forties. And their bedroom is the other side of the wall from ours and they have very noisy sex 😐 Plus shortly after we moved in they bought a dog that barks all the frickin’ time and then their son took up the drums. Nothing we could have done to discover that before we moved in – it’s just luck.
«We are probably gonna move because of them!!»
Most likely, any significant issues would have been discussed there.
Consider speaking to the neighbors
Not everyone feels comfortable knocking on doors, but our social media survey indicates that most people find it acceptable.
91% of approximately 5,000 respondents stated that they would come up with a reason to talk to a neighbor and get to know them.
«Just mention that you are thinking about purchasing the property next door and inquire about the parking situation at 4 pm,» suggested Sherwood.
He recommends Sundays as a good day to run into neighbors.
It is important to be polite if you do decide to knock on doors.
Edington advises to approach casually and respectfully, introduce yourself, ask friendly questions about the area, and observe daily life.
Check out the times that are important to you. Ultimately, there’s no way to guarantee a peaceful and quiet co-existence. Sherwood said: «There are no guarantees who your neighbours will be long term as the current owners could sell, rent it, turn into an HMO or Airbnb.» Back on the Mumsnet thread we mentioned earlier, a poster called Thirtytimesround illustrated the point: «We popped back a few times at different times of day to just sit in car near house and listen to see if anyone noisy. It helped. But honestly so much luck is involved. Like, we bought in a quiet road in a smart area and my neighbours are a lovely, kind, generous couple in their forties. And their bedroom is the other side of the wall from ours and they have very noisy sex 😐 Plus shortly after we moved in they bought a dog that barks all the frickin’ time and then their son took up the drums. Nothing we could have done to discover that before we moved in – it’s just luck. We are probably gonna move because of them!!»
You’ve planned out your finances for the next 25 years, lost weekend after weekend to viewings and finally found your dream home. And then, on your first night after getting the keys, you hear it: the muffled boom of drum and bass through paper-thin walls. At 11.23pm. On a Tuesday. Turns out, you’ve spent an obscene amount of money buying a house next to a public nuisance. It’s probably little comfort, but you’re not alone. In a survey of 1,000 homeowners by Good Move, 64% said they’d had «problems» with neighbours and one in 10 said it had got so bad they’d complained to the council.
Buyers beware
Sellers are legally obliged to disclose details of previous or ongoing disputes with neighbours in a Property Information Form (TA6) – failure to do so could lead to legal action. The questions are limited, though, and how are you going to prove your seller knew about the drum and bass?
«In reality, you have very few rights,» one estate agent insider told Money. «You will never know if an agent has neglected to tell you about nuisance neighbours or if the seller did not tell the agent. A seller is hardly likely to volunteer the info if there have been any disputes.» So maybe it’s the case that of all the roles you’ve had to master in the buying process – arranging surveys, scouring legal documents, packing everything you own – there’s one role you should have dedicated a bit more time to: detective. We’ve spoken to top buying agents to get their advice on how to sniff out problem neighbours – and rounded up some of the lesser known tools that could save you a literal and figurative headache…
External clues
Henry Sherwood from The Buying Agents says most disputes arise from either noise or money issues. «If the neighbouring property or building looks neglected, it probably means the neighbour does not have the funds to maintain it, or does not want to,» he said. «If [it’s] an apartment, check out the communal parts on the floors above and below. Look for prams and excessive bikes that may indicate screaming babies or student flat shares.» Flats with a porter/concierge are better protected, Sherwood says, as they are controlled by a management company and have someone onsite. Most flat leases also have sections relating to the type of renting allowed.
List of noise complaints
Some local councils keep a public register of noise complaints by postcode. Here’s an example of Leeds City Council’s noise complaints register.
Next Door app (and local groups)
This is an app where local residents post about events, lost cats, bin collection dates and, inevitably, noise issues. A simple search of «noise» in one area of north London found all of these complaints within the last month – and in each case the exact street was named: A second loud party on a weeknight on a small, residential street; A resident renovating his house in a loud and disruptive fashion. Alongside a photo of a huge pile of discarded bricks, the complainant says: «It has now been over six weeks of disruption through the summer holidays with no clear end date and neighbours being ignored»; Another resident living in an end terrace wrote that his walls were paper thin and he could hear his neighbour slamming doors and running up and down stairs; A photo of building work, with a resident complaining it was going on until midnight on a Sunday. Away from the app, search out local groups on social media and see if you can join. It is likely that any significant issues have already been discussed there.
If you’re not comfortable knocking on doors, consider speaking to your neighbors. A survey on social media indicated that 91% of about 5,000 respondents would find it acceptable to make up an excuse to talk to a neighbor to get to know them better.
When approaching neighbors, it’s best to be polite and respectful. Introduce yourself and ask friendly, open questions about the area and observe day-to-day life. It’s recommended to do this casually and respectfully.
Consider looking out for combination locks at the entrance to apartments, as this could be a sign that the property is listed on Airbnb. Additionally, checking crime statistics in the area and finding out if your neighbor is a landlord can provide valuable information.
Ask questions of the seller, such as if they know their neighbors and whether they are owner-occupiers or renters. Getting your solicitor involved to ask the right questions during the conveyancing process can also be beneficial.
Checking how many times the house has been sold recently, researching planning permission in the area, and using tools like Google Earth or Street View can help you gather more information about the neighborhood before making a purchase.
Ultimately, it’s important to follow some golden rules, such as viewing the property at least twice and at different times of the day to get a comprehensive understanding of the neighborhood before making a decision.
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