Dream home in"nightmare location"
Most homeowners usually look forward to settling down to a peaceful life in their dream home. However, this is not always the way it goes.
Disputes with neighbours that are not resolved amicably not only leave ongoing unpleasantness, but could affect the saleability of your property in future.
New research by Halifax Estate Agents reveals that, overall, the most common reason for a dispute with neighbours is noise, with well over half of us (64%) stating it as a reason we have fallen out with our neighbours.
Men are more likely to get into an argument with the neighbours over noise with 72% having experienced this sort of dispute.
The research also showed that men's territorial instincts often come to the fore in neighbourly disputes with the second most common reason for them to fall out with neighbours being 'on-street parking spaces'. Despite the fact that residents do not have the automatic right to park on the street outside their house, 37% of men have argued with neighbours about where they park.
Noise and parking were also the top two niggles for women, but to a lesser degree with 61% having fallen out with their neighbours over noise, and less than a third (30%) rowing over car parking spaces.
The Halifax research also gives fuel to the stereotype that young people may play their music too loud, discovering that nearly half (46%) of 18 to 24 year olds have had disagreements with their neighbours over noise.
Residents in the South recorded a well above national average of 80% of people falling out with neighbours over noise compared their quieter counterparts in the North who were less noise-irritated with 56% having fall-outs with noisy neighbours.
Garden-proud homeowners in the North were more likely to argue with neighbours over pets leaving mess on the lawn (30%) compared with just 21% of those in the South.
The Citizen's Advice Bureau recommends a number of steps to take to resolve noise disputes with neighbours:
In the first instance, try talking to your neighbour about the problem.
If they are a tenant, contact their landlord.
Keep a record of all occasions of excess noise and disturbances.
Request that an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) investigates the noise.
If the EHO does find a noise nuisance, and it cannot be resolved through discussion, they may serve notice to the person making the noise, or their landlord.
If they do not comply, the local authority can prosecute or put an injunction in place.
Alternatively, get in touch with a mediation service in an attempt to solve the matter without legal proceedings.
If you decide to sell your property you will be required by your solicitor to fill out a ‘Sellers Property Information Form' in which you will legally have to declare any disputes that have arisen or complaints been made between you and your neighbours.
It is therefore in your best interests to ensure that any problems are resolved amicably without the need for 'official' intervention.
Colin Kemp, managing director of Halifax Estate Agency said: "Clearly, excessive noise is something we are just not prepared to tolerate from our neighbours."
"In order to make life more enjoyable for everybody, we would recommend having some consideration for our neighbours in the first place. If an issue should arise, try to talk about it calmly wherever possible. Otherwise, it could spiral into an unpleasant situation for everybody involved."
Most homeowners usually look forward to settling down to a peaceful life in their dream home. However, this is not always the way it goes.
Disputes with neighbours that are not resolved amicably not only leave ongoing unpleasantness, but could affect the saleability of your property in future.
New research by Halifax Estate Agents reveals that, overall, the most common reason for a dispute with neighbours is noise, with well over half of us (64%) stating it as a reason we have fallen out with our neighbours.
Men are more likely to get into an argument with the neighbours over noise with 72% having experienced this sort of dispute.
The research also showed that men's territorial instincts often come to the fore in neighbourly disputes with the second most common reason for them to fall out with neighbours being 'on-street parking spaces'. Despite the fact that residents do not have the automatic right to park on the street outside their house, 37% of men have argued with neighbours about where they park.
Noise and parking were also the top two niggles for women, but to a lesser degree with 61% having fallen out with their neighbours over noise, and less than a third (30%) rowing over car parking spaces.
The Halifax research also gives fuel to the stereotype that young people may play their music too loud, discovering that nearly half (46%) of 18 to 24 year olds have had disagreements with their neighbours over noise.
Residents in the South recorded a well above national average of 80% of people falling out with neighbours over noise compared their quieter counterparts in the North who were less noise-irritated with 56% having fall-outs with noisy neighbours.
Garden-proud homeowners in the North were more likely to argue with neighbours over pets leaving mess on the lawn (30%) compared with just 21% of those in the South.
The Citizen's Advice Bureau recommends a number of steps to take to resolve noise disputes with neighbours:
In the first instance, try talking to your neighbour about the problem.
If they are a tenant, contact their landlord.
Keep a record of all occasions of excess noise and disturbances.
Request that an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) investigates the noise.
If the EHO does find a noise nuisance, and it cannot be resolved through discussion, they may serve notice to the person making the noise, or their landlord.
If they do not comply, the local authority can prosecute or put an injunction in place.
Alternatively, get in touch with a mediation service in an attempt to solve the matter without legal proceedings.
If you decide to sell your property you will be required by your solicitor to fill out a ‘Sellers Property Information Form' in which you will legally have to declare any disputes that have arisen or complaints been made between you and your neighbours.
It is therefore in your best interests to ensure that any problems are resolved amicably without the need for 'official' intervention.
Colin Kemp, managing director of Halifax Estate Agency said: "Clearly, excessive noise is something we are just not prepared to tolerate from our neighbours."
"In order to make life more enjoyable for everybody, we would recommend having some consideration for our neighbours in the first place. If an issue should arise, try to talk about it calmly wherever possible. Otherwise, it could spiral into an unpleasant situation for everybody involved."
posted by tony at 5:09 PM
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