Reading the Telegraph today and it seems that neighbours from hell have led to more than 360,000 Brits moving home in the last year - and can knock £30,000 off the value of a home, a study suggests.
Nearly one in ten have moved because of poor relations with irritating neighbours, and the number of disturbances are on the rise - up a third in the last two years.
And despite the postcode lottery of schooling, rows with those next door are a bigger influence on householders choosing to relocate.
The most frequent complaints fueling the moves include aggressive behaviour (60 per cent), excessive noise (53 per cent) and a messy property or garden (19 per cent).
Other factors involve neighbours allowing their home to fall into disrepair (18 per cent), stealing and even curtain twitching (12 per cent and 11 per cent respectively).
The study, by Halifax Home Insurance, found that one in three neighbours have a dispute of some sort, and house buyers are willing to pay a £5000 premium for a guarantee of a quiet life.
Anti-social neighbours, of the other hand, can knock £30,000 off the price of a house, the survey of 2000 UK adults found.
The cost has not been lost on Brits moving, and four out of five sellers with nuisance neighbours don't inform the estate agents of the problem, despite it being a legal requirement.
A fifth of Brits also report that a neighbour has caused damage to their property costing an average of £312 per incident to fix.
Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance said: "Having a good neighbour is one of the most rewarding things a homeowner can experience; not only will they keep an eye on your property when youre away, but they may also become a close friend.
"But people shouldnt put up the for sale at the first sight of problems with a neighbour it may just be a simple misunderstanding."
Best course of action before making any rash judgements is to speak to your neighbours !
Lets get talking out there...
All the best,
Mr Jackson
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