4 Ways to Spot Bad Neighbors Before You’re Stuck Living Next to Them
· Vice
Open houses are supposed to make the house feel easy to love. You’re looking at the kitchen and mentally placing your furniture while the less charming stuff stays conveniently out of the conversation. No one’s mentioning the guy next door with the drum kit or the couple across the street who likes to fight in the driveway.
That matters way more than people think. A survey from Anytime Estimate found that 82% of Americans consider good neighbors just as important as price or location, and 19% said they’d pay at least $10,000 over asking to avoid bad ones. Another 45% said they’d move if they couldn’t stand the people living nearby.
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Unfortunately, you don’t get a neighbor inspection before closing. LendingTree found that 73% of Americans dislike at least one neighbor, and nearly a quarter have called the police on one. A little snooping before you sign 30 years of mortgage paperwork isn’t crazy, and some warning signs are sitting out in the open.
1. There’s a Constant Stream of Cars Next Door
A few cars in the driveway isn’t a big deal. People have friends. But if strangers pull up all afternoon and disappear again 20 minutes later, it’s fair to wonder what’s going on.
Verona Frankish, CEO of UK real estate company Yopa, told Metro there could be an innocent explanation, like a large family, though it could also mean a home business or short-term rental. Those Airbnbs can wear on neighbors; 21% of millennials told LendingTree they’d consider moving if the house next door became one.
2. Nobody Seems to Care About the Yard
An overgrown yard or trash left out for days is easy to brush past during a 20-minute showing. If you buy the place, you’re the one looking at it every morning. Another survey found that 45% of neighbor feuds involved yards or home exteriors, while 40% involved noise.
If you’re buying a condo, the same idea applies inside. Look at the hallways and shared trash areas instead of spending the entire showing admiring the kitchen backsplash.
3. Come Back After Dark
A neighborhood at 10 a.m. on Tuesday can feel very different from the same street at 10 p.m. on Saturday. Developer Sidney Torres, who hosted CNBC’s The Deed, recommends visiting at different times before buying. “If you’re going to live there for 10, 15, 20 years, it doesn’t hurt to spend 48 to 72 hours there before you actually commit to buying it,” he said.
Redditors give the same advice. One homebuyer said highway noise ruled out several houses even though their spouse and realtor barely noticed it. Drive through with the radio off and sit there for a few minutes. You’re buying whatever you hear, too.
4. Talk to the People Who Already Live There
Ask the seller or listing agent about disputes with neighbors, but don’t assume you’ll hear every juicy story. Disclosure rules vary by state, and no one trying to close a sale is eager to launch into the history of the guy next door.
People farther down the block have much less reason to be diplomatic. One recent Reddit buyer said a longtime neighbor casually pointed out a drainage issue that their paid inspection hadn’t mentioned. “Our neighbor told us more about the house in 10 minutes than our inspector did in 3 hours,” they wrote.
Knock on a door or two. Neighbors love talking about other neighbors, and that nosiness might save you a lot of money.
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