How To Spot Bad Neighbours/Neighbourhoods When Buying a House

After months of looking, you’ve finally found the house of your dreams. It’s the perfect size, the perfect price, and the perfect layout. However, there’s only one small problem. You think you might be living next door to a neighbour, or a neighbouring property, that’s less than desirable

How do you know? The grass in the yard is knee-high, there’s a rusty vehicle peeking out of some overgrown brush, and the house has some cracks on the wall in places you only just noticed. Or is it the lousy neighbour that may be up, close and personal with you when you move in. As a result, you’re torn; will a lousy neighbour make it difficult for you to sell the house or put it up for rent when you want to move?

This is an important question to ask when buying a house, and there’s a one word answer for it: Yes. When you’re shopping for a home, even a fantastic house is going to seem blighted if it’s plopped right next door to a lousy, strange or queer neighbour. You may love the place, but most buyers and renters are going to shy away from the property, which means selling or leasing could be a long, complicated affair.

Remember, the old adage “location, location, location” is around for a reason. You can always change a house, but you can’t change its location. Ignoring the neighbourhood, and your neighbours, is one of the most common home buying mistakes you can make, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. And, bad neighbors can come in many guises. What should you look out for?

How to Spot Bad Neighbours/Neighbourhoods

1. Property Upkeep

First, look for signs of disrepair and neglect. Make sure you look at all the homes surrounding your potential buy, as well as homes down the street and behind your property. Look for uncut grass, garbage and other clutter left in the yard, and weedy flowerbeds. Also, look closely at the homes and buildings around you. If they look like they’re hurting for some love and care, that could be a red flag. The neighbourhoods in your price range might be full of modest, older homes, but the yards and the exteriors of the homes should indicate pride of ownership.

2. People

Who wants to listen to a loud party at 2 a.m every Friday morning? Bad neighbors don’t just neglect their property; they can also have no consideration for other people in the neighborhood. If you’re buying in an area close to a higher institution, or in a neighborhood where there are already lots of rentals, be aware that you might have to listen to more than your fair share of loud music and late night parties. Inspect the neighbourhood during the day, and make sure to also drive around the neighborhood at night. You may be leaving next to night crawlers, Yahoo boys whose business is to house frequent house parties at night where all manner of people are in attendance.

Look for signs such as one house having a lot of cars parked outside. Bad neighbors might also ignore their pets; no one likes listening to a barking dog all night.

3. Homes in or around Vacant Buildings

Absent neighbors and empty buildings can also bring down property values in the neighborhood. Neighborhoods with stores that have gone out of business and schools that have closed do not reflect a growing, prosperous community. Furthermore, vacant buildings encourage a variety of nefarious activities that you do not want in your neighborhood.

4. Zoning Changes and Development Plans

Zoning laws and plans for development can negatively impact neighborhoods. For example, are residential homes mixed with commercial buildings? Do any of the homes have poorly built additions? Does the city plan to build a road alongside the home? Learning more about existing zoning laws and Development/Master Plans can tell you more about the neighbourhood.

Final Thoughts

Bad neighbours can take many different forms: neglectful or inconsiderate homeowners or renters, or a bad location. Not only will bad neighbours lower your home’s value and make it harder to sell, they can also make your home life miserable.

Have you dealt with bad neighbours? What was the experience like and what actions did you take to alleviate the situation?