Not So Happy Neighbours

There are many reasons why we move house. Your family is expanding and you need more room or the kids have finally flown the nest and you are downsizing to release equity to cover your retirement. It is not something many of us relish as it is expensive and time consuming. Plus there is all the old rubbish in the loft which really needs to be sorted out. But, it seems, that it could be worse if next door is moving.

Moving home can be a fraught experience, but there could be good reasons to panic when the "for sale" sign goes up outside your neighbour's house.

A new home insurance survey has revealed that while an ideal neighbour can add more than four per cent to your house price, living next to the Young Ones could knock over £30,000 from the price of your home.

Respondents to the home insurance survey said that their ideal neighbours would be a childless couple, followed by old age pensioners. Singles and families with young children also provided a more modest boost to house prices. Squatters, however, were considered persona non grata, as were students.

However, it seems, conventional residents could also slash thousands of dollars off the value of a property. Slamming doors, arguments and musical instrument practice put families with teenagers in the top five neighbours from hell. House sharers were also seen as undesirable, although they did not affect house prices by anything like as much.

"Students are notorious for having a good time and living in messy conditions, but our results show a greater concern among householders regarding the detrimental effect students can have on the price of their property," said a home insurance spokesman.

"Our neighbours have a very significant influence on our quality of life, especially in urban areas, and increasingly, house hunters are prepared to pay a premium for a quiet, trouble-free life."

If you would like to know more about moving house why not ask AnswerBank Home and Garden.

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