To make an offer on a house with a LOUD neighbouring yappy dog

[Butterly]

We're house hunting at the moment and saw a house yesterday that ticks most of the boxes. However...we were in the kitchen with the door open, then in the garden for ten minutes or so. A yapping dog in a neighbour's garden barked continuously and loudly for the whole time.

So, would you still make an offer on the house, hoping that it was a one-off, or would this put you off?

[incogKNEEto]

No. We live next door to people who ignore their dogs barking in the garden, and it is awful, l would never buy a house next to a barking dog, it is so intrusive and ruins your enjoyment of your garden/house

[BibbidiBobbidi]

It's probably not going to be a one off.
It wouldn't bother me as I am a dog person and have a dog of my own, if you think it would get on your nerves then don't put in an offer.
Our dog barks the majority of times she is in the garden, she barks at people walking past our fence, at birds, squirrels, just about anything she also spends most of the warmer months out there so she does cause a lot of noise!

We're lucky that our neighbours are also dog people. If you're not then it's definitely something to think about.

[Shadowboy]

No. Would massively put me off- might even be one of the reasons the house is being sold?!

It will only rub you up the wrong way more and more.

I would explain reasoning to the estate agent though just in case- they might suddenly inform you the dog doesn't live there normally or something?

[Bostin]

No.
We did. Just don't.

[incogKNEEto]

Oh and we have a dog and would consider ourselves 'dog people' but we don't leave our dog to bark outside as it's really annoying! If he barks in the garden he has to come inside...it didn't take long to teach him not to bark outside

[Finola1step]

And now you know why the house is on the market.

[Batteriesallgone]

Can you ask the house the other side of that neighbour how often the dog barks and how annoying it is? Also a good excuse to knock on a door and see how friendly they are

[ijustwannadance]

Nope. No way.

[Palomb]

Not in a million years.

[greenfolder]

Nope.

[Landoni112]

Depends....I live next to a yappy dog, I don't notice it much anymore as I have learnt to live with it (9yrs - it's not always been the same yapping dog, as one dies it was replaced with similar breed).
But my dp works from home a couple of times a week and it drives him mad as he is trying to make conference calls. Dp also plays in the garden with our non barking dog a lot and sits out there and has to put music on to drown out the yapping sometimes.
It you have kids maybe they will drown out the noise of the neighbours dog?

[Crinkle77]

No I wouldn't buy with a yappy dog next door. I am a dog lover but would still find it annoying. The house behind us has 2 yappy sausage dogs that used to bark continuously in tandem. The owners would go out and leave them in the garden. It was like water torture. You couldn't sit in the garden or have the doors or windows open and the bedroom was at the back of the house so you couldn't sleep if went on late at night. Surely most dog lovers would find that unacceptable? Anyway we complained to the council in the end and it is much better now but I wouldn't want to risk that again.

[AgentProvocateur]

No. It would be a deal breaker for me. Can't bear the sound of a yappy dog.

[Starlight234]

Nope...

[tinyterrors]

I wouldn't unless the house was my absolute dream house and even then I'd seriously think again. Our neighbours have a dog that barks when someone steps into our garden, barks whenever a ball is kicked within half a mile, barks at the kids playing in the park out back, and the memorable time it was left home alone and barked from 7pm to 4am because the curtains were left open.

In some ways you learn to ignore it but there will be those days where it's like hearing a ticking clock, once heard you can't ignore it and it drives you insane.

[JeVoudrais]

No.

My neighbour's dog barks a bit. She's usually triggered by something and my neighbour is retired and home most of the time. We looked around the house about 3-4 times and never once heard her, and I would say she is quite vocal. To have heard one constantly when you looked round would make me think it would be a very, very common occurrence.

Some dogs are barky, but sometimes they are barky because their owners don't give a shit and I would worry the neighbour was one of those kinds of people.

[SheldonsSpot]

No.

Anyone that is socially unaware and/or stupid/selfish enough to let their dog bark continuously for 10 minutes in the garden is going to be the neighbour from hell.

[CharminglyGawky]

No, I love dogs, I have a dog, my dog is not allowed to bark in the garden.

I'm not saying she has never barked in the garden, I'm saying we stop her. Last time she barked it was because another dog was trying to break in through the fence. We stopped the other dog and praised ours, the time before that was because the ice cream van started up right outside, we told her to stop and she did. The longest she has ever barked in one go is less than 20 seconds. I respect my neighbours!

[PoppyBirdOnAWire]

Don't.

[CheeseAtFourpence]

Absolutely not. I'm a dog person but would never allow my dog to bark like that in the garden. He occasionally barks at a magpie or always when someone comes to do the door but anything beyond that isn't on. My DM was driven to the brink by an incessant dog barking.

[DanceWithThePoets]

No. Seriously - it's a miserable existence.

What tinyterrors says ... Even the most patient of people will ponder if smacking their own head off a brick wall would be preferable! You reach a point where you hear nothing else.

[gabsdot]

We bought a house next to a very noisy dog, that was 20 years ago. The dog is long dead and we've always been very happy here.

[Butterly]

Thanks everyone. I do like dogs, just not the yapping!

I had pretty much decided not to make an offer but wanted other opinions to show dh as he really liked the house and isn't bothered by noise so much as me!

I liked Batteriesallgone's Idea to ask the other neighbour if it was a regular thing, just in case it was a visiting dog or something. Will pop around there tomorrow.

[Str4ngedaysindeed]

Hmm wondering if it's my street! Our next door neighbours have yapping mcyap little dog and the house two doors from me is for sale....