To be nervous to buy a house with no immediate neighbours

Mum2HC · 2025-05-15T11:30:25+00:00

Hello we are house hunting and have seen a house that ticks all the boxes other than it is not in a village setting we are used to. My partner thinks it is perfect! closest neighbour is about 200m down the road. Nearest town is less than 10 mins drive to the centre. There is a big Waitrose 5 mins away. Opposite (these are down a drive) a big golf course and tennis club. would you be scared having no immediate neighbours? thank you

Bonbon249 · 18/05/2025 02:05

I live in the country and my nearest neighbour is a holiday let about 200 metres away and it's lovely. So peaceful. Only downside is I do have to drive everywhere but I bought an automatic and I love it (lots of hills and roundabouts here in the Highlands!).

Jas683 · 17/05/2025 22:09

Skinteroo · 15/05/2025 12:31

No neighbours?
Sounds perfect to me! 🙂

I agree

AJ2025 · 17/05/2025 19:14

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Bluedenimdoglover · 17/05/2025 18:33

If you are expressing concerns now, then this is not the property for you. Winter evenings draw in early and if you are at all nervous of being alone in this situation, then you will not settle down comfortably. Don't be talked into something by your husband. You will know the right home.

Griff1963 · 17/05/2025 17:56

Get a gun or a big dog or both!

sheenaWild · 17/05/2025 17:22

I grew up in houses like this and hated it. Only bought terraces as an adult and feel more comfortable hearing low level neighbour noise than nothing at all

ChompinCrocodiles · 17/05/2025 17:19

I wouldn't be scared but I'd hate it.

I'm actually quite reserved and I enjoy my own company/space. And we live very close to big open swathes of countryside - plenty of the dc's activities/parties etc over the years has involved driving for 30 minutes down Country lanes etc.

But to have no neighbours sounds incredibly sad, lonely and isolating. Not even a quick good morning to someone walking the dog or whatever.

Twinkletoes127 · 17/05/2025 17:09

Ilikewinter · 15/05/2025 12:33

Isn't that most people's dreams!

Not my dream, I love having neighbours to chat to, to keep an eye on each other, to be part of a community. An isolated house sounds like my idea if hell

5128gap · 17/05/2025 14:17

I wouldn't like it. I find the presence of other people reassuring. I realise I'm unusual in this, but I have had experiences where close neighbours have made the difference between life and death, so would always want other human beings within shouting distance.

Reallyyyyyy · 17/05/2025 14:10

Sounds similar to my set up! Never been happier!

Thelnebriati · 17/05/2025 13:47

Its not OTT. If you've never lived without neighbours it can be a bit hard to predict how you can get into an unexpected situation, even if there is a Waitrose within 5 minutes driving distance but things don't always go wrong when the shops are open.

Howmanycatsistoomany · 17/05/2025 13:31

Feetinthegrass · 17/05/2025 04:59

You might be familiar with rural life but it doesn’t sound like a risk for you every winter that you may get snowed in for weeks rather than days.

Of course we plan for this. We can have bad winters, especially in isolated spots in the UK we have children and animals so we have to live responsibly, I am not sure why that’s so offensive to you 🤷‍♀️

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As you know full well, my original reply was to your suggestion that the OP should:
Check it has WiFi op, and make sure you have torches, batteries, candies, logs and a month worth of food as standard.

This suggestion seems just a tad OTT for a property that has neighbours 200m away, has a Waitrose 5 mins away and is opposite a golf course and tennis club.

Like I said, it's not Antarctica.🙄

PurBal · 17/05/2025 09:56

I’ll buy it!

dottiedodah · 17/05/2025 05:46

If you are 5 nins from wait rose you are not that isolated. It sounds fine .

Feetinthegrass · 17/05/2025 05:38

ZepherinDrouhin · 17/05/2025 05:18

I live in a terraced house where I can hear my neighbours loading their dishwasher & row about cornflakes. The man is a whinger and the woman shouts at the kids all day; the new house sounds perfect to me.

What a sad and awful environment for the children to grow up in.

ZepherinDrouhin · 17/05/2025 05:18

I live in a terraced house where I can hear my neighbours loading their dishwasher & row about cornflakes. The man is a whinger and the woman shouts at the kids all day; the new house sounds perfect to me.

Feetinthegrass · 17/05/2025 04:59

Howmanycatsistoomany · 16/05/2025 22:30

Er, no. I live in the middle of nowhere in Normandy with no neighbours at all. Before that I lived for 20 years on the edge of a moor in Yorkshire (we did once get snowed in for 10 days). I'm familiar with rural life. But cheers for the lecture 🙄

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You might be familiar with rural life but it doesn’t sound like a risk for you every winter that you may get snowed in for weeks rather than days.

Of course we plan for this. We can have bad winters, especially in isolated spots in the UK we have children and animals so we have to live responsibly, I am not sure why that’s so offensive to you 🤷‍♀️

BinLordSeverustheMagnificent · 16/05/2025 22:45

No neighbours? Sounds like a dream to be honest. Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.

Howmanycatsistoomany · 16/05/2025 22:30

Feetinthegrass · 16/05/2025 18:37

In the winter we have been regularly snowed in for weeks! We aren’t able to drive even in a 4x4 in snowy conditions and the nearest shop is too far to walk, so having a months worth of supply is good practice and standard, and the case with most properly rural communities.

You might live in the suburbs with a shop on every street but living more remotely requires organisation.

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Er, no. I live in the middle of nowhere in Normandy with no neighbours at all. Before that I lived for 20 years on the edge of a moor in Yorkshire (we did once get snowed in for 10 days). I'm familiar with rural life. But cheers for the lecture 🙄

londongirl12 · 16/05/2025 22:29

Heaven!!!

namechangetheworld · 16/05/2025 21:57

The idea honestly terrifies me. Nobody to hear you scream!

We recently moved from a semi to a detached and I thought I would love it but I desperately miss hearing the muffled sounds from next door - the neighbours going up the stairs, or their washing machine rattling away. I always found it comforting knowing that someone was nearby, especially when DH went away for work for days at a time and I was alone with the DC at night.

We're in a lovely, quiet cul de sac now and even though we're detached I still find it reassuring that we/the DC could run to various neighbours if something awful happened.

Mandylovescandy · 16/05/2025 21:52

I would hate having to drive everywhere. Just nipped out for chocolate (less than 5 min walk) which wouldn't have been possible at our old house. It did have neighbours but only 2 of them and then 500m to the next houses. I did used to feel a little scared walking home at night in the dark but inside the house never felt too bothered that it was relatively isolated

Hernameisdeborah · 16/05/2025 21:38

No immediate neighbours? That’s the dream for me 🙂

Feetinthegrass · 16/05/2025 21:32

Pause and think it through. Go and stay in an air bnb in a similar location, and see how it feels at nightfall.

Feetinthegrass · 16/05/2025 21:29

Mum2HC · 16/05/2025 21:16

Ah I’m just not sure! It means an extra ten minutes each way in the car for school drop off, activities, friends etc and we are worrying about not being in a ‘ community’
such a tough decision

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You have reservations. Do NOT buy the house. It will be an expensive mistake if you can’t relax and feel afraid.

It really isn’t for everyone, and it’s okay to want to feel safe and relaxed, even as posters call it a dream house from their terraced houses on busy streets.