Nightmare neighbours - sandwiched (should we sell)

[iamsandwich]

Hi, would like to have some advice here. We don’t have any problems with our neighbours but our 2 adjoining neighbours (left and right) seem to be having a fight with each other over various things and recently it has gotten to a point of name-calling by one of them. It is getting to be an unpleasant environment to live in as they try to pull us onto their side and we honestly don’t want to get involved in their squabbles or who is right/wrong and we are also concerned of offending one of them especially since they are just next door. Our house is sandwiched between the 2 of them and we are feeling that we are sandwiched too.

Now, we are given an opportunity to sell and move as it is likely that DC will get a school that is further away. If we move, we will cut his commute by half and given the problems with our neighbours, I am honestly tempted to sell and move. The only catch here is that we will be looking to rent instead of buying as the new area is not our ideal spot. We don’t mind renting but it does mean coming off the property ladder for the next few years and I am concerned about prices when we try to buy again in the future. Also, as we do love the current area that we are in, there is a high possibility that we will end up buying in the same area again in the future. So does it even make sense to sell and then buy again in the same area with a price increase?

I should add that we do love our house and have recently done it up with a new loft/extension. It does make me sad to sell it but I have never really like its location 100% so I am thinking maybe this will also give us a chance to buy something that I might like better? Alternatively, DH says we can always rent nearer to DC’s school and rent out our house and hope that one of the neighbours might move in the next few years? But I think the chances of this happening is low especially since one neighbour is already planning to do works and extensions.

Sorry for the long post and hope to hear any advice as I keep going in circles on what we should do.

Yes to moving but FGS don’t start renting! When we bought our first house we bought in a really crap area and lived there for three years until we could buy where we actually wanted. You’ll completely regret it if you start renting.

Do not rent, it is foolish to come off the property ladder as you will spend Thousands on rent, lowering your deposit for your next house and property prices nearly always increase. If you really must move rent yours out and rent a smaller place since it’s only for a few years, hopefully your rental property will cover your own rent.

Rent yours out to a really loud party couple. You'll then unite your neighbours in a common cause. Once they've made up, evict the party couple and peace will be restored.

Although be aware you’ll need to pay income tax on the rental income, plus ensure the house achieves the necessary gas and electrical safety certification and other requirements. Still probably the better option than selling it, but most likely will still cost you, and you’ll then need to potentially evict tenants to move back in when you want to.

Why would you rent instead of buying? It doesn’t make sense.

Many thanks for the replies. So I guess the consensus is not to rent, which is exactly how I feel too. But I am honestly not sure if we want to buy in the new area as it is not our ideal spot. Or would it make sense to buy and then sell it again later on? It’s the thought of the fees and stamp duty etc that is making us hesitant. Although this might be better than coming off the property ladder?

Another alternative is what @Letsrunabath and DH has said, to rent ours out and rent on the other side and hopefully it covers. But as mentioned, one neighbour intends to do extensive works which might put any potential tenants off? I would reckon their works taking about a year or maybe more.

@OhYouBadBadKitten LOL

@Overrunwithlego thanks for pointing these out. Forgot to take these into account… might need to rethink

@Yesthatismychildsigh the new area is not our ideal spot due to various reasons so highly likely that we will sell it once DC leaves the school. Thinking about the hassle and costs involved to buy only to sell again in a few years. That’s why we thought maybe renting is a better idea but I am conscious of the consequences of coming property ladder..

I really don’t think you should sell over a situation that you aren’t even involved in. How much is their argument really impacting you on a daily basis?

It’s a really bad time to sell. If you’ve done the work on your house recently you may not get that back.

Being a landlord is stressful and not especially lucrative, so if you are struggling with a fight happening around you that you aren’t even part of, I feel like being a landlord will make you have a nervous breakdown. But that would be financially smarter than leaving property ladder and renting.

I'd rent my current house as it'll remain in the same price bracket as the house you want to buy down the line. The new area may not and you may get priced out

So the benefits are getting away from annoying neighbours and shorter commute to school.

The downsides are several years renting, it’s not your ideal area and will likely move back. House price increases and costs of moving (could be £10k’s including stamp duty etc.)

No way would I move unless there is more to this.* *There is no guarantee you won’t have annoying neighbours anywhere and there is a sliding scale of annoying - from anti-social music/parties to petty squabbles. This sounds like the latter and you’re not even directly involved or impacted?

The best thing would be ignore or actually address with your neighbours. You sound v nice but to move because you might offend them is v passive and bonkers in my view.

if you’re not 100% sure then rent for a bit at least. And rent your house out so you are not stepping off the property ladder. Yes you’ll need electricity and gas certification but you can claim that back against rental income. You will have to change your mortgage to a btl aswell. Don’t expect to make any money after tax and paying your own rent but this way you aren’t rushing a decision. We were in a similar situation and chose to buy as didn’t want to waste money on a a rental, but I regret that decision as I don’t like where we ended up and can’t afford to move again. I would get an agent to do all
property management so you don’t have the stress of finding and dealing with tenants.

Object to there planning? If they can't extend they might move

@BankOfDave has hit the nail on the head on benefits and downsides.

Yes I agree with all the posters that it seems bonkers to move over what seems like a trivial matter but I don’t like living in an environment when I know there is so much animosity around. I have tried to ignore the situation and not get involved or by playing nice but it doesn’t seem to be working and honestly the name calling really got to me. It was a word that I would never use myself and I know most people would also take offence. I can’t imagine what the neighbours would say of me if I got on their bad side too! I know it’s me and normally I would simply just soldier on but given we have an opportunity (or reason) to move, I am toying with the idea if we should do it. Also, as mentioned, one of the neighbours intends to do extensive works so I am also wondering if it makes sense putting up with a bad situation, living in a work site for the next year and having a long commute for DC.

Maybe renting and getting off the property ladder isn’t such a good idea and we should buy instead but I don’t know if buying in an area we don’t like makes sense for the reasons @custardbear and @Theo1756 have mentioned.

I sold because of nightmare neighbors and I've rented for a couple years.

But I wasn't in a good place to buy and then prices went up. I'm buying now and I'm mentally better than I have been for years.

But prices are going to fall and in my area already are. If you've got equity you can hang on to renting should be ok.

So the (rhetorical) question has to be what happens if you move and don’t like your new neighbours. I fully understand everyone has a different tolerance but I guess I’m being provocative to make you think it through that you could go to all this upheaval and end up in a different neighbour scenario but still not like it.

Have you got a lot of other stuff going on right now that it’s became more difficult to tolerate them perhaps. Sounds stressful anyway, hope you resolve.

@BankOfDave tks for being the voice of reason. I do appreciate the provocative comments as it is getting me to think about things more. I guess it’s the way the whole situation has developed or is developing. Short of someone moving (whether us or neighbours), I don’t see the situation improving and I know that another neighbour nearby has thrown in the towel too. They are renting so it’s easier for them to move away but I heard that the wife is fed of being involved in what is not their/our problem.

Everyone seems to play nice to one another on the surface but it’s the badmouthing and name calling behind the back that is getting really unpleasant.

Having taken all the advice on board, if we do decide to move, what would be the best way to do so? I guess we will also need to consider the practical/money side of things before making a decision.

Rent our house and rent somewhere near to DC’s school so that we are not priced out if we decide to move back to the area? - conscious of letting costs/taxes as well as interest on btl mortgage

Sell our house and buy somewhere near to DC’s school - but we will most probably sell and move again once DC finishes school (DC’s school is not in a bad area, just not our ideal location as it is expensive so will get less for our money)

Alternatively, the equity in our house can possibly buy a small-ish flat without a mortgage. DH is advocating this as he is conscious of interest rate hikes and technically it means we are not coming off the property ladder. But I can’t see how it works. Compared to the rental income on our house, the rental income on the flat will be much less and will definitely not be able to cover much of our rent outlay.

Any help?