Would you move to this house?

[WitchyWay]

The house is full of charm and character and a good fit for us in many ways. Great space and ticks a lot of our boxes, albeit not all.

But the next door neighbour (detached) and probably 30m away is a huge hoarder and known in the town for it. Not just his house and car but you can literally see every inch of garden is full on Google satellite and his gates are bulging open with rubbish behind. Satellite shows a clear narrow path from the house to the gates. It appears to only be in his garden at the moment, not going onto others property.

No idea if there are rats or any other associated issues. The hoarder is a nice man and probably spend around 60, so could have decades left in that property.

The house we're interested in hasn't been on the market since the 80s so I assume there aren't big social issues with him as he's lived there a long time too.

Would you move there? I'm worried about fire risks, rats and just generally the potential aggro.

Definitely walk by it a few times and gauge the smell and perceived visual disturbance

No.

I am in the US so things may be different. I had a friend who was going to purchase a home and the house next door had all of the windows covered completely at all times. Another friend's wise husband suggested she check with the fire department about any previous complaints. It seems the home was not a home but a receptacle for used tires. My friend bought her home at a discount because of the threat. And our city condemned the tire house and had it removed. My friend's bargain house doubled in value.
Is there a similar method in the UK to check with?

How old is the neighbour?

Ooo no that’s way too close for me

No I wouldn't. Health risk, fire risk, re-sale risk.

I would find living next to all that junk depressing, regardless of the hygiene issues. It's soul destroying to see that every time you come home.

I think I'd have serious reservations, however,, would you have a view from property/garden of everything outside, ie regular view from house, summer tea out in the garden? If not, might be worth a cheeky offer with a view to regular visits to address your concerns and paying for the cost of a full survey - we had a middling survey that commented on something outside. You can ask your solicitor to raise additional enquiries if the vendor, they might lie, but that'd mean a claim on them if you found what they'd said to be totally untrue.

The vendor wil have to say if they've had any disputes with neighbours.
I'd consider asking others nearby.
If the hoarding went and you'd not bought the house how would you feel?

If it was actually next door, no way, not a chance, but as it’s next door but one i would at least look at it.

No.

I know someone in a similar position who has been repeatedly unable to sell her house because of a hoarder next door. She had had it on the market three times and given up three times. Living next to someone who has significant mental health issues, the fire risk, the rats, the smell.

Also, she has to look at the garden filled to the brim with junk from her house which is awful. She has given up using her garden.

Previously when trying to sell she emptied their garden herself, shifting it all and paying for it to be thrown away. But by the time the sale was imminent it had filled up again and the buyers dropped out.

She is now just waiting for the person to eventually die/go into a care home but they aren't even particularly old. Just unwell, unable to cope and not willing to have help. He needs all the stuff to feel safe.

I'd consider it if the house is a real bargain because of the hoarding nextdoor-but-one neighbour and you can't see or smell all his garbage from your house/garden (unsure if that's the case?)

If I did buy it, however, I would definitely get a Jack Russell (or two 😀)
Ours is 14 now and he's still a ferocious rodent hunter.

If I really loved the house, I'd consider it! What age range is the owner? If he's quite elderly this isn't going to be a forever problem!

I wouldn’t actually as my friend didn’t realise the house next door had a hoarder and she has a constant stream of mice coming from his place plus foxes resident in the garden. It becomes your problem.

I reckon he's in his 60s. Thanks all for your views, I find it helpful to see what others think. We'll keep our scheduled visit and see what happens!

I wouldn’t write it off completely especially as there is another house between you. My attached neighbours are hoarders though it doesn’t extend to the garden like yours. The fire risk is pretty scary but you’re 2 houses away and none of which are attached. Would the house be out of your price range without the dodgy neighbour? Is it the difference that means you can have your dream house? Go and look with an open mind and have a good sniff round I reckon.

From the latter photograph it doesn't look like you would see the garden/junk from the prospective house? There appears to be a fairly large/deep hedge/trees which I assume obscures the view.
Re driving past, again it doesn't look like the prospective house is on the same road as the hoarding house, so again not an issue?
@WitchyWay
Have you had a google about the hoarding house? Sometimes these things hit the local press - and as pp suggested local fb curtain twitchers are a good source of intel gossip if the prospective house in itself is still of interest after the viewing.
Make sure you grill the EA to get info off the sellers in case it's something that will make it a complete no-no

It would put me off. Its bound to be teeming with vermin. Environmental health should be getting involved and clear it.
And send the home owner the bill

So much rubbish that it can be seen by satellite?? A big no! You will definitely end up with a rodent problem if you buy it.

Yes. Tempus fugit.

No no no. The smells in the summer will be horrid.

No. The house two doors down from me has males with social problems in it. They set it on fire by accident. Thankfully no rubbish in the garden etc to make it worse. The fire risk and the rodents are enough, never mind the eyesore and possible stink.

At least you won't get a ball over the fence or the noise of kids screaming in his garden!

Or kids looking over from a trampoline!

Seriously, I would consider what is going to happen if he dies or there is a court order for whatever reason for him to get it learned ip!

That's going to be a huge operation.

Just no

There used to be a U.S. reality show called “Hoarders,” where a group of people (and a psychologist) would take a big dump truck to a hoarder’s house and help them rid themselves of all the mess.
Of course, a family member had to convince the hoarder to allow the team to come.
Sometimes they were successful and other times they weren’t, but it was like driving past a car crash - it was difficult to look away. Inside the homes, the hoard was stacked to the ceiling and there were narrow pathways through the rooms. It was dangerous.
They sometimes wore hazmat suits and face masks because the mess was so awful and the stench was so bad.
They occasionally found dead cats and dogs and squirrels underneath the mess.
They said hoarding is a mental illness and that hoarders need therapy long after their homes are cleaned.
I recall hoarders losing family over their illness.
Your neighbor will certainly get worse without help, @WitchyWay— I’m sorry.