Meeting the neighbours before buying a house?

[Pigtailsandall]

OK, I'm very prepared for people to tell me I'm being weird or to not to do this, but would it be very strange to knock on a potential new neighbour's door before buying a house?

We have moved from London to a nearby market town where everyone so far has been very friendly. We have found a house which is ideal - it is a 1930s semi, and earlier this week, our offer for it was accepted!

Now, our old London neighbours were horrible. They played loud music and had parties almost every weekend in their garden; they also did some structural work in their house without a party wall agreement. They were bullies who complained about everything - and I really mean everything - our tree dropping a few leaves on their side, the fact that we left the house too early (at 8am to go to work) but then let their dogs bark in the garden from 6pm. So, understandibly, I am very cautious about having nightmare neighbours again. And with a semi, you share a wall and see into each other's gardens etc. even though the area otherwise is very quiet.

So I thought, would it be very strange to knock on the neighbours door to say hello and introduce ourselves before the contracts are exchanged? Just to suss them out (and they might be curious about us too!)

Edit to say - if you lived in a semi where the other side was on market, how would you feel about this?

Not ridiculous at all in fact, very sensible and I know a couple who did exactly the same. They got friendly with potential neighbours and visited the local pub. They didn't actually buy the house in the end (Japanese knot weed) but they continue to holiday together yearly

Wow I love this story! Thank you

If you knocked and they answered and then presented badly, that would be useful.

But otherwise, what would you be looking for? How do you see that conversation going?

Very sensible

The neibout at out first ever house was described as a lovely woman who kept herself to herself , she was batshit and we had to call the police constantly

Good idea if it's important to you. You could knock on their door explaining you are interested in the property next door and is there anything you should know about it? (Not sure on the validity of the answer but you'll get a feeling of how they are!).

I viewed a house where there was some 'green space' next to it. I was really early so decided to park up and just wait. Then a gang of lads turned up to play and were constantly kicking the ball, it hit a side window and the owner came out of the house fuming at them. You could tell it was a regular occurrence. I still viewed it but didn't even make an offer ....