To never buy a house unless I've met the neighbours

[ChangedAgainForAChange]

Saw a house today that I really like and I'm viewing it again on Saturday. It's a little mews house, perfect for one person or a couple but terraced so neighbours on both sides.

I absolutely refuse to put in an offer unless I've met at least one of them. I'm hoping the estate agent fucks off straight after the viewing so I can start knocking on doors and very politely asking "what the area" is like. I just want to try and get a feel for what they are like.

Some people don't even think of the neighbours once they're within their own 4 walls but I'm absolutely petrified I will get shit ones. I've had it before and it ruins your whole life. I just mean blasting stereos or pitbulls and feral kids etc. I would love a Janet and Keith retired and doting grandparents. I would not love a drug addicted mother of 9 who's been on Jeremy Kyle for shagging her mum's boyfriend.

Surely they'd want to know who's moving in next door too? Or am I overthinking it? Yes I do suffer with anxiety...

Stranger!

@coco no kids, just me. A single and decent middle aged woman hoping to nest somewhere quiet for a few years x

It seems quite intrusive to knock a stranger’s door. I wouldn’t like it and you’d be disturbing me. It’s different if you see someone out on their drive etc.

@changed feel free to join us on our road. Out of 30 houses we have 2 ‘troublemakers’ - guess what, they are the ones who can’t be bothered to talk to neighbours.

When number 1 stepson bought his house 3 years ago without our input (and goodness he dodged a bullet but he really cut it fine!) I went to renovate the house when he was at work. So many of his new neighbours popped round or said hi as I walked to the local shop, it was brilliant, it really made us comfortable that he was in a lovely road. They didn’t need to make the effort but it made such a difference to the good feeling when he moved in.

@wink I agree. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't want to be best friends with my neighbours because I think can cause discomfort in itself, but just someone saying hello or smiling a good morning when you're strolling past them makes such a difference ☺️

OP I'm sort of with you. Been lucky with neighbours all my life. However there is a form your solicitor should be checking which includes any problems your seller has had with neighbours. There's a case going on in the High Court at the moment where a man sold having had problems with a very aggressive neighbour but didn't confess to it (apparently - said he'd made it up with the neighbour 18 months before selling the flat). Same neighbour broke the door down the day the buyers moved in, and the police advised them they weren't safe there with their young child.

I don’t think you can judge from meeting the neighbours beforehand. My neighbour was nice for about 6 months then she started moaning about parking outside her house. We’re civil, she fake smiles and so do I. Polite but secretly don’t like each other!!! You just can’t tell OP

OP your replies have given me such a laugh this evening after a very long day! Thank you!

And this is the kind of thing I would do if I had the balls to do it...I think some of the "thou shalt not judge" replies have been hilarious and your responses so bloody refreshing!

@spendthemoney you're welcome dear. Say it how it is all the way. If half the people replying had the option of moving into a semi next door to one with a flowery hanging basket and a birds house placed lovingly on a freshly moved front lawn or one with a burnt out mattress and three fuck off tyres dumped outside the front door they'd just toss a coin and let fate decide because who are we to judge hey?! Righto!

Your choice, but don't be surprised if it's a while before you move house, or get no answers. I suggest you think of something other than 'what's the area like?' to ask. Perhaps think of something important to you, an activity or facility that a neighbour might know about.

I would love a Janet and Keith retired and doting grandparents

They live next door to me .

Shes lovely but he's a knob, hoovers his lawn, moans about my tree, changed my fence, took my wall down and replaced it with one he liked, creeps into my garden to cut my ivy …….. he is a PITA

OP, go for it. If they don’t answer the door they are probably Mumsnetters who never answer the door and spend their lives fretting about washing being darked on or touched by spider willies. If you dare to move in they will spend their days writing AIBUs about you.

Seriously I think it is a great idea but wouldn’t have the bottle myself.

YANBU but(!) I would not be happy if random people who were viewing a property for sale on my street started knocking -and disturbing me- to find out what I'm like under the guise of asking about the neighbourhood. It's rather rude especially if no offer has been made.

I absolutely get where you're coming from op. Awful neighbours can have a huge impact on your quality of life.

I just don't think that your method will be particularly effective. I mean, they're not going to answer and say 'Oh, yeah, it's great here! Be sure to drop in for our bi-weekly crack induced orgy if you do put an offer in!'

The worst neighbours we had were an older middle-aged couple who were nice as pie initially. But who used to regularly have great screaming barnies after which she'd stomp into the spare room and play Celine dion at full blast whilst he'd be banging on the door.

We are the neighbours living next door to For Sale house.
We have been introduced to the potential buyers as ' such lovely neighbours'. I hope our halos don't slip

absolutely refuse to put in an offer unless I've met at least one of them

But what if you met one side and they were lovely but didn’t meet the side who was a bunny-boiling, rave-throwing, Japanese-knotweed growing stalker?!

A single and decent middle aged woman

Eek, the only nightmare neighbour I ever had was a single middle aged woman. She was batshit.

As well as next door you want the next door but one, your neighbours to be are already their neighbours so you're more likely to get useful info!

We absolutely had a chat with a few people down the street before making an offer. I'm not much of a doorstep chit chat person but needs must

@harrysowl well I assure you I am fucking awesome 👍

Middle terrace here. Lovely couple, late 50's, no children, very cooperative over fence repairs, sign for parcels, quiet never hear a thing, but always exchange pleasantries. Other side, single lady, late 40's, always chats, takes in parcels, lovely lady, keeps house and garden tidy, no problem other than she's a prostitute. Random male clients come and go at various times of the day and evening, always park away from front of house and walk over. Occasionally 'noise' heard through bedroom walls. I didn't know what she did till I was at home during the day a lot on mat leave, and saw the stream of male clients.

This is just weird, knocking on potential neighbours doors? Ive honestly never heard of such malarky.

well I assure you I am fucking awesome

Yeah...she thought she was too she was that batshit us neighbours could see why she was single. All kinds of crazy!

If you knocked on my door I would assume you were a busybody type and lie that the neighbourhood was terrible & noisy, in the hopes you wouldn't move in and I'd be left alone. It's not fair to the neighbours, who aren't selling their house, to be bothered by randoms.

I don't think you're unreasonable for considering what the neighbours are like though I've never done it or had anyone do it around here. I'd be happy to tell someone the pros and cons of the area for a few minutes.

I agree it might not be the best way to figure out an area or the neighbours. I mean, I might mention it if someone asked, but while all my other neighbours are great, I don't think I could do justice to creepy guy from down the road who just stands in random parts of the neighbourhood vaping at odd times. Like, he just stands on the pavement with his vaping device, staring off into space as people go around him avoiding eye contact (don't make eye contact or he will either make up really weird stories that you or someone you live did something with him and should do so again or go on about how he knows where you live which yeah since I'm 5 doors down but who says that to people?).

@burritofan you'd be assuming very wrong