Our garden is not the cause for the lack of sale

[maoiBYRD]

Neighbours have just blamed me because our garden is a mess. That’s why they can’t get their sale for the flat upstairs.

They are selling for 10 grand over the asking price. You can get a three bed in the next road for 5 grand less, they are going with an online estate agent and you have to do viewings yourself. We are in the middle of a pandemic and no one is buying at the moment.

I’m currently clearing the flower bed of the “jungle” of wild flowers, potatoes and garlic that I created with my little girl, and trying to find a scrap man to take away the bikes and scooters and wondering how how I “shape” a bush that we really want to keep because my mother planted it.

Would a neighbours garden really influence your purchase of a property?

Im digging up the unsightly veg bushes. I will clear the garden. We don’t have any rotting cars or rat nests. It was just a bit overgrown with wild flowers and veg. :(

I daresay that astroturf or lots of concrete & hard landscaping would be a deal breaker for me, but not wilderness. I like wilderness.

And rusty bikes?

I find "municipal garden" style flower beds rather sterile, and prefer cottage garden style flower beds, and somewhere that encourages wildlife. But there is organised chaos, and there is "I hate gardening and clearing away rubbish" gardens.

It doesn't have to be either concrete and decking or unkempt and unlooked after. There is something in between.

people are successfully selling properties atm so yes people are buying!
Your garden would put me off too. An unkempt garden, usually means an umkempt home/people!

Would a neighbours garden really influence your purchase of a property

I mean, yes, it absolutely would. If the neighbours garden is overflowing with junk then I’d assume they didn’t care for their property at all and would likely be shit neighbours. I know that’s not what you want to hear but it’s true- how people look after their own stuff absolutely says a lot about how they’ll be respectful to my stuff 🤷‍♀️

I've got a feeling the op isn't coming back.

She’s busy tidying up her garden surely ?

I would 100% be put off by this, sorry I know that's not what you want to hear.

If the flat upstairs looks into your garden and the garden looks a mess then I'd probably be put off but it doesn't sound that bad at all! Can we see a pic?

it might put people off, but really it's just too bad isn't it! You're not the one trying to sell. You can clean it up out of courtesy but you don't have to.

Yes a garden full of junk would put me off. I wouldn't mind it being overgrown but abandoned bikes & scooters gives of a vibe of "can't be arsed" laziness, a laid back, so what attitude. I wouldn't choose to live near it as I'd make, possibly quite unfair, judgement, that the owner of the property would be a problem too.

Personally I think people are trying to politely say:

Junkyard garden = rough as a badger’s arse.

I wouldnt buy a house next door to someone who stored scrap metal in their garden. People these days try to describe their unkempt scruffy garden as a beautiful plot with some wild flowers and veg growing. When the reality is they can’t be arsed to keep it tidy - the ‘wild flowers’ are actually weeds and the veg is fungi.

Junkyard garden = rough as a badger’s arse

Yes! But was trying to be tactful lol

I haven't read the full thread but I think I am alone in all of mumsnet land for not caring in the slightest what my neighbours garden looks like! It wouldn't put me off. My garden is lovely and filled with well tended flowers and fruit. Two of my neighbours don't weed or mow. Ever. I don't care though, who could honestly care how other people's garden looks?!?!?

You lot all dab zoflora on your radiators so the house smells nice, dont you?

Yes, it would make a impact on me. I see the bikes as rubbish and wonder will it be rubbish bags, a longterm skip/mattresses etc next. A flower bed needing weeding not so much as long as it did not grow into my property but uncut long grass along with rubbish I would avoid avoid avoid.

@Russellbrandshair

Junkyard garden = rough as a badger’s arse

Yes! But was trying to be tactful lol

😂😂

Shocking grammar in that post of mine though, wow...

who could honestly care how other people's garden looks

Most people specified they don’t care about the landscaping of the garden or what’s planted or not planted. The dealbreaker is all the junk and scrap metal that people object to. That’s not part of a garden it’s just waste that needs to be disposed of. So essentially it’s rubbish. THAT is what people are objecting to!

So, it doesn't bother you that your neighbour's garden is also full of junk GalesThisMorning?

Yes it can affect it. My neighbour's garden is an absolute shit tip. It's been the reason everyone has given so far for not buying my property (and the offer £15k under the asking price).
It makes the buyer suspicious that they are going to get a nightmare neighbour. They will assume your house is as disgusting as your garden and also that you're not ever going to tackle the mess.
I'm considering asking my neighbour if I can sort out her garden for her because it's causing so much hassle for me.

@GalesThisMorning

I haven't read the full thread but I think I am alone in all of mumsnet land for not caring in the slightest what my neighbours garden looks like! It wouldn't put me off. My garden is lovely and filled with well tended flowers and fruit. Two of my neighbours don't weed or mow. Ever. I don't care though, who could honestly care how other people's garden looks?!?!?

You lot all dab zoflora on your radiators so the house smells nice, dont you?

Presumably you see your flowers and fruit through your windows, not the next house along's unmowed lawn? Op's upstairs neighbours look directly out at her garden.

@Ginfordinner No. What does it have to do with me? I don't sit out in other people's gardens, I enjoy my own. I have a fence either side. How could it possibly affect me?

As off putting as it might be for their buyers, it’s their problem, not yours. They had no right asking you to change the way you keep your own property, and if they want something done then it’s up to them to offer to pay to have it sorted. Then they get to hope that you will be kind enough to let them do what they need to get their sale.

Rats?

Yes. A messy overgrown wildlife garden isn't too bad. But a garden with dumped toys, bikes, clutter, half arsed projects etc makes me judge the neighbours.

My neighbours have a shit tip garden, they're also a pain in the arse. I won't be moving for some years but I hope it's tidy when I need to leave this place.

I'm with Galesthismorning. I haven't a clue what my neighbours' gardens are like and neither do I care.