to think that I can 'buy' good neighbours

[uis]

Ok so I think I am probably BU but let me set context. I also appreciate this thread might grate on a lot of people given the difficulties in getting on the property ladder but I post this with the humblest of intentions and appreciate how fortunate I am.

So I've been on MN for a long time and read a lot of neighbour dispute threads. Most of the nuisance neighbours seem to be druggies, on benefits and out of work or just not right in the head. We live in a detached house and had a set of bad neighbours who were renting (loud music in the garden, parking issues, drugs and we suspected dealing as well). Through us and neighbours persistently complaining to the landlord and development company, things improved after a few months and they moved out after 12 months anyway.

We're currently in the process of selling and have reserved a detached house in another new build development much further away. The houses around us are all detached and around the £600 - 680k mark and it got me thinking - we were worried about getting dodgy neighbours again but sort of assumed that being at this price range, we'd avoid really bad nuisance neighbours or that we'd get neighbours who would probably be more reasonable about things.

Is this a really bad assumption? Does anyone have any horror stories about neighbours despite living in a nice affluent area or area with relatively high house prices? I know minor parking disputes are fairly commonplace regardless of where you are but any major issues anyone has experienced? I guess had we not had issues ourselves, we might never had considered it. Thanks in advance for any responses!

No, I don’t think so.

We bought in a traditionally down-at-heel area. Very diverse. Neighbours are salt of the earth and lovely.

My parents live in a very middle class area and the neighbours are civil at best but spats, gossip and one-upmanship are the way of things.

Add to that screaming entitled kids having tantrums that the whole neighbourhood can hear.

Round here no-one has much money but everyone gets on and I’ve heard neighbours telling their kids to be more considerate when they’re loud.

You really can’t buy good neighbours.

You obviously haven't watched the TV series 'Neighbours From Hell'...

Also, I live in a pretty shitty part of London/Essex where £680k houses make the area nowhere near affluent. In fact it's a pretty standard property price.

Houses are normally snapped up by landlords, converted into bedsits and rented to the council.

Also you'll be surprised that quite a lot of high earners and Dr's etc are bang on the coke and other drugs! Not all low earners are druggies u know

What a snobby thread. My house is worth more than that (also detached in a nice area) and the neighbours across the road have loud parties, park their several expensive vehicles all over the street and other various anti social antics. They don't rent the house, they bought it at the same time we did and we previously got along well.

How utterly deluded you are.

Shame you haven't spent a bit more - that way you could have purchased a property with no other houses close by OP.

Could you try that? It worked for us.

The worst neighbour I’ve ever encountered was the daughter of a millionaire. She really didn’t understand that people need to work and was a massive entitled twat. She used to have people over to her hot tub and scream over the top of it.. she had a hobby job and only worked a day and rest of the went shopping on the internet but wouldn’t answer her door so her neighbour took in parcels till they cottoned on that she was a freak.

I live in a 200yr old terrace. Out of work, on benefits and am clinically 'not right in the head'.

I am surrounded by people old and young, in work and out and have never lived in a more peaceful home. I don't play music or have parties, rarely put the TV or radio on, like to sit in my garden reading, do crafting and, like all of my neighbours, am quiet.

The street I live on is fantastic, everyone is friendly and we all look out for each other. Houses here (in the SE) are about £200k.

Enjoy your snobbery, large mortgage and curtain twitching looking out for unruly neighbours. YABVU.

You're half right - money can buy you a detached property and land so you might be physically further away from your neighbours. It's no guarantee they won't be antisocial idiots though.

The big house in my village is owned by a family who own an international food company so very rich by most people's standards. They are generally very nice but the village WhatsApp was alive with moans about the noise from the clay pigeon shoot at the back of their house last weekend.

I don’t know. I live on a very nice estate similar to what the op describes. The other week the police came over a parking dispute between neighbours.
When I was young my mums neighbours were complete arseholes. It was an ex council estate but the problem neighbours were the richest in the street. He had a good job but was a complete prick.

The worst neighbour we ever had was a guy who lived across the street from us in a neighbourhood of houses in an equivalent price range about ten years ago. Whenever the family dog needed to relieve itself he would head outside with her and call to his wife, ‘I’m taking Pumpkin to the toilet’ as he headed straight for our garden. (It was open in the front.). Nor did he clean up after Pumpkin.

We spoke to the couple repeatedly; the very nice wife was mortified but it persisted for about a year. At that point the husband left the family home and the couple divorced as soon as possible. I don’t think this was a major factor.

snobby but you might be right. my parents' estate, big detached houses, everybody just smiles and nods as they prune their roses. In my estate, small terraced houses, it's doors slamming, dogs barking, teens running past with 12 cans from Aldi and two gardai running behind them! ha ha.

I think the proportion of people who are arseholes is the same across all classes. The way in which they are an arsehole might change a bit.

Our neighbours are generally nice but one guy is at war with the pigeons and constantly throws stones at them so it can be a bit dangerous in the garden.

Is this a really bad assumption?

Its REALLY dumb. The two most unpleasant neighbours we have ever had, were both millionnaires, One from a lottery win, the other from crime.

Many crooks, drug dealers, drunks and undesirable yobs make a huge amount of money and can buy any house and lifestyle they want.

Didn't you see the episode of The Osbournes where Sharon threw a whole ham over the hedge into her neighbours' garden? Now tell me those houses didn't cost a few bucks! Money can't buy class! In fact, the wealthy are sometimes more likely to feel "entitled" to behave however they like!

Arseholeyness doesn’t have income brackets, at either end.

It depends on the area. I live in a mid terraced in a neighbourhood where there’s a mandate of half private owned and half council owned. There’s single mums, the elderly, and low income families. There’s also professionals. The only one who has been a problem is the man next door with mental health issues. We own our house but our neighbours are two single mums in council houses who have lived here for over 20 years and raised their children without any problems, an elderly woman with a physical disability, and a family who have lived here forever. Our house is worth a fortune compared to what we paid 20 years ago, but we love the neighbourhood. It’s diverse and everyone is kind and helpful.

Ha!
Poshest postcode and road in my town...large detached houses, high gardens...
A couple were subjected to a 15 year campaign of hate and property damage by their neighbour.
The perpetrator - in his late 70s - did not desist until he was threatened with jail time.
So...no.

My parents live in an expensive house in a well to do area. Their neighbour is a paedophile so..

You Are Being a raging snob.

I live in a council house on a council estate and our neighbours are very quiet bar a bit of music and building work. We claim benefits but I'm a teacher and currently work full-time. We play music in the garden but don't annoy the neighbours with it.

Are you going to be hosting candlelight suppers perchance?

You may have a champagne budget, Hyacinth, but yes, you could still end up living next door to horrible neighbours.

Your neighbours will feel the same no doubt, living next door to an insufferable snob.

A friend of mines lives in one of the most expensive part of London in a listed building. The people who have lived in her buildings have included judges, lawyers, actors and people with titles. They have had constant issues with noise (parties, music), people keeping messy and noisy dogs, people leaving stuff all over the common corridors, people converting their flats/adding conservatories without respecting leases requirements and so on. They even had someone who turned out to be a prostitute living in that building and one person jumped out of a window in a suicide attempt. These people are all richer and posher than you will ever be and a complete nightmare to live with. But nice to see that snobbery is alive and well...

I am a tenant, single (foster) parent, I can never hope to buy as I am far too old. When DH was dying we were on benefits. My neighbours are tenants. He works, she is a SAHM. We are respectful, kind neighbours. When DH died recently all the neighbours set up a rota to cut my hedge and help with the lawn, thank god none of them judged me for being a) a tenant and b) on benefits. Being an owner occupier does not make you a better person.

Blimey! Stereotyping much! I own a house on a council estate, it's friendly, neighbours help each other and all get along.