To buy a dream house with a crazy neighbour next door?

[Friedeggs9876]

Would you buy the house of your dreams if there was an ongoing issue with the neighbour? The house is in the cotswolds, lovely garden in a beautiful area with great community, schools and shops. The only issue is that the house apparently has a neighbour that has harassed the owners in the past, instances like putting up notices around their property boundary about “around the clock 24hr surveillance” and “trespassers will be prosecuted” I’ve heard the neighbour also seems to think the owners are Russian spies and working with Putin. Would this be enough to put you off buying an otherwise lovely home?

Yes, thats my point. If they were in their 40's I wouldnt buy it because they could realistically be there for the next 40 years. But an 80 year old....you see what I am saying.

If it's your dream house, it would be difficult to turn it down, however, your dream house can easily become a nightmare living situation without a moment of peace. We bought a house we were so excited about and within the first week, the lady next door was making us absolutely miserable and it never let up. We had to keep all the curtains pulled for any sense of peace, couldn't enjoy our yard, couldn't even have DD play in the yard or trick or treat on our road because we had become so harassed. I was tense even driving down the street toward the house, and I all but became a hermit for over three years, counting the days until we could sell. When we did sell (much sooner than we'd ever planned), I literally walked out the door without a look back--more like ran out of there. I did feel bad for the buyers, but the relief was so huge when we got settled in our new home, even the dogs had a totally different energy.

When we looked for a new home, we paid very close attention to the people nearby. Of course, you can't predict if a lovely person next door will sell to a devil after you've been there for years, but if it can be avoided, I would avoid it.

On the flip side, at least you've been warned...

This is the dark side of hippyish places like Stroud. Too many conspiracy theorists and crazies, with their Light 'newspaper' and conviction that vaccines contain microchips, and wifi fries your brain.

Oh OK …I get it
I completely missed your point there.

Although every year is precious and waiting for someone to die isn’t a great way to live. Let’s face it They could outlive OP even if in their 80s

Absolutely not. I’ve just moved after dealing with a crazy neighbour for years. Previous house was perfect and perfect location. The daily stress caused by having an insane neighbour is not worth it no matter how great the house is.

No. No way. Not in a million years. Not if someone gave me the house FOR FREE.

If I thought they could pose a physical threat, I wouldn't risk it. If they're just odd but harmless, it would depend on their age relative to my own and how long I want to live there. If the price is right, it could be worth putting up with some foolishness for a few years, but I wouldn't choose to live next to someone who seemed able and willing to harm my family or damage my property.

You will regret moving there as long as those neighbours are there. Don’t do it knowingly!

This isn’t a “horrible” neighbour, this is a mentally ill neighbour. It sounds like paranoid delusions, the neighbour could be schizophrenic? Having had a friend with this who was really frightening when he didn’t take his medication, I would be worried that the neighbour sounds as though he or she has an illness that is not being managed very well at all.

I would go and visit the property again, and drop in to said neighbours - knock on the door, introduce yourselves and say you're just thinking of buying next door and wondered how they find the area / local amenities etc - see if they'll chat and see if they'll state their side of the story eg by saying oh good we can't stand home owners next door because.../whether they genuinely are nutty or just find the home owners are the mad ones..
If they refuse to answer the door / shout at you, I really wouldn't bother unless they're obviously in their 90s and you think you could manage a few years.

@JohnMajorsChicken well yes of course that could happen, but can't tell the future so can only base the decision on what information you have now. Not a risk I'd be willing to take.

I did. I did not know he was crazy. I have a child, so now i live in rented appartement, While trying to sell, going bank rupt. Dont. I regret so much i ever bought a house when it is so easy to rent. Im stück with this stupid house!

No way I’d buy a house with a nightmare neighbour. It ceases to be the dream house.

Your life would be hell. I’ve lived through crazy neighbours and it was utter hell. No privacy and no results. We sold.

DON'T DO IT OP!!

Although I do feel sorry for the people trying to sell the cottage.

Hopefully the neighbour will one day get the help he needs too.

But just.... no.

under no circumstances whatsoever.

Your neighbours can make our break your home.

I also feel sorry for the people trying to sell the cottage. But if you buy it OP, someday you will be the people trying to sell the cottage and we will feel sorry for you.

Another person with a bad neighbour here 👋 I'd say it's probably no - but are they nasty or just a bit nuts?

I'd also he concerned as it sounds quite rural, and an unhinged neighbour who controls boundaries etc would be a worry in the middle of nowhere. Could be quite scary!

Don’t do it unless the price reflects what you would want to get paid to put up with harassment which can get worse.

crazy people can live a very long time.

No I wouldn’t. We had an awful time (physical threats, vehicle damaged etc) and it got to the point that we decided to sell up and we are now private renting until something we like comes along. I cannot tell you how miserable it became. Despite knowing we’re throwing money away on rent (and a big chunk at that), we’re so much happier and calmer having moved away. It can cause so much distress and anxiety, it’s just not worth it. A dream house for me now would include neighbours you can just rub along nicely with.

Don’t do it. Please. The dream house will turn into a nightmare and you won’t love it any more when he starts on you. There will be other houses.

no because it wont be a dream anymore the stress would ruin it

We sold our dream house because our neighbours were arseholes. Current house nearest neighbours are about a mile away, bloody heaven!

That does sound heavenly…

I would do it if the neighbour was 90 plus but otherwise no

OP you haven't answered where you are getting your information from.
The no trespassing and surveillance signs kind of give an impression that the dream house owners are not perfect neighbours. Also, who wants to lower the price of the dream house, and/or who benefits if that happens?

We had a no trespassing/private property sign put up (not surveillance, though we did eventually put in cameras) because the police advised us that people can claim not to know they are trespassing even if they have had to climb a 6 foot fence, but if there is a sign they can't claim ignorance.
We had to do this because I called the police ONCE at 2am, because there was a naked man with a blazing tiki torch in the back garden. He also had a pair of garden shears and was lopping the rose bush. I was home alone with 2 DDs and terrified. It turned out when the police questioned him (this was in the days when they would actually attend) that he was our new next door neighbour, and told them that our garden was part of his rental lease. (Of course it wasn't)
That began a campaign of harassment that involved nasty anonymous notes, lying to neighbours, throwing rubbish over the fence, complaining to council about anything he could think of. He was apparently quite charming (to other people) and neighbours who had previously been pleasant to us began to ignore us when we said hello etc. We never told our side of the story because we didn't know what he was saying, and don't gossip. We were bewildered. The DARVO was really distressing.
Further down the harassment path it emerged that he was the son of the new owner of the 3 flats next door and the father wanted to buy our house to develop the whole area.
Making us desperate to sell, and turning off future buyers with gossip was supposed to lower the price. We didn't sell, the father went broke, and the son is actually in gaol for a serious assault the last we heard.
We have nice neighbours next door now.