Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you buy a house if the neighbours were a bit weird?

171 replies

blueberrybluey · 12/09/2025 16:04

We went to view a house today, as we pulled up there was a car behind us who revved and hovered in the road looking at us, my husband wound down the window and asked what was wrong and the man said that was his house and he parks there so humouring him we apologise and park further along.

The house we viewed was next door to him and it really was lovely and ticks all the boxes other than having a drive so is on-street parking only, which I thought we could live with but I can’t help wondering if the parking incident is a sign of what’s to come.
Would this put you off an otherwise perfect home?

OP posts:
Original poster
blueberrybluey · 12/09/2025 16:06

Not just the parking but the hot tempered man next door?

OP posts:
InterestedDad37 · 12/09/2025 16:07

Nope, wouldn't buy it, personally 🙂🚩

Geiirksns · 12/09/2025 16:07

That would be a no from me; based on posts on here you’ll regret it.

WatchingTheDetective · 12/09/2025 16:12

When we moved into this house, the man across the road came over - we thought he was going to introduce himself, but he said, "As long as you don't park outside my house, we can get along. If you do, we won't." Have to admit we laughed, until we realised he wasn't joking. We did get along with him for decades, but I don't think it's a good way to introduce yourself.

WatchingTheDetective · 12/09/2025 16:13

The place you were parked, OP, was it the place you thought belonged to the house you were viewing?

ChasbutnotDave · 12/09/2025 16:13

I don't think I would like to live next door to someone like him. It starts with parking and goodness knows where it ends.
Plus, you don't know how many vehicles and visitors he has, he could be taking over the whole street and leave limited room for everyone else.

Bridget57 · 12/09/2025 16:14

This would put me off but it's such a shame if the house is perfect. I suppose you could knock on his door with the excuse of apologising and see how he reacts to you? When I first moved in here the man next door went outside asking the removal men to move their van and they weren't even blocking his way. It made me worry who had I moved next to, who couldn't just put up with a removal van for a couple of hours, after all, even he must have used one at some point. I went round the next day and apologised if we'd caused him inconvenience and he was as nice as anything. Parking is limited round here and I think he was just staking his claim to his space. People can be so funny about parking, maybe previous viewers have nicked his space?

BallybunionTao · 12/09/2025 16:16

Well, we once looked at a house and thought it had possibilities, and just as we were leaving, we looked up from the garden, and saw the next door neighbour standing naked in her front bay window, glaring at us as if we were burglars. Even before the estate agent, who hadn't noticed, mentioned a 'slight dispute' over which property actually owned an adjacent garage, we had quietly crossed it off our list.

ShesTheAlbatross · 12/09/2025 16:18

WatchingTheDetective · 12/09/2025 16:13

The place you were parked, OP, was it the place you thought belonged to the house you were viewing?

It’s all on street parking, so no parking belongs to the house they were looking at.

It would put me off. On a road with only on street parking, it’s not always possible to park right outside your house, and you just need to live with it. Not rev your car at people who park there. Unless you have a disability, it’s a minor irritation akin to not getting a seat on a train. People who get worked up over it are more likely to be annoying neighbours generally I think.

Notagain75 · 12/09/2025 16:20

A difficult neighbour would definitely put me off even if I loved the house.
Horrible neighbours can make your life unbearable

Original poster
blueberrybluey · 12/09/2025 16:20

WatchingTheDetective · 12/09/2025 16:13

The place you were parked, OP, was it the place you thought belonged to the house you were viewing?

No it was just the road outside, there was a car directly outside the property so we parked as close as we could and it just happened to be outside his house as he was returning home, annoying yes, but enough to kick up a fuss?
There were other spaces.
He probably didn’t know we were considering the house.

OP posts:
PissedOffNeighbour22 · 12/09/2025 16:22

No I couldn’t live there and I would explain to the estate agent the reason why I wouldn’t be interested, given the neighbour was such an arse.

We viewed a lovely house and on the second viewing the neighbour grumpily stared at us the entire time we were looking round the garden (miserable face practically stuck to the glass). It was a shared driveway and the seller said neighbour didn’t abide by the parking rules - no way I could waste my time arguing with her constantly over it so was a no from us. The new owners didn’t last long there before they sold up.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 12/09/2025 16:22

Unfortunately it's a No from me too. I would feel if that's the starting position from a neighbour to a potential newcomer then it can only get worse.😧

CalzoneOnLegs · 12/09/2025 16:25

He’s a bully, don’t let him get away with it

dentalflosser · 12/09/2025 16:25

I would be put off by this. We have a drive and neighbours have their preferred spots and everyone is flexible but if someone started behaving like that when they don’t even know you or why you had parked there, it’s a red flag for me.

stayathomer · 12/09/2025 16:27

The parking is bad enough but add living with that?! Sorry that’s up with bathrooms with no windows for me in the ‘no way’ list😅

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 12/09/2025 16:30

Bad neighbours are the worst. I spend too much time wishing death on mine... god I hate them so much.

hididdlyho · 12/09/2025 16:33

It would put me off. Our neighbour has 'no parking' painted on their front wall which amused us when we first viewed our house. They only have one car now so can park it on their drive, but it still hasn't stopped them re-painting over the now faded 'no parking' warning 😂

Turns out they're weirdly territorial over the road outside their house and also the shared boundary hedge, which they're obsessed with cutting every week and keeping perfectly manicured. They regularly demand (usually when we're trying to relax in the garden on an evening) to know when we'll be cutting our side. Clue, we've lived here for 10 years and there's not a chance we're wasting our time doing it every week, no matter how many times you bang on about it. I'll cut it every couple of months when it needs doing like a sane person. Does my head in and has put me off having a shared hedge; will be glad when we move next year!

Rightandwrong · 12/09/2025 16:39

I've moved house a few times and my experience has been, I think.without exception , that the houses that I've bought have all had a problem neighbour.And thw neighbour has probably been the real reason they were put up for sale. I've been caught out even though I've specifically, because of previous experience, asked about the neighbours when I've viewed the property.

I wouldn't buy the house OP because you at least have been forwarned of the neighbour issues to come should you buy it.

ladykale · 12/09/2025 16:40

I wouldn’t buy it!

Endlesswandering · 12/09/2025 16:40

No from me, have had bad neighbours before when we rented and it was horrible. He sounds like he was being hostile for no reason

BeMintFatball · 12/09/2025 16:43

I would cross that house off the list.

An equally lovely house will come on the market soon enough .

Lafufufu · 12/09/2025 16:43

I wouldnt touch this place. I dont know what it is about men and parking but seemingly normal people become slightly deranged.

My absolute non negotiable was off road parking or.ability to put it in.

Could you cnvert the front garden? - if so...id consider it but id want to knock and have a chat with him to assess him first.

Bad neighbours ruin lives

cheddercherry · 12/09/2025 16:45

Nope, wouldn’t consider it - heard too many horror stories of nightmare neighbours. There will be other perfect houses without the angry neighbours and probably with better parking.

Studyunder · 12/09/2025 16:46

No. It not worth it.