Would the state of a neighbouring garden put you off a house?

[Squashbuckle]

DH and I are looking to buy our first house after renting for years. We’ve been viewing houses for the last two weeks and found one that ticks so many boxes- it’s spacious, in a generally quiet location, has a front and back garden, is convenient for work, DCs school and recently decorated. It’s also chain free. So far, so good!

The only thing putting us off is the state of the next door but one neighbour’s garden. There’s a burnt out, rusting wreck of a car outside surrounded by all types of rubbish - including an old fridge, bags of clothes and heaps of miscellaneous stuff. The front garden is also so full of rubbish that I doubt the front door is accessible. It looks like it’s been there for a very long time.

Would this put you off a house? It’s definitely putting DH off a bit and I keep going from agreeing with him to despairing that we can’t find any other houses in the local area that match up to this one. Any advice/experience/opinions welcomed!

My concerns would be rats and overtly anti-social behaviour.

As well as asking around, and observing at different times of day and night, you could look for local community council minutes and see if any reference to problems in that area.

Yes definitely. And they could be there for years.

Are your moving to our road? 😂 I’d say it might be worth investigating further as our garden is currently an overgrown tip, but that’s because we emptied the sheds of rubbish onto our rear lawn to sort out what’s worth keeping and tidy it back into the one shed.
The rubbish is still out until my husbands not working and we can do some tip runs and the garden is being landscaped and the older shed removed in two weeks!

Anyone who saw it now would probably be put off moving next to us but in just over two weeks time it’ll be pristine!

I'd want to visit on a sunny evening (big ask, at the moment, admittedly!) when people are more likely to be outside.

Checking zoopla might give you a clue whether it's rented or owner occupied.

Yes to reviewing the whole street. One tatty house in a street of well looked after houses won’t last. One nice house in a street of neglect is a no no.

Yes would definitely put me off

So it’s not actually next door, there is a house between you?

Go and knock on that next door house and ask about the street in general. If they roll their eyes and say “it’s all lovely apart from him next door....” you will have your answer.

Thanks for your thoughts, you’ve all given me lots to think about. No record of the road in the local council minutes from the last two years that I could see and the police website reports very few crimes, certainly compared to the inner city street we are currently on.
We’re having another look this afternoon and DH is going to do a drive by one evening this week. We’ll also try to talk to some of the neighbours, particularly the ones either side, to see if we get any other information. In the meantime I think we’ll carry on looking at other houses.

Google streetview shows the date when it was taken if you look closely. So that might give you a clue. And just re-read your original post and realised you said next door but one... though I was put off a house with a scruffy garden next door, the house I have bought has a very strange overgrown garden next door but one, but it doesn’t bother me at all!

Next door but one, not actually next door? I could probably live with that.

Unless it indicated a generally unloved area. If it's a one-off, I'm not sure I see the problem. Better that than CF neighbours with lots of cars, loud parties etc.