Hoarding into garden

[Ontheflipside]

Looking for some opinions/advice here please. Bare with, hopefully I can write without rambling! We viewed a detached property yesterday. It's in a lovely area, close to a good school, the house itself is great, lovely big south east garden.

Here's where I need any advice/opinions and experience. DH was exploring, trying to find out if the leylandii belonged to the house we were viewing or next door as it's really tall and will probably block out a fair bit of the sun. In doing so, he could see the NDN were hoarding. Their garden was full to the brim with plastic storage boxes, mould and slime growing on everything. He could also see this going into their upstairs windows at the back of their house. You cannot see into their garden at all from the upstairs of 'our' house and it's not obvious from the front of the house there's a hoarding issue, only that compared to every other house it's very tatty looking. The windows need replacing, needs repainting etc. The front lawn is in good condition and they have net curtains so you can't see in.

What concerns would you have about the back garden? Asides from pest issues or fire hazards? How concerning really is this? My instincts is that it's a great house, it's a good area, we would be detached the only real 'issue' is the garden. And the house is on a big plot, so this neighbour is a lot further away from the front door of the house than the other side for example if this makes a difference.

Just to be clear, I'm coming at this from the angle of "what practical concerns (if any) are there of buying a property next door to a garden that is full to the absolute brim of things that shouldn't be in there", as this is going to be a 10+ year house for us.

I wouldn't be able to overlook the fire issue. Two hoarders lost their lives when their house burned down in my area.

Have you ever had vermin? We live on a river, so get rats. Yesterday I had to close the bi-folds (our only way of airing the back of the house - no windows) because momma rat (currently with 3 young) decided to start climbing our stairs which leads into the kitchen. We have a new brood bi-monthly, last time it was 5. When they like an area, they like it, and that's that. They're getting into the house by squeezing through a hole in our steps that leads underneath the house and scuttling around in our loft/walls when they feel like it. Have you ever had vermin as a noise nuisance? A former LL had to get rid of mice in a previous flat and it took months and was awful seeing the trails of blood and piss as they slowly died, I felt awful for them. In the meantime, I was woken up by them at 2-4am daily for hours at a time and still had to put a day's work in.

And, whereas you might stand a chance of getting rats under control with 'normal' neighbours, I doubt you'd even be able to have a level-headed conversation with people you know are causing the problem.

I can't imagine ever knowingly putting myself in the situation you are thinking of; it's not the perfect house if it has such strikingly obvious risks - and that's before you even consider the resale liability aspect. I think you already know this, but maybe you're a bit in love with the house/price. Would you still buy it if it was 30% more expensive?

I would walk away. Potential for rats, stink in the summer, fire hazard, flooding if drainage is compromised. And if people can let their house and garden get into such a state what other antisocial behaviours will they indulge in?

Why are the current owners selling?

Awful but - how old are the hoarders? Is this likely to be a long term problem?

@KievLoverTwooh gosh that's really upsetting, those poor people.

No, we've never had vermin. That all sounds utterly grim though.

Thanks for your perspective. Definite food for thought as it's so hard not to get emotionally attached.

We have considered the anti social aspect, but there's been no reports of antisocial behaviour in that area (as in neighbourly noise complaints etc) and I've checked the local Facebook pages (it's in the same town as where we currently live) and no mention of anything to thos effect. But we do have 2 young children, which is a huge factor in this.

He's a retired single man who wants to move into rented and travel. Doesn't spend a lot of time there as it is.

I'm unsure of their age, but had also considered this. I checked Rightmove and the house isn't on there at all, so I think they bought it before the land registry was a thing

I’d wonder if the tall leylandii are there to screen out the mess, affecting the sunny aspect of the garden and the reason for the sale. Personally I’d walk away from this property.

The potential for summer stink and vermin would make me walk away from this

Nope nope nope nope nope.

Do not buy and walk away. I had a neighbour in a joined property who left her dog's mess everywhere. It was revolting. As well as the rat, smell and fire risks, they are unlikely to be maintaining their property. Backing up drains etc will affect the house if you buy it. It will be harder to sell too. If you have noticed it, so will your prospective buyers.

Oh lordy, thanks everyone! Really appreciate your perspectives. House buying is an emotional rollercoaster! Keep the opinions coming though as we would love to hear more thoughts

Pp experience with rats is awful and would really give me pause for thought for here.

If the hoarders were very elderly and it was going to be a forever house for me I would possibly consider it, if the house was otherwise perfect and at the right price point.

But planning to move again in 10 years - nope, I don’t think I could risk it.

Maybe worth asking the agent though. Maybe the house is actually empty? Maybe someone has died and they are awaiting probate?

See what they say although be aware they may not be entirely truthful so make sure to try and verify whatever they tell you.

No, too many negatives to make it worthwhile. Even if the neighbours aren’t a problem now, it might get worse, with more hoarding, more vermin, more degradation.

@onthewineagaini can see on the electoral register 3 people are registered at the address, but no further details. I can also see the house we'd like to buy was purchased for a strangely cheap amount in 2002. £90,000!!! Which doesn't align with the other properties on the street sold at this time. And especially not for a 4 bed detached house 50 minutes direct line to London bridge....

@Ontheflipside£90k may not have been the purchase price. It might have been a remortgage, sometimes they show up like that.

Oh!! Lol thank you

Absolutely not. We have a hoarder in our road, and the immediate neighbours have all sorts of trouble with rats coming into their gardens. And the house is an eyesore, very tatty and run down in a lovely road.

Our adjoining next door neighbours (semi-detatched houses) have an absolute tip of a garden that has got worse the longer they have lived there (about 20 years now). Old doors, bricks, rubble, a lamp-post, broken down car, bits of old machinery, etc, all overgrown with brambles. However they are the loveliest, kindest people you could hope to have as neighbours which, to me, has been more important. I suppose what I am trying to say is that it depends what the neighbours are like and what your priorities are (no judgement intended).

As neighbours they will probably be ideal inasmuch as they won’t be out in their garden making lots of noise etc & are probably very avoidant & keep themselves to themselves.
But if it’s already full to the brim now where else will all their stuff go - the front garden/drive or in potentially dangerous piles in their garden?
The Leylandi sounds like a convenient shield but if it’s on their property you may have difficulty getting them to maintain it or cut it back & if causing deprivation of light in your garden will be miserable. Neighbour disputes even ones that don’t get nasty are never ideal nor for when it comes to selling.
The price must reflect all of this - is it the only house you’ve seen that ticks all your boxes & is affordable? If so sadly that’s the reason why.
Rats, smell, fire, flood - not great issues to be worrying about. Plus the maintenance or lack of over the next 10 yrs of their property will make yours harder to sell.

As PP, rats, smell, fire and flood. The chance that the hoard is only going to grow and become more of a hazard is too high. I would walk away.