Would this put you off?

[BellevueRDV]

We are currently house-hunting although not much is coming up and the market is pretty flat where we are. There is a house which has just come on which we viewed and ticks a lot of our boxes despite needing masses of work.

However there is something putting us off which I would be grateful for advice on.

On the exterior wall of the neighbouring property— which forms part of the side return of the house we're viewing and is the non attached side - someone has spray-painted a picture on the wall. Although the “art” is technically on the exterior wall of the neighbour’s house, it could only have been painted by accessing that area from within the side return of this property, as there's no separating wall or boundary. It could only have been painted by the occupants of the house we’re interested in as there’s no benefit to the neighbour’s house. They’d never see it or know it was there unless they physically were in the garden of the house we’ve viewed.

Would this put you off or does anyone have any advice? The house itself needs a fair bit of work but I’m worried that it’s actually this wall art which might end up being a more expensive / tricky problem to solve that would become our problem if we bought the house.

I don't see how it would be your problem if it's on the neighbouring house? Surely that is their problem?

I'd be more put off buy a house that needs a lot of work (unless you enjoy it and have the time to do it) than a piece of art on the neighbour's house. That might only put me off if it's something really disturbing or awful.

Is it good or crap?

Ask the estate agent to find out who did the artwork and how long it has been there.

And if the neighbour is aware of it and happy for it to be there. Better still, don’t take the EAs word for it, knock on the neighbours door and explain

I spray painted wall art on my neighbours wall that only I can see. Just to improve the look. It comes off with a pressure washer so easy to fix.

don’t let this put you off the house.

You can't paint, alter or strip someone else's property.

Whatever on their wall is non of your business even if that wall is in your garden etc...

Let’s just say it isn’t Banksy

This is what worries me, particularly as I’ve no idea whether the owner of that house even knows it’s there. Or if they are OK with it and then at some point it changes ownership and those neighbours have a problem with it.

I'd visit the neighbour, say you are looking at the property next door and ask what the neighbourhood is like, is the area good etc. After a short chat, I'd bring up the art work and gauge if they are even aware. You might find that they are keen to have it removed too. You'd at least get an idea of what they are like if nothing else. I also agree with asking the agent to find out more. Worse case, could you buy a thin screen or vines to obscure it?

Is the house you are looking at empty and has it been unoccupied for at least 2 yrs? If so, let me know because there is a little known government scheme to get derelict properties back into use. We've bought 3yrs ago and the house had been empty 7yrs. We've saved several thousands using the empty homes. scheme.

I second knocking on the neighbour’s door asking about it. They may be unaware though so it might open a can of worms. How old does it look? How large? Is it a case of painting over it, or sandblasting it off? If the neighbour of the house is ok with you removing it and it’s not too expensive then problem solved. Agree you shouldn’t paint a neighbour’s actual house even if it forms a boundary with your property or land though, however they may have obtained permission.