Is it normal for someone viewing a property to ask what the neighbours occupation is?

[HeadFairy]

Someone came to see our flat at the weekend... he like the place and had a few questions, I was happy to answer most of them, things like how much is the service charge etc etc, but he asked who owned the downstairs flat, how long they owned it, how many people lived there and what their occupations were. Seems a little odd to me. I have passed on the information but is it normal for people to ask these sorts of questions?

No not normal, maybe he has lived somewhere where people worked nights etc and he had some trouble?
Or perhaps he is a snob?

Having once lived in a flat where people in the surrounding flats worked strange hours and there were lots of people living in one small flat, I would definitely ask if I were to move back into a flat.

Obviously people move and you can't control who will move into the other flats once you have bought but you can at least have some idea of what the situation is beforehand to help you make a decision.

I guess so, although I'm a shift worker and I can tell you, when I come in from a shift I crawl in and fall in to bed. Maybe those nurses aren't working hard enough (joke!)

Hmmmm it did seem a bit odd to me... what if I didn't know? Would he not buy the flat incase there was a taxidermist living downstairs?

I'm a little worried because she's actually a classical musician (cellist) and she does practice during the day, but I manage to sleep through it when I'm on nights so it can't be that loud (in fact she's playing now and I can barely hear her, I can hear the cars in the road more loudly) Would living above a classical musician put you off?

I would too, having lived next door to noisy neighbours.

Would looked at a gorgeous house a few years ago but were put off by the amount of outdoor toys in the neighbouring garden - massive pool, wooden fort structure thing, trampoline all sited very very close to the boundary fence and more or less under the dcs'windows we were escaping nosiy neighbours and didn't want more.

I agree. I always ask now after having once bought a flat above a DJ who liked to practice at home.

Hmmm that's annoying. I can't tempt anyone to some lovely classical music??? Damn I hope it doesn't put anyone off.

It would put me off.

we always ask about neighbours, having lived next to noisy, inconsiderate people before.

It wouldn't put me off (I'd quite like it I think) but (and I'm sorry to say) my DH would be very anti.

One way of getting around having to answer these sorts of questions is to make the agents do the viewings. If the question is asked of them they will simply say that are not aware of anything or that they don't know.

NB Of course if there is anything serious you ought to disclose it on the questions of the seller form that the purchaser's solicitor will send you once you have an accepted offer.

Unfortunately it could be a deterrent for some (it pretty much much discounts anyone who doesn't like classical music I would think).

Also, what's nice and relaxing while you're having a nice cup of tea in the afternoon, isn't quite so pleasant while you're trying to get your baby to nap, or when the entire whole orchestra comes round to practise. Or (god forbid), if she starts giving lessons (eeeek).

the agent is doing all the viewings so we've avoided it so far. I am aware I have to disclose these things so I've been honest with them. To be honest, the size of the flat, we're not really getting families looking. It's mostly young people/flat sharers etc so they would mostly be out of the house during the day. My downstairs neighbours flat is too small so she most definitely couldn't invite the whole orchestra round!

Does anyone know what my rights are with regards selling the flat if everyone's put off by the noise from downstairs? It really isn't loud, but if it's putting people off I'm really going to suffer.

When moving into our student house we asked about occupation and children. We are quiet students

There is nothing worse when trying to revise on a gorgeous day and hearing the kids next door happily playing and making you wish you were outside too.

We live next to some nice quiet old people.

My next door neighbour is also a musician and I have classical and opera most days/nights - I quite like it, better than House Music or whatever young people listen to these days [old fogey emoticon!].

We are moving soon and having lived in a flat below a heavy-footed singleton who comes and goes at all hours (not the musician), I will most definitely be asking the vendors many,many questions about the neighbours! If I loved a particular house but the neighbours had huge dogs/noisy teenagers/left for work at 5am it would put me off to be honest. While you can alter things within a new property, the one thing you can't control is the neighbours and it's such a huge investment so it's best to ask before you commit.

Think it's perfectly normal to ask about the neighbours. Have been asked and asked myself.

Seems you have someone genuinely interested, a a good thing?!

normal, and sensible, to ask about neighbours - esp in flats where noise at unsociable hours can be a factor. Also maybe wanting to check that there aren't any students living there as they might have parties and he might want to check that the flat isn't let out to other people, thereby meaning he can't guarantee who his neighbours are going to be from one month to another.
Hope he comes back with an offer for you!

Crikey, I hadn't even thought of asking, oh well, when we get round to doing some viewings we'd better make sure we ask!

It is good we've got some interest wowooo, but I've been here before. I'll save my excitement for a bit.

We've got one bloke bringing his mother to have a look at the flat tomorrow morning at 8.30am (eek!) so I'd better get cleaning

I think legally you only have to declare disputes, I think you could be vague about them, maybe clarifying it with an "I think..."

I hope so anyway, there is no way I am telling people what my neighbours do for a living unless it promotes the property (policeman next door, fireman with great body across the road, often seen with very little clothing - and all that is true) as opposed to man who constantly brings home sporty noisy twin exhaust engined cars into quiet cul-de-sac