Neighbours from hell force 360,000 to move

We’ve all seen the TV shows of nightmare neighbours and just how disruptive they can be. Whether they’re over growing trees too tall, playing music too loud, or making a mess, neighbourly disputes can be bitter and long lasting.

But now Halifax Home Insurance has revealed the full extent of the problem. Results from a recent survey suggest as many as 360,000 people have had to move home over the last year alone as a direct result of bad neighbours.

2,000 people were polled for the survey, which revealed that 1 in 10 of all moves were due to neighbourly problems. It also revealed the most common factors that resulted in the moves, showing that aggressive behaviour, excessive noise levels, the state of a property or garden next door, neighbours who had allowed their properties to fall into a state of disrepair and theft were all common complaints that led to moves.

All of this paints a pretty grim picture of the situation with nightmare neighbours across the country. What’s more, bad neighbours don’t just make life unbearable, they can also affect the value of the property. Halifax suggests that as much as £30,000 can be knocked off the property value when it comes to selling due to bad neighbours.

The research also revealed that four in every five people who are selling their home as a result of bad neighbours do not make this clear to the buyer – a practice that could lead to the buyer claiming damages in the future.