Lazy neighbours could be devaluing your home by up to £56k, warns expert – check 5 messy items that could put off buyers

AN expert has warned that lazy neighbours could be the reason your house loses up to £56k in value on the market.

The expert has listed at least five items that could be putting off potential buyers.

2

2

Your neighbour's house appearance might matter as much as your own, according to insurer Churchill.

Even if your garden is maintained well and the property has no faults, your neighbours' actions could affect the overall image of your house.

Messy gardens and fronts of houses could be driving away prospective future owners.

Some 82 per cent of estate agents mentioned how important it is to talk to neighbours about making improvements to their properties before listing yours for sale, according to a poll.

read more on property

MUDDY HELL

We're living in fear of huge landslip after hill behind our homes was bulldozed

HOUSE ABOUT THAT

I saw advert for £85k house online & bought it WITHOUT viewing first

A dirty neighbour can deduct £31,000 from a seller's home's worth on average, it found.

Sarah Khan, head of home insurance at Churchill, said: “First impressions count when it comes to selling homes, with the sale price often negatively impacted when the neighbouring property looks scruffy.”

One unexpected item that could be unsightly for buyers is garden gnomes.

Surprisingly, your neighbours' decision to have the garden decorations on display could impact the value of your house.

Most read in Money

DINNER WINNER

Fast food giant with over 3,000 US locations to return to UK this month

TIGHT MOVE

Inside UK's 'skinniest home' measuring just 3 FEET wide - but it's hiding secret

CHOC LOT

Nestle launches new KitKat flavour never seen in the UK before

MAIL FAIL 

Royal Mail issues delivery delay warning due to 'high levels of sickness'

Another deal breaker is overflowing gutters and build-up of waste which could alarm the buyers.

Asbestos shed roofs and broken trampolines covered in weed aren't only unsightly but could also indicate to the future owners that the neighbour is a hoarder or a recluse.

Or, if there's a broken down vehicle in the drive, perhaps they would be making noise working on it early in the morning.

Jonathan Rolande, of the National Association of Property Buyers, said: "A mess outside a house just looks horrible, it’s not nice. But it also raises concern to the buyer that the neighbour could be trouble."

If you don't want to get into a row with your neighbour, the experts recommend explaining to them how they could benefit from a good market price.

MAKE FRIENDS

When the time comes for them to sell up, they will be able to get the best value out of their property based on your previous sale price.

Mr Rolande says “trying to be friendly to explain the situation would be the best way to approach it”. 

Some might still feel nervous to approach their neighbour to ask them to tidy-up their property.

In such cases, you might want to offer to pay for the skip and garbage collection.

It would cost you couple of hundreds now but will save thousands in the long run.

Mr Rolande warned sellers to avoid getting solicitors involved in resolving the matter.

This would end up disclosed on the property information form and could appear as a conflict which would scare off the buyers.

He added: “By raising the issue of a dispute you’re sort of piling a problem on top of a problem.”

READ MORE SUN STORIES

SHOCK EXIT

Love Island dumping revealed as Maya Jama kicks one contestant out of All Stars

SHUTTING SHOP

Popular shopping centre to shut for good in HOURS after 33 years

This comes as an electrician fears he'll never be able to sell his home after his neighbour dug a 10ft hole in his garden next door.

Etizaz Raja claims Abul Azad's "eyesore" renovation work has collapsed the garden fence, leaked sewage and is a haven for rats.