Purchased our first house, how do I deal with new neighbour? We viewed his house too!

ladymagpie

We purchased our first house and we are completing next week on Friday when the funds are released. Contracts signed.

Our house is a repossession and is a semi detached, the house its attached to is also up for sale so we viewed both. Due to one being a repossession however, the price difference was £10k. Same number of bedrooms, same room dimensions. The only difference is that the more expensive one has a newer bathroom.

We did really like the owner and the more expensive house, he told us he was selling to be nearer to family now his kids have grown up and left home.

My plan was always to introduce ourselves to neighbours when we get the keys, apologise in advance for any noise we may make while moving furniture and decorating and give them a small gift such as a box of chocolates/biscuits as an apology in advance. However I'm really not sure how were going to tackle this as he will certainly recognise us. When viewing the house next door we saw him looking out of his window as we walked around outside, I genuinely feel a little guilty and I'm not sure what to say to him.

mummyroysof3

Just be honest and say it was an affordability issue and you liked his house but couldn't afford it..,..tell him its lovely though

notanewuser

Need you say anything?

We moved into this house the same day as the neighbours next door moved into theirs. Turns out they wanted our house and offered on it the same day we did. They got the house next door for slightly less but had to do a lot of work to make it like ours internally, and some permanent features they can't do anything about.

8 years on we're great friends and there have never been any hard feelings.

Moving house is stressful enough. You made the right decision for you. His house will sell in due course. It wasn't your responsibility to buy his house over any other!

McKneff

You don't need to say a thing to be honest.

Apart from Hello there, nice to see you again.

He is probably feeling exactly the same as you are lol

Enjoy your new home.....

I_have_spoken

Tell the neighbour to post the RM link here and we'll let him know why his house isn't selling

ladymagpie

Thanks, I guess the best thing to do would to be honest and say it was an affordability issue, but seeing how much we liked his house were sure it will sell soon. That is if we put in a situation where we have to comment.

What about knocking on his door, saying hello and giving him a tin of biscuits as an apology for any noise in advance? My colleagues thought it may be seen as a bribe, but I intend to try and say something like "hello, nice to see you again how are you, We're moving furniture in and redecorating over the next few weeks so were going to be making a bit of noise, this is an apology in advance for any disturbance we may cause however please come and tell us if we do disturb you."

ceegee

I would not take a gift.......that's over the top.

I moved last year and was facing 6 months of major, noisy work. I went around to the neighbours to say "Hello" and explain that it would get noisy with all the work and I was really sorry, but the place really was run-down. They were fine about it, they knew it was run-down and we all have to make noise at some time or another. Both neighbours have since made plenty of their own, but that's how it is if you want to maintain a decent home.

Re being anxious about having viewed the neighbour's house, don't fret too much about it or it may grow into a seemingly unsurmountable task in your own mind. I can imagine how awkward it is, I would feel exactly the same!:o

Grab the bull by the horns and go around and see him. Tell him that it was the affordability that made you have to go for the neighbouring house; this is the truth, after all. He may even be flattered that his house is so nice that it was out of your price bracket!

Good luck with whatever approach you take!

Bella73

We didn't take a gift there is no need. We just popped round and said hello etc.

room512

I think taking a gift is nice!

Funky_Bold_Ribena

We did exactly the same, viewed next door then saw this house was for sale, viewed that the next week, and in 12 weeks moved in.

Why on earth you would buy a gift and apologise is beyond me. But it takes all sorts.

We just said 'hi' when we saw them and that was that.

ACG

Just knock on, say hello - he will understand. £10k is £10k at the end of the day... even if he doesnt understand, he will be gone soon enough.

Why are you buying your new neighbours gifts for noise? Your moving in, not building a new wing. It will take a couple of days at most and there wont be any real noise, just a bit of to me to you when lifting heavy items.

I bought my house and ripped out pretty much everything i spent months doing it up. I did the noisy work in the day and the quiet work at night. Nobody complained - in fact my neighbours with kids were noisier than i was.