Visiting the neighbours

SuzieSue

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

I've never done it. If every viewer or interested person did it would get pretty annoying for the neighbours and they aren't the ones who signed up for disruption.

You would only do if you were serious otherwise you would be wasting your time as well as theirs so on the second viewing.

Red-Squirrel_2

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

Sounds a bit reckless - I wonder how many other people she's given the code to :eek:

Yeah, I'd let the vendors know their neighbour is giving the code out to strangers so that they can change it.

NeilCr

I viewed a house last week

We were standing outside waiting for the agent. The next door neighbour was on the porch having a cigarette with what I assume were her two daughters

My other half asked them what it was like around the area and they said that it was a quiet nice road. Then one of the girls said that the owner of the property I was looking at was "moany". The mum said he wasn't - he was just sensitive.

It did give me pause for thought, though.. In the end I most likely won't offer on the property so it isn't something I have to consider. But, it did make me wonder whether or not if there may be a neighbour issue - of course, the mother may well be right and the owner is hyper sensitive

And, many years ago, I was helping a friend with a house search. He was very keen on a particular road so we viewed 3-4 properties in that road on the same day. This, inevitably, meant we were waiting for agents so hanging around

After about 5 minutes a couple of members of the local neighbourhood watch came out and asked us what we're doing. This hugely impressed my friend and cemented his decision to buy there!

LEJC

I'm amazed at how many people have said they would go and chat to the neighbours.

I'm quite a friendly person,but admit I have never spoken to anyone until either they or we have moved in!

We have been in our current house for quite a few years and its one of the things I have noticed over the years that interaction between those living around us has become less and less...
10 years ago I knew all my immediate neighbours by name and would stop for a chat if we saw eachother....fast forward to now and I probably only know a few of them...some not even by name and a couple that perhaps we have never even exchanged a greeting with.

I took a parcel in for a near neighbour a few weeks back...lived there 2 years or more and when they finally knocked on our door to retrieve it they didn't even say thank you.

Dont know if its a sign of the times or just that people keep themselves to themselves...I'd love the community spirit that some of you seem to describe with the people that live around you!

SuzieSue

LEJC wrote: »

I took a parcel in for a near neighbour a few weeks back...lived there 2 years or more and when they finally knocked on our door to retrieve it they didn't even say thank you.

That's sad. I live on a mainly private estate built around 20 years ago in a town in Herts and we all talk to each other.

Whereabouts do you live?

hazyjo

SuzieSue wrote: »

That's sad. I live on a mainly private estate built around 20 years ago in a town in Herts and we all talk to each other.

Whereabouts do you live?

Lots of our neighbours talk too (North East London) - we had several in on Christmas Eve for food/drinks.

I don't think it's necessarily a sign of the times, it often depends on the layout of the road IMO. We're at the bottom of a small crescent which prob makes it friendlier.

Actually, my BF (and the couple opposite) called an ambulance for next door today as she had a fall outside her house.

"Everybody needs good neighbours", as they say!

I usually knock or keep a close eye out for them once I've moved in so I can introduce myself and say hello.

SuzieSue

hazyjo wrote: »

I don't think it's necessarily a sign of the times, it often depends on the layout of the road IMO. We're at the bottom of a small crescent which prob makes it friendlier.

That is a very good point and I think that it makes all the difference. It is much easier to start a conversation if there isn't a large hedge in the way or when the houses face each other. I am in the middle of 3 houses which are at right angles to the main road and so it means that the 3 of us forced to talk to each other. we also put each others bins away as it would be odd not to.

Actually, one of my neighbours is quite shy and probably wouldn't talk unless he had to which he does because of the layout of our houses.

Red-Squirrel_2

hazyjo wrote: »

Actually, my BF (and the couple opposite) called an ambulance for next door today as she had a fall outside her house.

Not sure that this is a sign of neighbourliness, more a sign of not being a complete psychopath who would see somebody fall and injure themselves and just ignore it!

Davesnave

hazyjo wrote: »

I don't think it's necessarily a sign of the times, it often depends on the layout of the road IMO. We're at the bottom of a small crescent which prob makes it friendlier.

The layouts of the cul de sac we lived in for about 20 years and the one we rented in for a while afterwards were similar, and they were only 5 minutes distant, if one walked briskly.

In other respects they were poles apart.

We were shocked to find that few people around the rented house knew more than a couple of neighbours, while those at the other end were a complete mystery. It was not at all like the road we'd come from, where we used to have parties and raise money for charity etc. That was such a friendly place; even the students used to leaflet and apologise before they had their end of term bash!

NeilCr

For me, there is a balance to be had. I'm happy to be friendly and pass the time of the day but I just don't want to be big friends with my neighbours.

I live by myself on a private estate which is a bit of a warren. I am a director of the estate and friendly with anyone I talk to. But I value my privacy and my peace and quiet so sometimes I like "to be alone"

In addition we've got a lovely guy on the estate who will do anything for anyone. The counter to that is he knows everyone's business. He'll tell you that the lady at number 18 has cancer the people at 23 have spilt up etc etc and I really don't want anybody knowing that level of information about me

I'm a nice neighbour - the house next to me is let. I always knock when there is a new tenant, introduce myself and let then know that they can knock if they need anything. But I will still keep them at arms lengths

Maybe I'm getting curmudgeonly in my old age!