Visiting the neighbours

Bonniepurple

When we viewed our current house the estate agent was blocking next door in. She came out to ask for the car to be moved and started chatting to DH - they were in the same class at school! She reassured us about the area, and was pleased that we were hoping to buy.

Our old house, DH knocked on the door and asked them. Since then, we've both moved, but are still in touch.

Do it!

London_Town

Yes, I'm another great believer in speaking to next door, if you're keen to put an offer in after a viewing. There is always a way to start a conversation and as a number of posters have suggested, you can keep an eye out for a neighbour whose gardening or pottering around.

I'd like someone to approach me if they were thinking about buying next door. By making a polite approach, you're making it clear that you care about whose living next door to you. This suggests you're more likely to be a good and considerate neighbour in return.

I can't imagine putting an offer in on a property unless I'd met the neighbours.

ThePants999

On our previous house, we knocked on next door (the other half of a semi), and they invited us in, showed us round their house (identical-but-mirrored layout, of course, but better finish) and then sold us their house for £10K less than the one we were about to buy. That was a most unexpected win. 'Course, the downside is then we ended up with no idea who our neighbours would be, since it would be "whoever bought that house instead", but they turned out to be nice too :-)

Current house, sadly, we didn't meet the neighbours beforehand... and well over a year after moving in, still haven't met them. D'oh. One day, perhaps, though it'll be incredibly awkward...

tori.k

You find quite often the neighbours will either find a reason to come outside or be curtain twiching which in that case just wave your hand in greeting and they often come out anyway, they will be just as curious to meet you as your potential neighbours as you wanting to find out about the house. It doesn't hurt to be seen as a friendly bunch especially if the neighbours have a good relationship. There can be a lot of emotions involved in selling/buying homes.

Slinky

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

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

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

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

It seems like half the neighbourhood have it anyway. The house is unoccupied (probate) and has had cleaners and gardeners going in it for the past 18 months.

We'll be changing the locks pretty pronto when we finally get our hands on the keys.

A friend of mine has never met her neighbours, despite knocking several times to try and give a welcoming gift to them. She thinks they are hiding from her as they probably didn't realise when renting that property that my friend is their landlord.

I accosted somebody in our street who was coming out of a house after a viewing and told them how nice it is to live here. They went on to buy.

We've been in our street for 22 years and I reckon I know people from 22 of the 31 other houses. Some just to say hello to obviously, others pretty well. There's very little turnover of houses here. Our immediate neighbours and the 3 opposite have all been here longer than us.

bellaboo86

I Know a few of my neighbours, however with the busy lives we lead it can be very difficult to meet/get to know people. There are a few neighbours whose names I only know because they have signed for my amazon parcels.
Next door is up for sale and when buyers came to look at it, I pointed out a few faults with the outside of the property that are only noticeable from my garden. I'm sure the estate agent was thrilled!

hazyjo

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

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!

You don't live in London do you :rotfl:


Look at some videos of people being attacked in the street or who have collapsed. See how many people walk past them and either ignore or look the other way.


My neighbour was taken ill on a train once and sick when he got off and most people totally ignored him at the station apart from one kind lady. People just assume you're drunk or are the actual psychopath yourself!


Our senior partner at work quite literally stepped over one of our post room blokes when he got an electric shock changing a lightbulb and fell off a ladder.


Don't underestimate people lol.

Red-Squirrel_2

hazyjo wrote: »

You don't live in London do you :rotfl:

No I don't, and if "I even bothered to call the ambulance when my neighbour fell and hurt herself!" is something bragworthy down there then I'm very glad I don't! :eek:

POPPYOSCAR

LEJC wrote: »

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!

Yes so am I.

I would not base my buying a house on speaking to the neighbours.

Red-Squirrel_2

Slinky wrote: »

It seems like half the neighbourhood have it anyway. The house is unoccupied (probate) and has had cleaners and gardeners going in it for the past 18 months.

Not as bad if its empty rather than a vulnerable person living there, but I'd still give them a heads up. There's still some time before you move in, and obviously I hope not but the sale could fall through, so they do need to be informed that their house is not secure.