Neighbours property an eyesore

Fair74

I own my house its and old semi detatched house. My neighbours ajoing property is an eyesore. It is the outside of the front of his house it needs reder work (lots of dips), it needs painting and they have no curtains up. I have had people ask me if there are squaters next door its that bad.
The previous owners of my property were relatives of mine and they discussed with the neighbour about work being done on the property as at the time work was being done on mine and they suggested perhaps to split the cost of works needed for his as he said he couldnt afford it but he refused. I have spoken to him about it politley but however we are still no closer to him doing any work. I would in about a year like to sell my property but if he devalues my property because of the state of his what can i do?

Thrugelmir

Offer to pay for the work to be done on the front exterior for them.

PasturesNew

If he can't afford it, he can't afford it ... and if he had the money, maybe there are bigger things to be fixed inside that are more important/urgent.

Not everybody has disposable wealth... he might've been "left the house" and has a very low income. Maybe his boiler's on the blink and he's saving for that (expecting that to take 2-3 years of all his disposable income) .... and there's a bit of a leak when it rains ... and 3 windows that don't open ... and even if you gave him curtains, the plaster needs to be redone so that a curtain pole could be fitted for them ... and he's got no skills, tools, to do the plastering or hang a pole himself.

Fair74

we have offered to help with the costs but he refused

Mojisola

Fair74 wrote: »

we have offered to help with the costs but he refused

If he can't afford his share, he will refuse.

What if you offered to pay for it all? Could be worth it if it means the difference between your house selling and not.

Fair74

i equally cant afford all of the costs to get it fixed as we are having work done inside our property. The thing is he says that he cant afford it however they have permission for an extension and have been more concerned with putting that in and potterring about on the back of the property rather than doing anything else and there is another lady who lives in the street she has equally complained as people are put off and she is finding it hard to sell her property.

Jackmydad

Not everyone's priorities are the same. Annoying though it may be, there's not much that you can do apart from what's been said already.
FWIW, personally I'd rather have a neighbour with a scruffy house next door, than one who had a dog always barking, played loud music all day and night, or indulged in his hobby of decorative power riveting on boiler plate at all hours.

As for the neighbours saying things like
"Are there squatters next door to you?"
or
"Your neighbour is lowering the value of my property"

I'd reply, "Better ask 'em" and "Better tell 'em then" (And I have done similar)

They're trying to make their problems your's. Don't get pulled into it.

vivatifosi

Curtains are a funny thing aren't they? Are the people who complain that a house doesn't have curtains the same people who complain that their neighbours have curtains that they never open? Curtain etiquette is clearly complicated.

Don't get involved in the conflict between your neighbour and others OP. The last thing you will need is to have to declare a dispute when it is your turn to move. But if you want to, keep channels open and subtly try to find out what the issues are.

zagubov

You'll get nowhere unless you pay for all of the cost of the work next door. It's entirely for your benefit.

boliston

I can't see why someone would worry about whether or not someone had curtains! I have never owned a set of curtains as I hate the things and have always had blinds so my home would look like it had no curtains if the blinds were up.