From noisy bonkers to DIY disasters – Phil Spencer’s seven signs to avoid the neighbours from hell BEFORE you move in
HE was the neighbour from hell dubbed a “human wrecking ball” after tearing a hole in the roof of his OAP neighbour’s home, causing an astonishing £200,000 worth of damage.
So when Mark Coates was jailed for four years recently after a bitter seven-year war – which all began over a boundary fence – his next-door neighbours must have breathed a sigh of relief.
This was a particularly drastic case, but neighbour disputes are far from rare, and moving into your dream home only to discover next door is a nightmare is a scenario we all dread.
A staggering two-thirds of Brits have admitted to having a fall-out with their neighbour, with problems ranging from parking and bin wars to boundary issues, giant trees, noise and even problem poultry.
Unfortunately, problem neighbours aren’t always obvious to begin with, so they can be hard to avoid – but there are some instant red flags that can help you avoid making a huge mistake when you next move.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, TV property expert and founder of the property advice website Move iQ, Phil Spencer, says: “Nothing will spoil your enjoyment of your new home quicker than a nuisance neighbour.
“Bad relations between neighbours often start over little things that then spiral. But you can spare yourself a lot of heartache by being alert to annoyances that can turn into flashpoints.
“Before committing to buying a property or signing a lease, make sure to visit the property at several different times of day.
“This should help you spot things that will be bound to annoy you – like a neighbour who likes to play drums every night at bedtime.
“Don’t be shy about knocking on a couple of neighbours’ doors to ask them what they think of the area, too.
“If you’re polite and friendly, they should give you an honest picture of the neighbourhood and if they’re rude or unfriendly, that can be a warning sign in itself.”
Here, Phil and property expert Joseph Lane at Mortgage Lane share exactly what to look for BEFORE you move in to avoid future trouble…
‘Louder than lawnmower’ sex sessions
A common bone of contention with neighbours is noise.
One in five people have made a noise complaint, with the most common reasons being loud talking, late-night parties and noisy pets, according to Confused.com.
And couples making love have sparked neighbour wars too.
For example, disgruntled neighbours of Lydia Barker and Billy Brown claimed their sex sessions were “louder than a lawnmower“.
Their noisy bonking saw them slapped with an official letter from their landlord in 2022, stating neighbours find it “embarrassing and distressing” and telling them to reduce the noise.
At the time Lydia admitted that they were at it “morning, noon and night” but insisted it was a few moans and groans adding: “It’s not as if I’m a screamer.”
Phil says: “Noise complaints are the most common reason for neighbours falling out.
“A one-off party can be forgiven, but loud music late at night, every night is unacceptable.
“Remember that noise pollution can come from unexpected sources – for example, a loud water feature that stays on all night.
“Make sure you visit the area in the evening and at weekends when the neighbours are likely to be in.”
‘Obsessive’ bin battles
It sounds trivial, but overflowing bins can be a huge issue, and as Phil says: “Piles of rubbish look unsightly and can attract vermin, so this is definitely one to be alert to if you see it next door.”
Some 5.8million people are estimated in a report by insurance firm Churchill to have engaged in bin wars with their neighbours, with one in 20 rows leading to physical fights.
Gemma Smith’s trash clash with her neighbour Sophie Wood, 34, for example, led to a two-year obsession with rubbish and both spying on each other.
We’d yell at each other in the street – I can honestly say I grew to hate her all because of rubbish.
Gemma Smith
While Gemma, 31, and Sophie never came to physical blows, they admit to screaming abuse and insults at each other outside their Hastings homes in their years-long battle.
They’d accuse each other of putting rubbish in each other’s bins and even film each other to gather evidence.
Gemma admits: “I became obsessed. I spent hours staring out of my window, to see if I could catch her.
“We’d yell at each other in the street – I can honestly say I grew to hate her all because of rubbish.”
A growing nightmare
There are 4.7million annual disputes between neighbours over high hedges and trees, according to research from Churchill Home Insurance.
Almost 600,000 households have issues with the light to their property being blocked by their neighbour’s plants.
Phil says: “Watch for trees with branches that overhang your property.
“You’re legally allowed to cut back branches that extend over your garden, but only as far as your own fence.
“If you see a tree on the adjoining property with branches encroaching deep into your garden, you should ask yourself why it has been allowed to get like that – it could be a source of tension.”
Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 67, have been locked in a bitter six-year battle with their neighbours David Hunter, 62, and wife Niena, over a monster tree the size of two double-decker buses.
The 30-foot cypress blots out the sun for grandad Keith as it looms over their home in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Police have been called out to the row between the ex-pals as it spiralled into allegations of abuse and fisticuffs, and the issue first started when the Hunters moved in 25 years ago.
‘Keep out!’ – a paranoid fortress
A lot of people have a ‘Ring’ video doorbell – and we all want to feel safe in our own home of course – but some take it to the extreme.
Joseph says: “Excessive CCTV cameras, reinforced gates, and ‘KEEP OUT’ signs everywhere?
“Either your neighbour has trust issues, or there’s a reason they need all that security…”
Phil adds: “If next door’s security light shines directly into your property, it can disturb your sleep and could be deemed a ‘statutory nuisance’.
“Councils will intervene in bad cases, but do you really want to go through a formal dispute with your new neighbour?”
Driven to despair
Meanwhile, an AA survey found that 33 per cent of disputes between neighbours revolve around cars.
On the surface, it can be hard to tell if parking will be an issue, but according to Phil, there’s one obvious indicator.
Phil says: “Rows over parking can sour relations between neighbours.
“If you see a neighbour putting their own cones onto the street to ‘reserve’ a parking space, it’s a sure sign of tension.”
Parking wars can really escalate.
In January this year Ivan Soares, 55, was branded a ‘bully’ and landed with a £60,000 bill after he was found ‘selfishly’ parking and boxing in his neighbours, the Kothari family.
It was the latest chapter in a 10-year battle between the families over the parking spaces on their shared drive outside their two homes in a west London cul-de-sac.
In 2023 the judge heard accountant Soares would park ‘inches’ from Manish Kothari’s family car and would regularly block them in.
Judge Jane Evans-Gordon labelled Ivan’s parking ‘high-handed, insulting and oppressive’.
Garden drama
If looking at a property, make sure you check out the state of next door’s yard too – as it’s a potential goldmine of clues indicating how your potential new home’s ‘other half’ live.
Joseph says: “A few garden gnomes? Fine. But an army of them staring at your house? Creepy.
“Same goes for mannequins in the window, taxidermy on the porch, or homemade ‘art’ made of scrap metal and doll heads.
“If their front garden permanently resembles a flea market, complete with sun-bleached furniture and half-used paint cans, expect hoarding tendencies and frequent clutter.”
Phil adds: “Look out for piles of building materials too in the front garden as a potential red flag.”
How to complain about a neighbour to the council
If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council.
Before approaching your council you should always try to compromise with your neighbours.
Consider neighbour mediation before instructing lawyers to try and resolve disputes.
If their behaviour crosses into verbal abuse and intimidation that can be classed as antisocial behaviour.
You can ask the police to get involved when your neighbours are rowdy or inconsiderate, damage your property or dump rubbish.
In this case injunctions can be imposed, fines can be handed out, or courts could make Criminal Behaviour Orders (formerly known as ASBOs).
For extreme cases the nuisance neighbours can be evicted or rehoused.
You need to keep a log of all the incidents so you can accurately report the issue.
In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999.
Ruffling feathers – quite literally
And it’s not just humans who can cause havoc, either.
Joseph says: “If you hear a dog barking or even an exotic animal noise that doesn’t belong in the suburbs – such as peacocks or roosters – be prepared for early morning wake-ups.”
Spare a thought for Derek Bower’s neighbours in Tupton, Derbyshire, for example.
His noisy cockerel left neighbours in a ‘living hell’ with his early morning crowing.
But even that pales in comparison to Kathy Waite’s nightmare, after her garden was poo-bombed by hundreds of pigeons when her neighbour installed a bird feeder in his garden.
At the time the 60-year-old cleaner from Skegness, Lincolnshire, said: “You can always hear them outside and when they’re approaching it’s terrifying because they get louder and louder, like war bombers.
“I feel under attack every day when they swoop in. I’ve been s*** on a couple of times.”
That’s enough to ruffle anyone’s feathers.