It’s always been the case but failing to alert your buyers to any problems you’ve reported via official channels could end up costing you money.
A recent case means that you could have to pay compensation for not alerting potential buyers of problems with neighbours.
This article on the guardian website tells the case of Tony Pemberton of Foxwood in York who has recently won undisclosed damages because the previous owners of his £70,000 home did not tell him about noise from a neighbour’s house. The noise would go on until 5.30am
Whilst most people wouldn’t consider viewing a house at that time in the morning, what warning signs are there that the property has bad neighbours? There might not be visible signs – noise is noisy though so listen when you visit!
– firstly they tell you themselves – the honest approach.
– Your solicitor writes and asks them if there are any neighbour disputes.
– visit at different times.
– check how often the house has sold.
– check if they bought recently and are moving away
– speak to the neighbours both sides. You can find out useful information this way.
– drive past at night.
– walk past at night. You want to know what the area is like in the evenings.
So will this mean more people don’t report problems with their neighbours and more problems go unsolved. If no one reports nuisance neighbours it doesn’t mean they’re not a nuisance though. You have to make sure the property you are buying is the right one for you!
Neighbours doesn’t have to mean directly next door either. It’s not a new problem either. McMeekin V Long reported in 2003 had damages at £60k on a £120k house