How much have your neighbours cost you?

£80,000! Plus a bit more.

Victorian semi. All the boundaries were owned by the neighbours. The fence blew down on the left. Neighbour would not replace it. I have dogs, so I had to do it. Also, he would not remove his encroaching brambles and bindweed.

On the right, the owners (a large and well known charitable organisation), would not maintain their boundary of trees, even though it was written into the deeds that they were obliged to do this. I had to employ a tree surgeon.

The icing on the cake was that they had Japanese Knotweed, on their side of the back fence, which they had not addressed. Because of its presence within X metres of our property, we lost £80,000 on the sale.

IMMO, there is far too much scaremongering about the weed. Just eat it! Apparently, it tastes like spinach!

Neighbours in a rental, or their babysitter - probably/possibly, they say it was her - put wetwipes down the lav which blocked the drain.
No-one else sharing that drain has small children but we all had to share the cost of having it cleared.

I'm a bit of a forager. So I'd been looking round my homecity for Japanese Knotweed (amongst other stuff) and never found it - though I'd have had 40 fits if I'd found it anywhere remotely near my house and it was nice to know it was something that just didn't have to be taken into consideration at all when buying a house (as I'd never even heard of anyone local having problems with it).

Here - I could sit down and tell you where there are various patches I've noticed and some of them are walking distance away from my home!!!! I began to understand why because every time I spotted some I'd look out for the owner to tell them the "bad news" that they'd got a problem needing dealing with - and every time they knew already!!!!!! - and they weren't doing anything! I don't understand that - especially as neighbours can now "have a go" legally at any nearby culprit they have (and I certainly would.....). So it was/is beyond me why they just shrugged and put one of "those" expressions on their faces.

I was also shocked when I got told about the fact there had been a locals getting together and running an eradication programme on it - because it was in so many gardens in that area. The shock not being the joint approach - as I was thinking "That's good" when I heard that. Nope - the shock was when a "leading light" from that former programme was saying that "Someone bought one of those houses subsequently, dug in their garden and complained there was JK there!!!!" Errr....hello! But I thought the whole idea was they'd got rid of it all - and so why had they only done a "surface level" job...but not a thorough job and she seemed to think new house-owner was most unreasonable to complain they had some!!! Wow - just wow! Of course you're going to dig in your garden and expect to dig down however far you please and not encounter any particularly bad problems (I was surprised enough to encounter three separate anti-witch items - ie a witches bottle etc) when I dug down in mine and up they came and some odd huge stones/bricks that should have gone when the house was built in the 1970s.

So - to me it looks like a large part of the reason it's pretty frequent round here is a lacksadaisical approach to getting rid of it. I would expect to be sued if I'd let that happen to my garden and I couldnt keep a straight face if the claimant told me I was in the wrong - because I'd know I would be/they'd be perfectly correct and I'd be guilty as charged and wouldnt even hang around waiting for an incoming solicitors letter about it.

I'd like to try some - provided I didn't have the worry of having picked it from near my house - as I'd gathered it's similar taste to rhubarb and chances are I'd like it. But I leave it be when I spot it - in case someone has been responsible and poisoned it. I've never really been able to see why it doesn't get leapt on instantly when spotted - ie because it would be so easy when it had only just started and there was just an odd stalk or two to deal with. It would be gone in the blink of an eye the second it was spotted.

The "greenery" problem I've had here has been that there are sycamore trees nearby and so I keep an eye on my garden for seedlings from that and they are dead easy to just pull out when they are only a few inches tall - end of problem. Five minutes later and I'll have pulled up half a dozen would-be horsetail trees and they're gone. One time too I spotted another weed (tries to think of name - horsetail? maybe) and it was just a tiny little patch in between previous paving stones - a couple of inches wide and a couple of inches tall. Cue for down on my knees with manicure scissors and chopping it literally down to an nth of an inch as short as I could, pour boiling hot water over it a couple of times, put spare paving stones on top to block it from receiving any sun. Repeat again a few weeks later - and job done....end of problem.

I do believe re loss of house value from having it - as I wondered why people were talking about the nerve someone I used to know here had to pay someone else only the same price for their house as owner no. 1 had paid years back. Then I checked back what owner no. 1 had paid 8?-10? years previous for the house and owner no. 2 bought it off her for the exact same price all those years later. They'd both long known the JK was there - and it constantly puzzled me why owner no. 1 didnt get onto the farmer next door about it (as it was his fault - it had started in his field). Though I'm assuming it was a case of incomer "female" type female and local (male) farmer and she preferred a quiet life - so let him get away with it.!!!!

horsetail trees - sycamore trees.

I'm very sorry for those who have horrible neighbours It must be very stressful and must spoil your enjoyment of your own house.

Our neighbours have cost us a certain amount. There were Christmas presents for one lot when their children were small, plus recently some books for their grandchildren. On the other side, they have cost us for the presents we brought them home to say thank you for looking after our hens and keeping an eye on our house when we were on holiday - is that cancelled out by the times when we took in their post and looked after their fish when they were away? We know that we are very fortunate in our neighbours.

On the other hand, as for the people across the road who have a large dog which barks every time we go into our own garden...

one of our neighbours did all our joinery, new doors skirtings and banisters, another fixed the electrics, all at a very cheap price, really good neighbours, they're there if we need anything.

£0. We get on well

Zero. I don't particularly like my neighbours but I'm glad they're here.

£0. I have nothing to do with my neighbours bar a 'hello' from across the road. Even neighbours who seem ok can turn into the devil's spawn.

Grandmotherto8

£0. I have nothing to do with my neighbours bar a 'hello' from across the road. Even neighbours who seem ok can turn into the devil's spawn.

I can imagine a scenario, for instance, where the neighbours start by seeming okay - but then they decide they want an extension that will land up involving your house or windows put up in a loft that look down into your private back garden (not any longer - thanks to them - and cue for seeing if you can get planning permission refused (in order to keep your garden private).

Ours pales into insignificance compared to the OP.
But, our neighbour saw us painting our adjoining fence and insisted that we were legally required to paint her side too?
Not because any paint had ‘leaked over’ but because she said it’s our fence so we have to paint both sides!
She’s not very bright and over eighty so we meekly did as we were told.

We moved into our house 4 months ago. We have hundreds, if not thousands of neighbours. Unfortunately they are all dead as we live directly opposite the parish church, built in the 13th century.

We only really have one living neighbour - and she clearly doesn't want to know us. She has stonewalled us ever since we moved in. So thats that.

The question was 'How Much Has Your Neighbour Cost You' - Gransnet members were not asked 'How nice is your neighbour' Like CariadAgain my neighbours have cost me financially as well as precious time and also caused disruption, dispair and distress. It is a serious problem not taken with the gravitas deserved. Neither is it helpful when Gransnet members respond and share their 'Nice Neighbour Narratives', it negates the problem raised and, fails to recognize the author's dilemma.

therustyfairy

The question was 'How Much Has Your Neighbour Cost You' - Gransnet members were not asked 'How nice is your neighbour' Like CariadAgain my neighbours have cost me financially as well as precious time and also caused disruption, dispair and distress. It is a serious problem not taken with the gravitas deserved. Neither is it helpful when Gransnet members respond and share their 'Nice Neighbour Narratives', it negates the problem raised and, fails to recognize the author's dilemma.

No it doesn’t.
It answers the question . We were not asked to empathise with OP or come up with a four-figure sum to compare with her experience. One can feel sympathy but not empathy if one’s experience is the opposite.
You can’t ask a question to which there is only one type of answer - ie damning.
If my neighbours have not only cost me nothing but also have been worth their weight in gold- that is my legitimate answer.

Lived in 6 abodes and had good neighbours. Current abode still goid neighbours bit they are the ones that cost money. Our properties have conditions on them prohibiting any business to be run from or on them. Next door decided to become a childminder- a business.. In the summer and especially Covid times when travel was retricted the noise from the kids was horrendous. All of them were mainly up on a patio right at back of house. We had to turn our Alexa off as what the kids were
yelling often activated the system indoors. No luck trying to get the noise reduced. Contacted the Inspection agency having read tge conditions to be approved as childminder- must not have any restrictions on running a business. No action taken. We ended up building a summerhouse at the bottom of the garden where we could escape some of the noise. £6000. Then the next year stopped childminding as too much paperwork apparently

My nice neighbour passed away a few months ago. We are in council properties. A new tenant has moved in & so far has not cost much in money terms but in aggravation seems like thousands! Every time I go in my garden she can see as she has even in freezing cold both lounge windows open & back door open! Then hides behind the bushes & shoots out at me as I take bird feeders back out to rehang! Also someone from her side has climbed the small fence at the end of the gardens & poked around in my recycling bins, leaving the lids scattered in the garden! Now there are broken bushes scattered over part of my garden which I will have to pay to remove. I have also had to pay out £250 for a fence to be put up to stop her seeing me in my garden. Our local Housing Officer gave permission for the fence when told about this woman. We were then told that she is ‘known’ to the council & has caused trouble before being moved on several times! So this is the start of a neighbour causing me to spend money I do not have much of! How much she will have cost me by the time she is moved on we will find out in time I guess!

Well, between us we cost each other a marriage, the lady next door and me.

She moved in with her husband when they retired, and there was an instant spark between us, which was a surprise seeing as we were both in our early sixties.

Nonetheless, we behaved ourselves for about eighteen months even though it was becoming more and more obvious to both of us that each wanted the other.

So we started an affair, lasting about a year before we decided to stop hiding and sneaking around and came clean. We've been together over three years now and the fire still burns brightly.

No nearby neighbours which is a relief. Had neighbours in our first home in the 80s - a bachelor next door who regularly flooded his house and ours. Put our insurance premiums up.

CariadAgain what terrible neighbours you have. I don’t know how they dare walk onto your property and another try to steal your land. May I ask which part of the UK you live in? Mind you there are odd people everywhere. We have Plymouth Brethren on one side and they keep themselves to themselves, very quiet but also unfriendly. The family on the other side were very kind to us during Covid. They always asked us to any parties and celebrations they were having, and were very mindful of not playing their music too loud. We are very lucky. If we lived across the road…………. that would be another matter, one of the nosiest women I have ever come across live’s there causing people problems, she loves reporting people to the authorities for minor issues.

GANNET No nearby neighbours which is a relief.

Same. Lovely innit?

We have lovely neighbours next door on one side. I know they would be there in any emergency. On the other side they kept themselves to themselves but in a friendly way. Wife died and husband now has dementia so how long he will be our neighbour who can say? It does worry me a bit …. The rest are all on speaking terms and would take parcels in etc but we don’t know them well.

Our neighbour has cost us about £1500 so far, keeping her conifers from blocking our gutters, growing into the roof and casting shade into our garden.
She has an animal rescue in her small garden and now there are large holes appearing in the bank between our gardens and under her large sycamore. Possibly escaped rabbits! The costs will be ongoing because she refuses to cut the trees to the top of the 6’ fence.

What a nightmare OP - we are fortunate. Our neighbours are superb - we socialise with many of them and holiday with 3 sets of couples in our street. We all have our own lives but share a lot of fun with them and trust them completely to look after our home when we travel on our own at other times.

I'm with Norah and *Gannet" - extremely fortunate not to have close neighbours. Our grandsons can play the drums and keyboard as loud as they like 2henever they like and nobody will complain - except our cats, they hate it! My closest friend has just had her closest neighbours of 30 odd years turn on her, they've always been OK but have suddenly decided to be unpleasant. It's really upset her, a recently widowed lady who wouldn't say boo to a goose. So glad we don't have any.

therustyfairy

The question was 'How Much Has Your Neighbour Cost You' - Gransnet members were not asked 'How nice is your neighbour' Like CariadAgain my neighbours have cost me financially as well as precious time and also caused disruption, dispair and distress. It is a serious problem not taken with the gravitas deserved. Neither is it helpful when Gransnet members respond and share their 'Nice Neighbour Narratives', it negates the problem raised and, fails to recognize the author's dilemma.

Yep.

I try not to think about the time they've cost me as well (something I could have done without in an area that works more "slowly" than I'm used to anyway - ie I still can't quite believe I had to have Openreach in FIFTY times!!!!! before my phoneline and internet worked normally - as I'd been used to without a problem ever in my last house). I dread to think just how much of my time got wasted all round - rather than me having it available to use for whatever leisuretime pursuit I'd decided on. That didn't do wonders for my housework either - as I took the view that there was enough time for 2 out of 3 of "my Life", dealing with them and doing housework and would knock time off what I'd planned to use for housework if some more had gone on dealing with them.

It took a while before my neighbours had all clicked too that the trespassing in my garden had to stop and so I felt a bit on edge and probably/defo peering at my security monitor screen until the message finally sank in to "keep out" - as I dived out and went for them each time I spotted them - in the view that they'd get fed-up with transgressing and being told off at some point. I took the view that I was going to be quite open all round with everyone outside my road as to what was going on - as I wasn't going to hide their misdeeds and let them silently get up to all sorts. Nope - I decided it was best to "show them up" and so I'd tell everyone and make a joke of the lies one particular neighbour told when I caught him walking round my garden at 7 in the morning one time!

So yep...I joked about their excuses when I accosted them in my garden. I joked about them treating me like a "woman" - rather than a "person - sex irrelevant" (as I swear women get treated worst - as some think we're weaker because of that).

How much did time and money do you reckon your neighbours cost therustyfairy?