Questions to ask prospective neighbors before buying a house

When you are renting or purchasing a house or apartment, there are some pieces of information regarding the property in question that your landlord or real estate agents won’t share with you. Bare in mind that things are not always what they seem, so no matter how much you are excited about the perfect new home and peaceful neighborhood you can ask around the neighborhood about your prospective home.

You are likely to get straightforward tips and opinions from your neighbors. They will let you know if there are some potential problems with the property and help you get the complete picture of a place which is going to be your home. Nobody will describe the local vibe better than your neighbors.

– What are the positive aspects of the neighborhood?
– What are the negative aspects of the neighborhood?
– Are the best local amenities like pharmacies, parks, bakeries, grocery stores, supermarkets, restaurants nearby?
– Is there anything that they don’t like about the neighborhood?
– Did they experience some safety issues? Have there been any sorts of crimes recently?
– Are there any community events?
– What’s the social life in the neighborhood like? Are people friendly and sociable in general?
– What about the noise level in the neighborhood? Have there been noise violations recently?
– Was the property properly maintained by the previous owners? Did they take good care of the house/apartment?
– Is the neighborhood pet-friendly?
– Is the neighborhood kid-friendly? Will it suit your children?
– Was there anything interesting going on during the last couple of years?
– Are there security systems installed in most of the houses?
– What about interpersonal relationships? Do community members get along? Is it friendly?
– Are there any on-going issues between the neighbors that may somehow affect you at one point?

You might get surprised what you could find out from those casual talks with your future neighbors. Don’t hesitate to visit them, introduce yourself and ask anything that concerns you regarding the property you are interested in. Their tips might also prevent you from making a mistake of buying a house that doesn’t suit you and your family after all.

How to deal with bad neighbors

Whether you have done the thorough research of your neighborhood or not, eventually you may realize that some neighbors do not suit you at all. However, if there are some disputes in between, try to find a peaceful solution to the disagreement so as to avoid further issues.

– Open communication – let the neighbors know what the issue is. They may not be aware at all how you are feeling unless you share with them what’s bothering you.

– Try to get to know your neighbors. That way you can understand each other better.

– Make sure you are behaving appropriately yourself before addressing any problem.

– Inform your neighbors in advance if you are having a late night party or doing some repair works that might affect them somehow.

– Consider taking drastic measures only if absolutely necessary, because they can make the relationship with your neighbors even worse.

– If your neighbors are breaking the law, document the problem.

– If you cannot talk the issues through, consider informing your landlord. However, your landlord may not want to deal with tenants’ issues with other neighbors, so you will have to resolve it on your own.

– Do not threaten your neighbors – this can make things even worse.

– Consider involving the authorities only as a last resort. If you intend to do so, inform your neighbors about it.

– Talk with your lawyer and see what the options are. He will advise you whether taking legal steps will really help you resolve the issue.