Leeds revealed to have some of the best neighbours in the UK

150","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"aptos",469777842,"",469777843,"aptos",469777844,"aptos",201341986,"1",469769226,"aptos",268442635,"22",469775450,"normaltextrun",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"normaltextrun",335572020,"1",469778324,"default="" paragraph="" font"]">Whilst some may feel like they’re living on an episode of nightmare neighbours, a recent study from the fitted wardrobe experts at Hammonds Furniture has shown that most Brits get along with their neighbours. But how do the residents of Leeds fare?

The data found that overall, seven in ten (71%) said they get on with their neighbours quite well or very well. One in five (19%) get on neither well nor badly, and only one in 25 (4%) said they don’t get on well or not at all well with their neighbours – not bad going!

Although more than half (53%) say they don’t have any issues with their neighbours, and also making this the third best percentage in the UK, those that do whittled it down to three top reasons they complain about their neighbours:

They’re loud/overly loud (17%)

Their garden is overgrown and an eyesore (12%)

Their property is messy and an eyesore (10%)

151","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"aptos",469777842,"",469777843,"aptos",469777844,"aptos",201341986,"1",469769226,"aptos",268442635,"22",469775450,"eop",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"eop",335572020,"1",469778324,"default="" paragraph="" font"]">Despite getting along well with those next door, the study found that the residents of Leeds aren’t all that trusting of their neighbours when it comes to looking after their property or helping out in an emergency.

The survey shows that a whopping 81% don’t trust their neighbours to look after their pets, and 84% would not trust them to look after their child if they had an emergency.

Although having a watchful eye over your property whilst you’re away may be handy, however three in five (62%) from Leeds said that they do not trust their neighbours to look after their house when they’re away. As well as this, three quarters (75%) do not trust their neighbours enough to leave a spare key with them in case of an emergency.

How does Leeds compare to other cities?

When looking at the data regionally, it reveals that different cities are having contrasting issues with their neighbours, and although the above may not make for great reading, it seems as though Leeds bodes quite well in relation to the rest of the UK.

Missing the postman is always a huge inconvenience, and although one third (32%) say they don’t trust their neighbour to take in parcels for them, this is actually the best percentage in the UK – compared to Belfast where two thirds (65%) wouldn’t trust theirs!

Manchester was named the neighbour parcel theft capital, with 10% of respondents complaining about this issue, compared to just 2% of people from Leeds who raised this in the survey.

Liverpool has the loudest neighbours in the UK, with 21% raising this complaint in the survey, whereas only 17% of Leeds residents complained about this issue.

In Belfast, 26% of residents complained that their neighbour’s property is messy and an eyesore, compared to just 12% of respondents from Leeds.

Finally, whilst 13% of those from London raised an issue that their neighbours use their allocated parking spot, this figure is reduced to just 3% in Leeds.

Does everyone not trust their neighbours?

Not everyone across Britain is distrusting of their neighbours. In fact, the data suggests that over 65’s are the most trusting as 39% of the 65+ age group say they’d give their neighbours spare keys, compared to just 15% of 25–34-year-olds. 

An enormous 73% of 65+ year-olds and 66% of 55-64-year-olds trust their neighbours to take parcels when they aren’t home, compared to just 33% of 25–34-year-olds.

Although the younger generation don’t appear to be a fan of trusting their neighbours with spare keys or their parcels, 26% of the 25–34-year-old age group trust their neighbours to bring in milk and look after their child if they had an emergency, compared to 14% and 8% of 65+ year-olds respectively.

How can neighbour griefs affect my property's value?

Hammonds spoke with Tabitha Cumming, a property expert from The Lease Extension Company about how bad neighbours can reduce your home’s value by thousands of pounds: 

“If your neighbour's home has a poorly maintained exterior, this can potentially decrease the value of surrounding houses by between 5-10%. [Whilst] noisy neighbours can decrease the value of your home by 1-10% due to the disruptive environment they can create.

“If you are selling your home, potential buyers may have generic questions about your neighbours and other people who live nearby. In the UK, you are required to disclose any disputes or issues that you have had with neighbours. Not all issues will need to be disclosed, but neglecting to inform buyers of any major problems could result in legal action.

So, are you a good neighbour?

More information is available here: https://www.hammonds-uk.com/blogs/how-well-do-uk-neighbours-get-along/