More than half (52% ) of Americans say they’ve lived next door to a “nightmare neighbor,” and more than three-quarters say their potential future neighbors would be a factor into their decision when choosing a new home to buy, according to a new survey from Ally Financial of more than 2,000 consumers.
Distance may be key to feeling the most neighborly. More than half (54%) said they prefer it when neighbors are far apart. Only one-quarter of respondents say they prefer a close proximity to their neighbors.
When asked about the traits that make good neighbor, the top qualities mentioned were taking good care of their home (71%) and a willingness to help other neighbors out (66%). Homeowners also valued neighbors who take good care of the neighborhood (49%) and those who are friendly (47%).
Their least favorite qualities: Neighbors who are loud (46%) and those who partake in “questionable lifestyles,” such as running an illegal business out of their home or drug dealing (44%). Other bad neighborly traits included weak house maintenance (34%) and nosiness (32%).
The top reason some homebuyers put a high priority on good neighbors is because they have a history of bad experiences. Two-thirds of neighbor-centric buyers (67%) said that prior unhappy neighbor experiences make them realize the importance of good neighbors.
Somewhat surprisingly, younger generations say they’ve had more bad experiences with neighbors than older homeowners (63% for millennials, 38% for baby boomers) – and parents report having more unpleasant experiences with their neighbors than those without kids.
Source: Ally Financial
© Copyright 2019 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688