Southern New Hampshire real estate, homes, condos and condominiums for sale

How to avoid nasty neighbors

You never know when you buy a home if you're buying into a bad neighborhood, but there are a few checkpoints you should look at prior to purchasing a new house:

Do not buy a home next to...

  • A country club (lots of parties, lots of machinery, weddings)
  • Empty lots (you never know what may end up here!)
  • Bus Stop (noise, litter)
  • Halfway House (scares people, even if unwarranted)
  • Garbage Routes (know the main routes, check them out at local police station)
  • Intersection with stops signs (cars stop and go, motors running all the time)

The following are telltale signs of a potentially "loud" neighbor....

These are signs of a potential 'racket-maker'...

  • Basketball Hoop
  • Skateboard Ramp
  • Trampolines
  • Swimming Pool
  • Watch and listen for the barking and unleashed neighborhood dogs.
  • Poke around the town clerk's office to find out which neighbors have filed for what, like permits for building a house extension over the next 12 months, a noisy new tennis court, or a new pool.

How to check out a potential neighborhood...

  • Visit the house and neighborhood (several block radius) during rush hour as well as Friday or Saturday nights (party goers)
  • Cruise the neighborhood at night. You'll see the guy next door while he's at home (rather than at work). Most people make the mistake of seeing a home during the day and looking again during the same time a few days later.
  • Get out of car and walk the street and have a nice conversation with people who live on the street. You'd be surprised at what they will tell you!
  • Talk to local store owners... they know all the neighborhood gossip, and will most likely tell you more than you want to know about what's going on.
  • Talk to the local police precinct - they have a record of every complain that has been filed.
  • Check on-line registries for the location of any local sex offenders.

Having a problem with a neighbor? Here's how to rectify it...

  • Schedule a meeting in neutral territory - on the sidewalk, not in the home.
  • Don't accuse. Present the problem or issue, and several options for rectifying it. Let them know how the problem bothers you and suggest ways to solve it together. If that doesn't work, check out local noise and disturbance ordinances and write a personal letter. Offer a solution.
  • Consult with neighborhood or block association. Ask them to send a standard letter citing the ordinance or by-law. A condominium association's right of first refusal is a little-known clause that can be used to buy your neighbor out.
  • Should that fail, call your local precinct. Keep a record of your complaint.
  • Call in an expert mediator. (To find a mediator, check with your local courthouse, police precinct, or bar association).