Love thy neighbour?

Planning disputes, late night parties, disruptive building works, parking problems… It’s not exactly Ramsay Street. Yep, that heart-sinkingly awful matter of dealing with bad neighbours is, unfortunately, all too familiar. When it comes to selling houses then, it’s no wonder many of us opt to keep shtum about ‘them next door’ to a prospective buyer, while some would even consider lowering the asking price of their beloved abode for a quick escape.

As the old adage goes, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your neighbours… Or something like that. So what does neighbourliness in 2015 look like? According to a brilliantly curtain-twitching survey by removals company, Robinsons, 14 per cent of us admitted to hiding behind the fence for fear of getting caught up in bothersome neighbourly chit chat, while shockingly, 15 per cent owned up to unofficially adopting the neighbour’s cat. The vast majority – 87 per cent – claimed they were categorically not friends with their fellow residents, most saying they wouldn’t trust them with a spare key.

But everybody needs good neighbours, and with a little understanding, can you find the perfect blend? (Not sorry). The answer is, of course, yes. The research also showed that 13 per cent of us would consider some in our ‘hood to be top chums. Three per cent claimed they were their neighbour’s birthing partner and, cheeringly, four per cent revealed they ended up marrying their neighbour, proving that whether you’re in Ramsay Street or Rosecroft Avenue, you really can become good friends.