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How to avoid moving in next to a nightmare neighbour

[Moving in next to some neighbours might be more of a headache than you can stand.]
[Moving in next to some neighbours might be more of a headache than you can stand.]

Cosmo Kramer bursting through Jerry Seinfeld’s door, unannounced and uninvited, and proceeding to rummage through his neighbour’s fridge is a running gag played for big laughs on the classic ‘90s sitcom ‘Seinfeld.’ But in real life, having a neighbour like Kramer would likely bring you to tears of rage, not joy, after awhile.

When buying a home or condo, many buyers put little to no thought about whether they’ll have a Kramer living next door, or across the hall. Once the U-Haul is gone and the boxes are unpacked, though, the fact that your new neighbour is omnipresent starts to sink in. While your neighbours may change over the years, there are some things you can do to try to avoid moving next door to bad neighbours now.

Love thy neighbour?

While it might not be realistic to love thy neighbour all the time, you should at least be able to tolerate thy neighbour. Before looking at potential properties start with using your common sense, advises Toronto-based real estate agent Jamie Sarner. If you’re empty nesters in your 50s, moving next to a university campus is likely not a great fit (unless you have a high tolerance for loud frat parties and waking up to puke on your lawn). Conversely, if you’re a young newly-wed couple who likes to entertain, a quiet condo catering to senior citizens is likely not a good fit, said Sarner in a recent interview with Yahoo Canada Finance.

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Play Sherlock Holmes

Beyond the general neighbourhood or building there are usually specific signs of possible neighbour issues – no magnifying glass required. When looking at homes, look at the state of the exterior of possible future neighbours’ homes. If the weeds next door come up to your waist it might be a sign of other problems, advises Sarner. If you are concerned about loud parties, drive by your neighbours’ home at midnight to see if they’re up partying.

Ask, ask, ask

Perhaps the neighbour with the waist-high weeds recently had an operation and is actually a well-adjusted person who usually has an impeccably manicured lawn. One way to find out more is to knock on their door, introduce yourself and ask a few questions about the neighbourhood, said Mitchell Rose, a Toronto-based mediator and lawyer with Stancer, Gossin, Rose LLP. Then, knock on the doors of their neighbours, too. “People love to talk, you’d be surprised how much they disclose,” said Rose in a recent interview. Potential buyers can, and should, ask the current tenants if they have had any serious issues with neighbours. Good real estate agents will opt to “disclose, over and above,” said Sarner.

In the case of buying a condo unit, often the board will have some duty to disclose, noted Rose. The sellers, and any associated professionals, such as brokers, should and usually do disclose information if asked, said both Sarner and Rose. But, buyers should remember what constitutes a good or bad neighbour is often “in the eye of the beholder” and thus it would be very difficult to take any legal action after the sale in regards to nightmare neighbours, said Rose.

Search, search, search,

Rose has handled many neighbour disputes through mediation and warns “it can be worse than divorce, because at least in a divorce you likely don’t have to see them every day right next door to you.” Doing some simple searches on the Internet could help prevent buyers from moving next door, say, to a house that basically operates as a hotel. Start with simply searching some nearby addresses and see what pops up. If there has been a high-profile crime case at or near the property, that will likely show up in the news results. Then, try some specific websites, like Airbnb, to see if your new ‘neighbour’ would actually just be a rotating cast of tourists.

Accept the things you can not change

As a mediator, Rose has heard of neighbours literally coming to blows over disputes such as property lines and parking spaces. If living across the hall from a quirky man with frizzy hair with a penchant for eating all your food would leave you tossing and turning, then it might be a good idea to pause before closing the deal on that dream home with the neighbour of your nightmares.