Good neighbours are essential for overall wellbeing, and finding ideal ones to live adjacent to is possible; however, sometimes it is in “the lap of the gods”. The insurance comparison site, Go.Compare sought to delve deeper into Britain’s neighbourly relations to uncover which traits people hope for in theirs, and the results from their survey are very revealing.

Being next door to someone you don’t get on with can be a “living nightmare” and negatively impact your health. If everyone could, they would undoubtedly choose to live next to people they get on well with. Coming home with the dreaded thought that you might bump into a neighbour after a hard day who is likely to lower the mood is probably the last thing anyone needs.

Almost everyone in Britain, without fail, wants to live alongside good neighbours, but what is it that defines a good one? Fortunately, Go.Compare Home Insurance has done the hard work and conducted a survey that shines a light on what people ideally want.

The new survey by Go.Compare Home Insurance has revealed that according to 71% of those taking part, over and above everything else, the most essential trait people want in the people living beside them is they are quiet and peaceful.¹

In addition to people wanting peace and quiet, two-thirds (67%) of respondents want their neighbours to be friendly and chatty, making this the second most important trait. Meanwhile, collecting deliveries for you while you’re out and respecting garden boundaries or parking spaces are tied for third place, chosen by 63%.

Putting out or bringing in the bin and looking after your home while you’re on holiday is another highly valued trait, and this was selected by 40% and 33%, respectively. Lower down the list of qualities are exchanging festive cards (27%), inviting you to social events or get-togethers (15%), and helping to maintain your home (12%).

Overall, three-quarters (74%) of residents surveyed stated that they like their neighbours, indicating that doorstep and across-the-fence relations across Britain are, in the main, very good.

Around a third (30%) also claimed they speak to their neighbours once a week on average, while one in ten chat with neighbours daily. However, a fifth said they only speak to their neighbours when needed, which is typically less than once a month.

Ceri McMillan, home insurance expert at Go.Compare, said, “It’s nice to see that on the whole people like their neighbours, and speak to them fairly often. After all, a house feels a lot more like a home when the neighbourhood is pleasant. Unfortunately, some residents aren’t that lucky, and finding yourself stuck in an unfriendly neighbourhood can become a bigger issue.

“If that is the case and you do find yourself in this situation, it’s important to focus on the elements within your control. You may not be able to control what your neighbours get up to, but you can look after your own domain.

“As for the impact on home insurance, premiums will differ depending on where you live, and there are lots of factors that are taken into consideration by an insurance company – for example, crime rates in the area can impact the price you pay, and even whether or not you’re part of a neighbourhood watch scheme. So if you are looking for home insurance, it’s important to shop around and make sure you have the right cover in place at the right price.”

Find out more about the nation’s neighbourhood relations on Go. Compare’s website.

References:
¹ To collect the data used in this report, we ran a YouGov Survey of 2,000 UK adults on 10 June 2023. Respondents were selected at random across several demographics. All statistics were sourced from this survey unless otherwise stated.

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