Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Lifevif Team and JC Franco
If you’re moving to a place where there are more (or closer) neighbors than you’re used to, do you really know what you are getting yourself into? Is it great or not-so-great having neighbors? That’s the real question at play, isn’t it?! If you haven’t given it much thought before, perhaps it’s time to do so now – before you make the big move. Let’s think about the disadvantages and downsides of neighbors…
Having neighbors isn’t necessarily a nightmare, but it can be rather inconvenient, especially if you like your privacy and alone time. In some instances, these discomforts and inconveniences can be worked through, but then again, in some instances, they can’t be. Sometimes, having neighbors just sucks!
If you aren’t too sure whether neighbors are your cup of tea or not, consider the following disadvantages you might be faced with when you move in.
14 disadvantages and downsides of having neighbors:
1. You have to deal with their noise.
One of the biggest issues that people need to think about when moving into neighborhoods with many neighbors is noise. What you think is acceptable noise might be entirely unacceptable for someone else. Sometimes neighbors can just be plain inconsiderate with noise. Maybe they watch TV or listen to music at high levels, or perhaps have loud arguments and don’t seem concerned about how that might make the neighbors feel. Not nice to deal with, is it?
2. There’s pressure to maintain your home on a level with theirs.
How well do your neighbors look after their property? How well do you look after your property? Would you say that your efforts are on par? If your neighbors are nit-picky, they may make your life hell with their comments and complaints about your home maintenance and upkeep. We all know it is important to take care of the home’s exterior, but if you have a busy week and run out of time to cut the lawn and the neighbors start complaining, you could become a little annoyed.
3. The neighbor’s home maintenance and lack of pride may bring down your property value.
On the flip side, your neighbor might be the one who falls behind on home maintenance. You could find this particularly grating, especially if you are focused on keeping your property value up along with the good image of the neighborhood.
4. Their kids might be a bad influence on your kids.
If your neighbor’s kids befriend your kids, you might at first think it’s a great thing. But what do you do if you suddenly discover that their kids are being a bad influence on your kids? It could become tricky if you tell your children to stop socializing with the neighbor’s children.
5. You need to “keep it down” to be considerate.
As a neighbor, you have to be considerate. If this concept drives you nuts just thinking about it, you might not be too keen on neighbors. This means you have to keep the noise levels down, and you have to be careful not to overdo it on party nights. Having close neighbors can be downright inconvenient if you like the freedom to make as much noise as you want.
6. There’s a distinct lack of privacy.
Lack of privacy is probably the biggest downside to having neighbors. Whenever you walk outside, depending on the privacy you have created, you are basically on show. Your neighbors can hear when you and your partner have an argument. They can see when you go out and come back home. They can see who features in your life on a day-to-day basis. A general lack of privacy can be quite uncomfortable.
7. Their pets might disturb the peace or even come into your property.
If your neighbors have pets that bark all night or intrude on your property, you might start to become annoyed. Dealing with neighbors’ pets can be a tricky one as it’s not the pet’s fault. You might find yourself getting into heated arguments with the neighbors about their pets.
On the flip side, what if your pets are the ones that misbehave? Perhaps your dog howls and whines when you are not home, or your cat sneaks in their windows and steals people’s dinners. You might have to find innovative ways to make your pets more comfortable in their own home, if you want to be a good neighbor.
8. Some might be nosy and interfering.
There’s nothing worse than a nosy, interfering neighbor, is there? Perhaps your neighbor comments that you water your garden at the wrong time of the day or try to advise you on how you are painting your roof or installing your security system. While you could simply ignore this, it could also work on your last nerve.
9. You feel obligated to chat and be “friends”.
When there are neighbors around, there’s always the social obligation to chat and be friendly. Your neighbor might see you arriving home from work and venture out to have a conversation with you. While this could be friendly and polite, it can also start to get annoying as you always feel you have to chat.
10. You quite simply might not get along.
What if you just don’t get along with the neighbors? Maybe they have different beliefs or lifestyle choices, and you just can’t see eye to eye. Then what? It could be many years of awkwardness and stiff smiles – that’s what!
11. They can be over-sensitive and moan/complain about everything you do.
Sometimes neighbors just like to nit-pick. There’s always that one neighbor that likes to moan and complain about everything the other neighbors do. Perhaps they don’t like that you park on the street instead of inside the garage, or perhaps they aren’t too keen on the fact that you had a barbecue without letting them know it was planned. Whining neighbors can be downright inconvenient.
12. There’s probably not much of a view.
If you have a neighbor, you don’t have a view. Well, you do, but it’s a view of the neighbor’s house and all the other houses around you. Finding a home with no close neighbors has more of a view.
13. They hog the trash cans.
The struggle over the trash cans can get real if your neighbors don’t respect the fact that you, too, need somewhere to dispose of your trash. It’s an age-old fight that’s been happening between neighbors…and it could become your reality.
14. You might have to sign for their deliveries when they’re not around.
Having neighbors means that you need to be neighborly. This means that you might have to sign for their packages if the delivery guy arrives when they aren’t around. And that means that you have to make contact and see them. If you like to keep to yourself, this can be extremely annoying, especially if it keeps happening.
All in all
After considering the above 14 points, do you think that you really want neighbors? Unfortunately, many of us don’t get to choose if we have neighbors or who they actually are. If you’re worried about whether you should move into a house with many neighbors or fewer, it’s safe to say that fewer neighbors are far more alluring, right?!
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who share their experiences and knowledge about the "Seven F's of Life".
JC Franco
JC Franco is a New York-based editor for Lifevif. He mainly focuses on content about faith, spirituality, personal growth, finance, and sports. He graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Marketing. He is a certified tennis instructor who teaches in the New York City Metropolitan area. In terms of finance, he has passed the Level I exam of the CFA program.