FOOL'S EYE VIEW
Being Neighbourly Can Pay Dividends

By Jane Mack (TMFJane)
November 18, 2003

I've always thought that what goes around comes around - you usually get back what you put in. And I got proof of that today.

This morning there was a rather tentative knock on my door. It was the property developer who, a month ago, bought the run-down house next door. He wanted to keep me informed about his plans, he said.

Even though I was still in my dressing-gown, I was glad he'd called in because I was beginning to wonder what his builders were up to. Over the last few weeks they've been smashing the place apart in ways that puzzle me and, a few days ago, I read something on our Property – Markets and Trends discussion board about whether Houses In Multiple Occupation were profitable which, frankly, freaked me out.

I'd assumed the property developer was just doing up the house for a quick turn-around. It would be put on the market for a family to buy. But maybe I was wrong. Would we, ultimately, find ourselves living next door to people who, um, weren't like us? And what effect would his plans have on the value of our own home?

In short, I suddenly turned into a snobbish NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) kind of person.

As it turned out my initial assumption was correct. What he was after was permission to use part of our property while he did the necessary work to fix up his house as a fully renovated family home so he could put it back on the market in the next couple of months.

For example, he needs to dig a trench down the side of his house, which would entail putting the earth temporarily on our side precluding us from using our driveway for a week or two.

No problem, I said.

He then said he'd also like to replace the elderly, collapsing picket fence which divides our properties. He thought the fence was his. I told him it was ours. So he said he'd like to replace it at his expense.

No problem, I said, as long as we agree on the style of fence. (And, judging from our brief discussion on the matter, we do agree)

(Actually, I had to stop myself from doing a little cheery dance because we've been wanting to replace that fence for ages but haven't got the money to do so at the moment. A brand new fence - for free - suits us down to the ground)

I didn't tell him that during the summer we had come to an arrangement with the neighbours on the other side of our house – the ones who owned the falling-down fence on that side – to go halves on the costs of replacing it. We wanted the fence replaced – but it wasn't our fence. So we came to an agreement whereby they got a new fence for half the price and so did we. It cost us £218.35 each, which was much better value for money for each of us than having to pay full price.

Anyway, back to the property developer...

Towards the end of the conversation I asked him if he would need to put up scaffolding to fix his roof – in which case he'd presumably need to use part of our driveway to set up the equipment.

Yes, he said. Would that be okay? It wouldn't be for long.

No problem, I said. Just tell us when you're planning to put it up and we'll move our cars so you've got access.

He looked a bit startled. And then he said, Blimey, you're really nice neighbours – I wish all our building projects involved people like you.

If he doesn't fulfil his promises to restore our side of the property at the end of his work, then he may well eat his words. But, in the meantime, it's worth it to us to be nice neighbours. Hey, we're getting a free fence out of it – and we don't even have to go halves this time!

Check out some more of our Homeowning Articles.