Your property’s appearance from the outside matters.
Unfortunately, it is influenced by the surrounding properties.
So, if your neighbour’s garden is a mess, it can also negatively impact your property’s appearance and devalue it.
This isn’t generally ideal, let alone when you’re trying to sell it.
Examples of an overgrown garden
An overgrown garden next door will often be noticeable.
Sometimes, it will directly impose on your property via the following:
- Attracting pests and other wild animals (for example, rats).
- Japanese knotweed and overgrowing weeds
- Collapsed fences
- Leaves falling on your side of the boundary.
The plants or animals could pose a risk – a falling branch, for example.
However, the more common issue is how it brings down the appearance (and therefore property value) of the rest of the street.
Will an overgrown garden next door affect my house value?
Most of the time, yes.
However, the degree of this impact on house value depends on precisely what the problem is and how bad it is. And also, whether it’s fixable.
Japanese knotweed
For example, Japanese knotweed is an invasive species that prevents native species from growing.
You need to follow the correct procedure to remove it if you have it. It can damage the foundation of your home, making it unsafe. This will often decrease your house value by around 20%.
Wild animals
Wild animals in the garden next door may also significantly impact house value, especially if these are expensive and difficult to remove.
Or it’s a problem likely to happen again.
Overgrown vegetation
Other examples can be fixed within an afternoon. For instance, you can cut the grass and trim bushes.
You can try to remove weeds and prune overgrown branches on a tree.
These issues can only present a 5% decrease in house value, especially if you’ve got a clear plan to rectify it.
Wider impact of poor property conditions
The broader impact of a property with a poor garden is difficult to measure.
Some buyers might see a poorly maintained neighbouring property as a sign of a deeper issue with problem neighbours. They might even suspect it’s a sign of decline in the street.
How to contact the owner
Your first step should be to contact the property owner next door. This may involve some investigation to find out who owns the house.
The Land Registry can help. Or you can contact your local council.
You should then write to the owner and ask them to rectify the situation. Keep in mind that they are not required to do so.
As there’s no law forcing them to maintain their house to a certain standard.
If the homeowner is unresponsive, you should seek legal advice from a qualified professional. Or you can report it to your council.
How to report to the council
If you get nowhere by contacting the homeowner, speaking to your council is often the next best step.
In some cases, local authorities have the right to tackle unsightly or dangerous properties. It depends on how severe the situation is.
Contact your local council and explain the situation.
Give details about why the scenario is unsafe and likely to cause damage to surrounding land and property. You should also provide evidence if you can.
The local council will then investigate it. If the situation is sufficiently problematic, they can take action to fix the situation.
This may involve forcing the owner to do it. Or the council getting a court order to do it themselves.
Checking local regulations can give you insight into your council’s rights. Once again, a legal expert can help with this.
It guides them on whether they can step in and fix the problem.
How many homes are empty in the UK?
Overgrown gardens are common with properties that’ve been empty for a long time.
More than 1 million homes in England are empty. This is just over 4% of total properties in the country.
The Welsh government states that around 22,000 homes are empty in the country. And a similar amount is expected for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Can I tidy a next-door neighbour’s garden myself?
You are allowed to tidy anything that’s on your side of the property boundary.
So, if branches are reaching over the dividing fence, you can trim these.
But you cannot step onto your neighbour’s property and tidy the garden yourself. You have no right to do this.
In this situation, you’ll need to follow the correct channels, as listed above.
Should you list your house whilst the adjacent garden is overgrown?
It depends on the circumstances. It may be worth waiting if you feel a resolution is near and you’re in no rush to sell.
It’s also a good idea to contact the owner and local authority to see how likely it will be fixed.
You can also speak to your estate agent about this. Hopefully, they will have experience in this area and advise you based on your situation.
There will undoubtedly be ways to mitigate damage to your house value.
They’ll often encourage you to do whatever is needed to fix the situation before you sell.
