If only the neighbours lived next door to someone else...
LOUD music, balls flying over the fence and noisy children are the things that annoy us most about our neighbours.
People next door playing a loud instrument is a bugbear for 23 per cent of us, while 20 per cent say the most irritating thing is neighbours being nosey and interfering.
One in 10 finds others on their streets annoying just for wanting to speak to them, while 20 per cent are incensed by them parking in their favourite spots.
For nearly a third, noise early in the morning or late at night is their main complaint.
Pets, children who are noisy on trampolines or kick balls over the fence are also irritations, the research by HSBC found.
Poor upkeep of neighbours’ gardens or house exteriors winds up 18 per cent of us, with one in six annoyed when those next door decide to throw a party.
More than 16 per cent of people have brought up their complaints with neighbours. One in 10 has moaned about their grievance to another local instead. One in 20 has gone as far as calling the police.
When it comes to parking wars, those in the East Midlands are the most incensed, with 36 per cent saying neighbours using their space is their biggest grievance, followed by poor garden maintenance, which annoys a third of them.
People in the South-west are most likely to complain about nosey neighbours, with a quarter finding them a nuisance.
Noise is the biggest bugbear for the Welsh. More than 44 per cent of them say those living nearby being loud at unsociable hours is the biggest annoyance. And although the Welsh are renowned for their love of singing and music-making, 31 per cent are bothered by their neighbours learning a musical instrument. Scots are most likely to have confronted those living next door. Twenty-five per cent have complained directly to them and 11 per cent have gone a step further and reported them to the police.
Martijn Van Der Heijden, head of lending at HSBC, said: “We can choose our friends but one thing we have little control over is who moves in next door to us. While some people choose to strike up a friendship with their neighbours, living in close proximity can also cause its fair share of irritations.
“For those who do have a nuisance neighbour or a problem that cannot be resolved directly, there are a number of ways to settle these, including the help of an independent mediator.”
