Characteristics of a perfect neighbour revealed in new survey

The perfect neighbour always says “hello”, signs for deliveries and pre-warns the street about noise from DIY or house parties.

A study of 2,000 adults identified the top 30 attributes of an ideal neighbour, including never parking outside someone else’s home, inviting locals around for a glass of wine, and putting their bins out when they are away.

Other signs are keeping an eye on your home when on holiday, getting fences between gardens fixed quickly and sharing home-grown fruit and veg.

It also emerged more than three quarters believe they already have the ‘perfect’ neighbours and the majority would even describe themselves as one.

The average Briton typically rates their neighbours as seven out of 10, with 40 per cent feeling ‘lucky’ to live next door to such people.

But not everyone is so lucky, with the signs of a bad neighbour including throwing rubbish into the garden, playing loud music and not cleaning up after their pet.

The research was commissioned by Barefoot Wine as part of its Neighbours to Knowbours campaign, which is a search for the nation’s most unique neighbourhood.

By celebrating their neighbours, Britons have the chance to win a mural dedicated to their community and the unique characters within it, created by famous illustrator Alice Skinner.

A spokesperson for Barefoot Wine said: “It’s literally luck who we end up living next to so it’s great to see how many people feel positively about their neighbours and community.

“Especially in this past year, neighbours have often been the only people we’ve communicated with face-to-face.

“So many communities came together over a glass of Barefoot Wine, whether over the fence or popping into the garden for a glass of wine.”

“The study found people that Brits would most like to live next door to the likes of doctors, chefs and actors, and even a wine connoisseur, so it will be wonderful to hear about the unique characters that make up communities across the country .”

The poll also found other signs someone is the perfect neighbour include keeping an eye out for ‘suspicious’ behaviour, such as someone looking in your windows and simply asking how you are when they see you out and about.

Others consider offering to cut your grass when they are mowing their own lawn and lending you tools to be ideal traits.

Letting neighbours have ingredients such as milk and sugar, taking your empty bins in from the roadside and offering to get some items when doing their food shop also made the top 30 signs.  

Features that make up a perfect neighbourhood were also found to include clean streets, friendly people and plenty of parking spaces.

A further 17 per cent said unique characters help make up the ideal community.

It also emerged it typically takes nine months of living somewhere before you trust your neighbours.

But almost two thirds feel they know their neighbours ‘well’ and trust them with taking in their deliveries, watering their plants and with having a spare key to their home.

The poll found that since lockdowns began, some have spoken with their neighbours more often and a few have noticed improved relationships with the people they live nearby.

Neighbours have helped each other with gardening, thrown socially distanced street parties with their community and gone for walks together.

SWNS