Property news roundup: 'John', 'Louise', 'David' and 'Katy' are Britain's best neighbours
Plus hoarding habits and housebuilding figures
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Your support makes all the difference.'David', 'Katie', 'Richard' and 'Helen' are also great to have living next door, although 'Nathan', 'Callum', 'Madeleine' and 'Kimberly' are the least welcome, says a new report.
The study - which also found six in ten people's relationships with the people next door are limited to the occasional hello - evaluated past experiences with those living next door.
''Of course the name of a person doesn’t necessarily have a bearing on the kind of neighbour they are and the real proof is more in their actions and levels of consideration," said David Herbert, Head of Marketing for Yale who commissioned the study. "Having friendly neighbours you can depend on is a great asset."
One in five said they speak almost daily to their neighbours, while nearly one in ten would call their neighbour a firm friend. However, 30 per cent of the 2,000 people questioned said they would definitely change the people living next door if they had the opportunity. Marauding cats, poor parking and messy gardens were the main sore points.
Indeed, one in seven has even moved home because of a breakdown in relationships with the people living next door.
Housebuilding figures continue to rise
The number of new homes registered in the UK in January is up 14 per cent compared to the same time in 2013, according to new figures from National House-Building CouncilHBC. In total 11,489 new homes were registered in January.
NHBC's Commercial Director Richard Tamayo said: "The industry enjoyed a strong start to 2014 by maintaining the momentum from the previous year. Both private and public sectors reported growth on the same month in 2013 and we look forward to hopefully seeing this trend continue throughout the year to help meet the demand for new homes."
Hoarding habits
More than three quarters of householders polled by AA Home Membership say they’re guilty of ‘hoarding’. On average, people say a fifth of their possessions is junk.
Those living in the northeast find it most difficult to part with old things (87 per cent) compared to Londoners (77 per cent). A third of people say that too little space or storage is a major reason for household untidiness.
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