A new survey by Go.Compare Home Insurance has revealed that the most important trait in a neighbour, according to 71% of Brits, is being quiet and peaceful.[1]
The insurance comparison site asked respondents what they believe makes a good neighbour, along with details about their neighbourly relations.
Other than being quiet and peaceful, two-thirds (67%) of respondents want their neighbours to be friendly and chatty, making this the second most important trait. Meanwhile, collecting deliveries for you while you’re out and respecting garden boundaries or parking spaces are tied for third place, chosen by 63%.
- 71% state being quiet and peaceful as the most essential trait in a neighbour
- Three-quarters (74%) of UK residents surveyed say they like their neighbours
- Around a third (30%) speak to their neighbours once a week
Putting out or bringing in the bin and looking after your home while you’re on holiday are also highly valued traits, selected by 40% and 33% respectively. Lower down the list of neighbourly qualities are exchanging festive cards (27%), inviting you to social events or get-togethers (15%), and helping to maintain your home (12%).
Overall, three-quarters (74%) of residents surveyed stated that they like their neighbours, indicating that neighbourhood relations across Britain, in general, are good.
Around a third (30%) also claimed they speak to their neighbours once a week on average, while one in ten chat with neighbours daily. However, a fifth said they only speak to their neighbours when needed, which is typically less than once a month.
Ceri McMillan, home insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “It’s nice to see that on the whole people like their neighbours, and speak to them fairly often. After all, a house feels a lot more like a home when the neighbourhood is pleasant. Unfortunately, some residents aren’t that lucky, and finding yourself stuck in an unfriendly neighbourhood can become a bigger issue.
“If that is the case and you do find yourself in this situation, it’s important to focus on the elements within your control. You may not be able to control what your neighbours get up to, but you can look after your own domain.
“As for the impact on home insurance, premiums will differ depending on where you live, and there are lots of factors that are taken into consideration by an insurance company – for example, crime rates in the area can impact the price you pay, and even whether or not you’re part of a neighbourhood watch scheme. So if you are looking for home insurance, it’s important to shop around and make sure you have the right cover in place, at the right price.”
Find out more about the nation’s neighbourhood relations on Go.Compare’s website.
- To collect the data used in this report, we ran a YouGov Survey of 2,000 UK adults on 10 June 2023. Respondents were selected at random across several demographics. All statistics were sourced from this survey unless otherwise stated ↩︎
