Every Tuesday, we answer a reader's financial problem or consumer dispute - you can email yours to moneyblog@sky.uk. Today's is...
Our neighbour painted their house an ugly shade of purple. It's an eyesore. You see drivers slow down as they pass and people walking past laughing. They didn't ask any of the neighbours. A few months ago we put my house on the market, and despite similar homes further down our street selling quickly, and being priced similarly, we haven't had a single offer. One person told my wife explicitly the only reason they were not putting in an offer was because of the house next door. Is there anything I can do?
Prefer to remain anonymous
Thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear about the problems you're having selling your home - living next to a purple house doesn't sound like much fun!
I understand why you're concerned. We often buy homes with the hope of making money on them when we come to sell, and struggling to find a buyer is stressful, especially when the thing stopping them making an offer is out of your control.
Unfortunately, the law gives homeowners a lot of discretion over how they decorate their property.
In most cases, you don't need planning permission to paint a house, regardless of colour.
That said, Mary-Lou Press, president of the National Association of Estate Agents, told me there were a few occasions where it would be needed, so it's worth checking if they apply to your situation.
Painting a house can require consent if:
- The property is listed;
- You live within a conservation area;
- There is an Article 4 direction restricting external alterations;
- The property is subject to specific conditions in the original planning permission (rare, but possible).
You can confirm these with your local planning authority.
If restrictions apply and consent was required but not obtained, the council may be able to take enforcement action, Press says.
If that doesn't work, consider whether the issue meets the legal threshold for "nuisance" - a bright or unusual colour doesn't normally meet the criteria, though.
For a statutory or private nuisance claim to succeed, the issue would need to:
- Unreasonably interfere with the use or enjoyment of your home; and
- Cause more than annoyance or dislike.
Courts and councils rarely consider colour alone to meet this threshold, Press adds.
Of course, you could always talk to your neighbour and ask them politely if they could repaint in a more muted shade.
"However, be mindful not to imply they have done anything unlawful unless you have confirmation from the council," she adds.
It is especially important to be polite and to avoid confrontation during the conversation.
This is because if a prospective buyer asks whether the relationship with your neighbour is problematic, you have to give them an honest answer.
"Cosmetic disagreements are not normally something you need to declare on the TA6 form, unless they have escalated into a formal dispute," Press says.
"Avoid taking any action, such as making a complaint to the council, unless you understand that this will need to be disclosed to future buyers."
If all your attempts at getting your neighbours to change the colour, lean on your estate agents to draw attention away from next door.
Press says there are some practical steps they can take, like improving curb appeal on your own property to draw a buyer's focus, or providing buyers with information that highlights the home's strengths and local comparables.
"If one buyer explicitly mentioned the neighbour's house negatively impacting the saleability of your home, your agent should record this as feedback to help guide your strategy," she adds.
This feature is not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute by emailing moneyblog@sky.uk with the subject line "Money Problem".
