No home sweet home with neighbours like these

This neighbour can’t keep his or her nose out of your business.

BY OH ING YEEN

WHETHER you live in a landed property or high-rise building, having a bad neighbour (or neighbours!) can be a nightmare. There are even cases where people have moved out because they are fed up with their irritating neighbours.

Here are examples of terrible neighbours we would not want living anywhere near us:

1 The roadblock

You’re in a rush to get to work or hurrying home to catch the last episode of your favourite TV drama but guess who has his car blocking your front door? Your selfish neighbour. And when you tell him about it, he gets annoyed and offended. Often, there is no apology; in fact, he acts as though he is doing you a big favour when he moves his car.

2 Irresponsible pet owners

This neighbour has a lawn but whenever his dog needs a toilet break, it would relieve itself in front of your house. And with the constant barking and yapping, you wonder if the dog runs on batteries. We are not blaming man’s best friend for this. The onus is on the owner to get the dog trained. To be fair, cat owners too can also pose the same problems.

3 Party animal

This neighbour’s house is party central, blasting music and getting drunk till the wee hours of the morning. Their guests park in front of your house and take up the entire road. Don’t be surprised if you find cigarette butts, beer cans and bottles in front of your house the next morning.

4 24/7 renovators

You’ve been working all week and finally, you get to sleep in on your only day off on a Sunday morning. Suddenly, you hear a drill, followed by some hammering. With the nonstop construction, you wonder if your neighbour is ever going to finish renovating his house .

5 The so-called borrowers

Power tools, vegetables, tables and chairs... whenever this neighbour knocks on your door, you can expect him/her asking if they could borrow something. It’s true we should help each other out but you might as well bid adieu to your things as it’s the last you will ever see it because this neighbour never returns the things he/she borrows.

6 Litterbug + fire starter

This neighbour treats the neighbourhood like a dumpsite, including the grassy area in front of your house. Technically, the space outside your house is not yours, it belongs to the council but that does not mean it is a public area to throw rubbish.

Not that those who hoard rubbish within their own compound are any better as it attracts flies and pests. Some of them also choose to get rid of their rubbish through a bonfire.

7 Busybody

This neighbour cannot keep his or her nose out of your business – “Ooo, I saw some guy sending your daughter home last night, is that her boyfriend? He drives a nice car, he must be rich!” But this neighbour is nowhere to be found, let alone be of any help, when anything goes wrong, like when your house is broken into.

8 The next music superstar, not

They sing their hearts out, yodelling at odd hours. And in most cases, they can’t sing in tune to save their lives. The same goes for those aspiring musicians, who play their trumpet, drums or electric guitar in the wee hours of the morning or late at night.

9 The unkempt lawn resident

Your neighbour’s house is the perfect location for a horror movie with its unkempt lawn. Not that his lack of landscaping skills should bother you, but the tall grass could attract snakes and other pests.

10 Hotelier wannabe

It is common to see houses or apartment units converted into student dorms or hostels for workers, especially if you live near universities and factories. Never mind the fact that this is a violation of council bylaws, it may be a problem for the neighbourhood when it comes to parking space as well. If each tenant owns a car, imagine what the situation would be like if there are 20 staying in one house?