House sellers need to think beyond just cleaning up their own home for sale and make sure their neighbours just smile nicely and don't let slip any dirt on the neighbourhood according to a new report.

New Yorkshire Bank research found that one in three house hunters (32%) would be put off buying a property simply if the next door neighbours looked unfriendly.

It is not just how the neighbours look that could sabotage the sale either. Off the cuff negative remarks from the person next door about the area, street or even the house would prompt more than one in five (21%) to pull out of the sale.

Gary Lumby, Yorkshire Bank's head of retail, said: "All the effort and expense homeowners go to in order to sell their home from redecorating to tidying the garden could be for nothing if it's actually the neighbours that are putting prospective buyers off - despite the house itself potentially being perfect in every other way.”

"Many buyers really do their homework and that often includes chatting to the neighbours of the property they are looking to move in to.”

“Although it's certainly not a good idea to get your neighbours to lie about the area or the house, it might be worth some gentle encouragement to focus on the positive aspects of the neighbourhood rather than the bad, should they be asked."

Thorough research

Yorkshire Bank's research found that buyers are looking beyond just what the house is like and are considering the area and location of a property very carefully. Almost half (45%) would ensure they drove around the area at different times of the day to check on the noise levels and what the traffic is like before putting in an offer.

Not only that, but the fear of anti-social behaviour in an area is also a concern for one in four house hunters (24%) who would be put off a property if they saw groups of young people hanging around on the streets nearby.

Gary Lumby said: "With traffic congestion on the increase and councils even looking at charging to park outside your own home, in terms of the commute to work and the house's location, the area is just as important as the house itself.”

"A dream house is all well and good but if you're stuck in traffic for hours on end it makes sense to think ahead and consider the wider picture beyond what simply the house has to offer. In addition, if having young people hanging around on the streets is a worry, the location again is a major factor to work into the buying process."

Getting into hot water over bills

With energy prices still at an all time high, energy efficiency is high on the agenda for house hunters. One in four (25%) people would not buy a home if it did not have double-glazing or insulation.

On top of that, the rising cost of water is also causing concern. More than one in 10 (12%) would not buy a house with a water meter.

Gary Lumby said: "Utility bills can often come as a bit of a shock when they come through the door so it's a good thing that house hunters are concerned with ensuring properties are energy efficient to try and keep the costs down.  Although wholesale energy prices are starting to fall, it may well be a while before these reductions are passed onto domestic consumers.”

"Water meters often have a bad reputation as people perceive they lead to higher bills. However, they can often be cheaper for some householders partly because consumers are more conscious about their water consumption.”

“Should we experience more dry summers like the one we enjoyed this year, then householders may well have to get used to water meters as they could become compulsory in certain parts of the country."