Jonathan Rolande, of the National Association of Property Buyers, regularly sees the impact of unkempt front gardens.
He said: “It is a common issue; you see broken trampolines and piles of waste. I’ve seen asbestos shed roofs that people don’t want to dispose of because of the expense, so they just leave them in the garden covered in ivy.
“A mess outside a house just looks horrible, it’s not nice. But it also raises concern to the buyer that the neighbour could be trouble.
“If you’ve got broken down cars in the front garden, for example, will they be working on cars early on a Sunday morning. Or if there’s a large accumulation of waste, maybe they are a hoarder or recluse.
“People don’t want to buy trouble.”
Conflicts between neighbours when trying to sell can be distressing, and those trying to sell up can feel nervous to approach others asking for a tidy-up.
Ms Khan said: “If you have a good relationship with your neighbour, it is worth approaching them to see if they would be happy to make changes to the appearance of their property.”
