When it comes to making good neighbours, fences have nothing on childless couples and retirees.

A new real estate survey finds more than half of homeowners - fully 58 per cent - see twosomes without tots as ideal next-door denizens, followed closely by retirees at 54 per cent (survey respondents weren't limited to one answer). Also popular among the suburban set are singles, with 38 per cent support, and pet owners at 28 per cent.

Students are listed among the worst neighbours (46 per cent), with most respondents saying their presence devalues bordering properties by as much as 10 per cent. Others on the laundry list of undesirables include unrelated people in shared housing (37 per cent), families with teenagers (37 per cent), and families with young children (20 per cent).

A Canadian real estate expert with nearly 30 years experience in the business says the results of the Australian survey of 1,579 people ring true.

"(Neighbours) not only impact the value of the subject property, they can also negatively impact your lifestyle," says Les Phillips, past president of the Alberta Real Estate Association. "Think noisy, unruly neighbours who party around the firepit until all hours, with a few wrecked cars on the street for good measure."

In the business, he says the effect is known as "locational obsolescence." It describes something that influences property value but cannot be controlled or cured by the homeowner. Excessive street noise is an example.

"Having a lousy neighbour can be the same as having a house right next to the gas station," says Phillips.

"Once you've had a bad experience, (who lives next door) is the No. 1 question. But if you've always had good neighbours, the subject seldom comes up."

Rebecca Rutherford, a lawyer from Toronto, estimates her former neighbours cost her $30,000 on the sale of a previous home.

On the day of her open house, Rutherford recalls the neighbour's teenaged son and his goth friends sat on his front porch drinking beer from noon until 10 p.m. The three offers the Ontario woman had lined up on her home - which was expected to spark a bidding war - were withdrawn shortly after.

"You can choose your friends but not your neighbours," observes Shaun Di. Gregorio, general manager of realestate.com.au, the website that conducted the survey.

A study published by Statistics Canada in 2000 found Atlantic Canadians and residents of Saskatchewan make the friendliest neighbours, followed by those in Manitoba, Ontario, B.C., Alberta and Quebec, respectively.

A later study by the government agency found city dwellers don't know or trust their neighbours as much as rural Canadians, but are equally likely to help or receive help from them.

According to the Australian survey, students and renters are - rightly or wrongly - perceived as playing loud music, being generally rowdy, and showing a lack of interest in maintaining their home's exterior. Similarly, families with teenagers are linked in the public consciousness to slamming doors, loud arguments, and musical instrument practice.

Childless couples and retirees rank well because they're not viewed as intrusive or bothersome to most.

"Some people don't like children - which as a parent, is a tough one to grasp. But they can be noisy and they do cause damage," says Phillips.

"As for retirees, they don't have a lot to do, so they tend to cut their grass regularly, they shovel their snow, they have nice gardens, and they bake you cookies."

The realestate.com.au survey was conducted online during the first week of April. Results are considered accurate within 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Source Ottawa Citizen