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Most American homeowners crave privacy from their neighbors

by Emily Marek

Despite spending more time than ever at home, more than half of Americans admit to hiding from their neighbors, according to a survey from Top Rail Fence.

The fencing company surveyed over 1,000 Americans to learn about the way homeowners interact with their neighbors and found that 65% actively hide from them, while 45% interact with neighbors monthly or less often.

Respondents also admitted to pretending they don’t see their neighbors, staying inside when neighbors are outside, acting like they’re not home to avoid interactions, wearing headphones while outside and acting like they’re on the phone.

Younger generations are far more likely to partake in these avoidant activities: 75% of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they avoid their neighbors, as well as 74% of people aged 30 to 44 and 70% people aged 45 to 60. In comparison, only 38% of people aged 60 and older admitted to avoiding their neighbors.

Furthermore, women are less likely to interact with neighbors than men, with 54% of men saying they interact at least weekly, compared to 51% of women.

There are a few big instigators for rifts among neighbors, the most common being noise complaints. About a quarter of respondents — 24% — said they’ve had to deal with excessive noise from their neighbors, or that neighbors have complained about the level of noise they’ve made. Parking disputes, property line battles and trash disposal issues are also among the most common neighborly feuds.

Ultimately, the vast majority of Americans value privacy from their neighbors, with only 6% of survey respondents claiming privacy isn’t a concern at all. So what does that mean for the types of homes and perks homeowners are looking for today?

Nicholas McMillan, founder and owner of Hire Realty, said today’s homeowners are looking for features like sound-reducing windows, privacy landscaping — like trees and tall hedges — advanced security systems and smart-home technology that gives more control over who can enter the house.

It makes sense, then, that 26% of survey respondents said they installed a fence or privacy screen, while 34% planted trees for privacy and 15% arranged their patio furniture in a way that increases privacy or decreases the chances of neighbor interactions.

However, 60% of respondents ultimately said they’d rather put up a fence than have no neighbors at all, suggesting that while people do crave privacy, they don’t want to be completely isolated from the outside world.

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