Good neighbours save brits billions every year

From borrowing a lawnmower to picking up the shopping and looking after our pets, the benefits of having a good relationship with neighbours add up financially.

These seemingly small acts of kindness have saved Brits £165 this year – with a whopping £5.8 billion of annual savings across the country on average each year. The highest savings come from neighbours looking after kids (£313 per year), helping out with cleaning (£276) and pet-sitting (£248).

With three-quarters (72%) of Brits prioritising a strong community when buying a home, new research from Halifax reveals the breadth of benefits that can come from a friendly face next door – from saving money, to supporting our wellbeing and mental health.

A poll of over 4,000 people found that the most common deeds that we do on our doorsteps that save money include picking up groceries (12%), watering plants (10%) and looking after pets (8%). On average, Brits who are getting neighbourly help receive ten hours support a month, with this increasing to 12 hours since the start of the pandemic.

More than half (52%) say that their neighbours have taken in parcels for them and more than a quarter (27%) get help with taking their bins out.

A friendly face next door boosts wellbeing

The power of a strong community goes beyond more pennies in our pockets, with nearly three quarters of Brits (71%) feeling a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing from living in a strong and supportive community.

Millions of Brits are closer to the people they live near than ever before, with one in four (25%) improving their relationship with neighbours since the pandemic began and only 3% saying their relationship has worsened.

A third (32%) would have found it harder to cope during the pandemic without their neighbours, rising to two-fifths (38%) of those aged 18-34, the highest of any age group. Chatting over the garden fence (26%), clapping for carers (24%) and discussing the ongoing situation (20%) were the things that brought neighbours closest together around the country.

Two fifths (40%) say that their neighbours were an important part of keeping up morale during the pandemic and a quarter of Brits (25%) agree that talking to a neighbour has been beneficial to their mental health.

Four in ten (38%) say a neighbour or member of their local community has made them feel less lonely during the pandemic.

Almost three-fifths (58%) now consider their neighbours to be friends, improving by 13% since the start of the pandemic. This number rose the most among 18-34-year-olds, with a quarter (25%) making new friends in the local community. Previously, a third (32%) of Brits were unable to name their neighbour next door. Now, 80% are on first-name terms and nearly half (48%) would miss their neighbours if they moved home.

Alison Hammond, campaign ambassador and TV personality, said: “As someone who moved home during lockdown, I’m familiar with the variety of emotions that come with settling into a new community. At first I was nervous about meeting my new neighbours as my old neighbours had been like family to me, but we soon got chatting over the garden fence and it was only a matter of time until we became great friends!

“The Community Counts report from Halifax is a brilliant reminder of all the wonderful acts of kindness that bring local people together, from the little things like taking a parcel in or putting the bins out, to knocking on the door to check you’re okay. I’m a big believer in the power of community and as this research shows, we all benefit from a friendly face next door.”

The future neighbourhood and a more socially-conscious community

The importance of community continues to shine through as millions of Brits face uncertainty. More than two-fifths (42%) believe having a strong community around them is more important now than before the pandemic. Nearly two-thirds (65%) intend to make an effort to support their neighbours and local community once the pandemic is over.

Over a third (35%) will now call on their neighbours in a crisis, where they may not have done before, and 63% of Brits feel reassured that their neighbours will be there for them in future.

This research forms part of the Community Counts report, an in-depth look at the benefits of having strong relationships with those we live closest to.

Press releases