LIVING next door to a lorry driver or someone who keeps a caravan in their drive can knock thousands of pounds off the value of your home, a new report warns.

An HGV lorry parked next to a house could knock around 16 per cent off its value, the equivalent of £24,000 on the average property worth £150,000, said Assertahome.

Homes with a caravan or camper van parked nearby do not fare much better, facing a 12 per cent or £18,000 reduction in their price.

Other offenders include white vans, which can knock 11 per cent off a property's value, because potential buyers will worry about the image of 'white van man'.

And having an abandoned car nearby can reduce prices by seven per cent, as it suggests the area is run down, with a high crime rate.

People with neighbours who own large motorbikes face a five per cent reduction in the price of their home as potential buyers may fret about noise levels.

But, at the other end of the scale, having the right car parked near your house can actually increase its value. Premier sports cars top the league for snob appeal, raising house prices in the street by around 12 per cent.

These are followed by executive cars, such as a Lexus, Mercedes or BMW, which can add 11 per cent to property prices as they are seen as status symbols of high earners.

Even 4x4s help boost property prices by up to nine per cent, as potential buyers latch on to the higher level of income required to run the vehicles.

Your Move estate agents spokesman Peter Everett said: "Every house has what we call kerb appeal. People will drive past a house they are interested in viewing and form an immediate impression of the property and the neighbouring properties based on the external appearance and the type of car on the driveway or on the street."

Assertahome MD Jim Buckle said househunters looking for up and coming areas should look for a smattering of upmarket cars in an otherwise unfashionable area, as this was a strong marker of gentrification, and suggested house prices there should outperform more well-to-do neighbourhoods.