The dwelling as home is imbued with specific meanings for its inhabitants, even while they remain embedded within a broader network of social and spatial relations. One such set of relations are those with neighbours who can enhance sense of home, but also potentially undermine it. This article explores how problematic relations with neighbours can lead to a form of ‘home unmaking’ through the erosion of home as haven, autonomy and status. Drawing on 3930 cases of neighbour disputes in south-east Queensland, Australia, the article illustrates the opportunities afforded by administrative records as naturally-occurring data on everyday experiences of home and its unmaking, as well as the challenges that arise from using datasets never intended for research purposes.
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