How Do You Define A \u201cBad Neighbor\u201d?<\/h2>\n
When you think of your neighbor, is it really an issue you personally have with them or does it have more to do with something else? Maybe it\u2019s their home (which is in total disrepair), or their dog (which never stops barking and digging holes) or their newly found love of loud and obnoxious projects. Whatever the issue is, there are ways of handling a bad neighbor, and all of them start with better communication.<\/p>\n
Communication is Key<\/h3>\n
In fact, Nicolas Jonville<\/a>, a top San Marcos seller\u2019s agent (who ranks in the top 30% of local agents) swears by it saying, \u201cCommunication tactics are really key in my opinion\u2014 a lot of things can be taken care of with respect and communication.\u201d<\/p>\n So what\u2019s the risk of a bad neighbor ruining your sale? Most problems reported by sellers revolve around the things you\u2019d expect: the neighbors are messy, loud, or just generally eccentric and unpleasant personalities. Any and all of these things could turn a buyer\u2019s interest, especially since no one wants to inherit troublesome neighbors.<\/p>\n The trick with bad neighbors isn\u2019t to aggravate these issues, it\u2019s to try and solve them (as much as possible) before the sale. The happier you can make your crazy, messy, noisy neighbor before the buyers arrive, the better chance you have of them being cooperative. And cooperation is key.<\/p>\n Here are some of the most common problems surrounding selling a house with bad neighbors and how you can work to solve them.<\/p>\n Your street has a lot of curb appeal, but then there\u2019s the one neighbor who seems to have stopped mowing the lawn, parked all their junk out front like a permanent yard sale, and just generally let the house go. Obviously, this isn\u2019t something you want your buyer to see. So what to do?<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to get mad at a neighbor like this, especially when you\u2019re already knee-deep in the stress of trying to sell your home. But getting mad isn\u2019t going to help, and in fact might be completely uncalled for if you knew the whole back story.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be too quick to make assumptions as to why your neighbor\u2019s yard is in such a state of disrepair. You never know what\u2019s going on behind closed doors: that overgrown yard next door may be that way because someone is ill, depressed, or otherwise falling on hard times. By visiting your neighbor in person you\u2019ll quickly be able to tell what\u2019s going on, and if it\u2019s an issue of sloppiness or a recent tragedy.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s a problem that your neighbors are leaving their home in a state of disrepair, it\u2019s important to remember they might<\/i> not be doing this by choice, and they\u2019re definitely<\/i> not doing it to upset you.<\/p>\n One of the best solutions in a situation like this is to simply offer your assistance in a respectful way. You\u2019re signaling to your neighbor that you care about the appearance of the neighborhood, and you’re on their side when it comes to improving the community and raising property values.<\/p>\n Says Jonville, \u201cThe bad neighbor who\u2019s not really bad [is one] that doesn\u2019t take care of their home and it looks awful. If the seller is willing to speak to their neighbor, maybe something can be done to the house\u2014 a split of cost to have the front of the house repainted or to improve the front yard. As a realtor I\u2019ve chipped in to get a client\u2019s neighbor\u2019s yard cleaned up if they couldn\u2019t afford it or didn\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n Find out the most affordable way to clean up your neighbor\u2019s house or yard and make a plan. Hire a kid in the neighborhood to help, or even spend a few hours doing it yourself. Showing compassion will go a long way in earning your neighbor\u2019s respect, and securing their loyalty and cooperation will help ensure a smooth sale.<\/p>\n Barking dogs, obnoxious music, construction projects, and things that sound like they might be bomb-testing in the backyard, anything that disturbs your daily peace and quiet won\u2019t go unnoticed by a buyer. Whatever the noise scenario that\u2019s happening in your neighborhood, try and find a way to chat with your neighbor about it before the open house<\/a>.<\/p>\n You should also be strategic in your timing. Don\u2019t approach your neighbor with a noise complaint when it\u2019s happening. Choose a calm time to approach the subject in an empathetic way. Show that you care about them and hopefully, they\u2019ll start to care about you once the conflict situation is past.<\/p>\n One way to do this is to first offer up an apology for any noise you<\/i> might be making that\u2019s disturbing them<\/i>. Noise complaints often arise when people are on different schedules, so it might be that they find your morning rituals as annoying as you find their late-night ones. Find a way to bring these things up at a good time in a non-aggressive way.<\/p>\n Although this type of neighbor is still incredibly annoying, they\u2019re fortunately not as likely to raise a red flag with buyers. The details you know about them encroaching on your property lines\u2014 a fence post here or a tree branch there (or even a pet that likes to dig holes), aren\u2019t problematic enough to make buyers run away screaming the way a mess or noise will be. If you notice something that\u2019s infringing on your property, talk to your neighbor (before the sale) about what you can both do to resolve it.<\/p>\n Again, the same tactics apply here as with the ugly home nextdoor: Offer a helping hand to get tasks done\u2014 even if the responsibility should technically fall on your neighbor. Help them to remove a tree branch that\u2019s hanging in your yard or mend a falling fence. Extending the metaphorical olive branch to your neighbor gives you the best chance that they\u2019ll do the same.<\/p>\n If your neighbor isn\u2019t seeing the problem, ask to get together with your surveys and walk the property lines together. Do this right and you’ll both see the same issues, and (hopefully) you’ll be able to come up with a solution together.<\/p>\n It happens. A weird or crazy neighbor that seems to check off all of the worst possible scenarios in the book. Maybe they throw outlandish parties, or just happen to be incredibly rude during every interaction. One thing you can do, is watch this<\/a> (it\u2019s short and guaranteed to make you feel better).<\/p>\nHow Can A Bad Neighbor Ruin Your Sale?<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>There Are 4 Typical Types of Bad Neighbors Putting Home Sales at Risk<\/h2>\n
Bad Neighbor #1: The (Ugly) Home Next Door<\/h3>\n
Bad Neighbor #2: The Noisy Neighbor<\/h3>\n
Bad Neighbor #3: The Invasive Neighbor<\/h3>\n
Bad Neighbor #4: The Nightmare Neighbor<\/h3>\n