Before you were trying to sell your home,your neighbor's horrendous lawn and unsightly paint may have been  annoying, but now their unkept property poses a real threat! How can you expect to sell your home for the price that you want when your neighbor's house looks terrible?

Here are a few actions you can take to make your neighborhood a little more presentable:

  1. Start by communicating with them. You may uncover a problem that you can help to solve. Is your neighbor elderly or ill? Perhaps you could help out with lawn care or basic maintenance. You might even get other neighbors involved to lend a hand.
  2. If you have an HOA, you can go to the president or governing committee. Most HOA’s have strict requirements for upkeep, and they take quick action to correct violations.
  3. Call the city code enforcement. If your neighbors’ grass is knee high and they have a rusted out Chevy in the front yard, they are probably in code violation.
  4. Use a fence or landscaping to hide unsightly side or back yards.
  5. Some home sellers who are serious may offer to pay to haul off trash or try to work out another option to try to help the situation.

Another property de-valuer, especially in today’s economy, is the foreclosure. While it is true that you unfortuantely cannot personally do anything about a foreclosed home in your neighborhood, you should be prepared to take a hit on your home’s appraisal value. Be aware of the home values in your neighborhood and what other sellers are listing their homes for. You may need to consider discounting your home or offering incentives to counteract the foreclosure.

Foreclosure is so commonplace now that it probably won’t affect people coming to your neighborhood – in fact, it may draw potential buyers. You just have to be ready to compete with the ‘bargain’ a foreclosure may present.

Are you in a similar situation and need help? Contact me and I can help with other tips to sell your home when your neighbors are not a great selling point!  

 

 

 

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