How to Prevent Nightmare Neighbors from Derailing Your Home Sale

In a perfect world, every neighbor on the block would have perfectly manicured lawns, polite kids, and never make a peep. But in reality, there will always be the hoarders, the late-night partiers, and the non-stop dog barkers.

If you’ve got a family living next door that fits one of these descriptions, it could put a wrench in the home selling process.

Here are five common issues with neighbors, and some suggestions on how to deal with them.

An Overgrown, Unkempt Lawn

While some home owners meticulously maintain their lawns, others simply don’t even bother. If your next door neighbor’s lot is riddled with weeds and overgrown grass, it could be an eyesore that potential home buyers will be turned off by.

In many municipalities, there are stringent guidelines about how home owners are supposed to take care of their properties. The solution might be as simple as calling the city and have them deal with the jungle next door by demanding a quick clean up. But if this option isn’t available to you, you might have to have a chat with the neighbor yourself. Just make sure you tread lightly with the conversation.

Rather than command the neighbor to cut the grass and get rid of the debris, offer to help him or her get the property in order until your house is sold. If professional landscaping services are needed, you might have to suck it up and flip the bill for these services, especially if your neighbor is strapped for cash. While this surely isn’t your responsibility, the couple of hundred bucks it’ll cost will more than come back to you with a quicker sale. It could end up costing you more with a listing that sits on the market for weeks.

Noisy and Annoying Neighbors

This can be a tough one to deal with. Some people simply have no qualms about airing out their dirty laundry for the entire neighborhood to hear. Whether they argue on their front lawn, or have teenage kids that like to party, it can be a challenging situation to address effectively. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

Talk to them at first, and point out their noisy nature in a friendly manner. Some people might not even realize how noisy they really are. Proper etiquette suggests asking them nicely to quiet down before ruffling any feathers.

It’s important to note that you’re legally obligated to disclose any noisy or obnoxious neighbors to buyers, depending on the regulations in your community. You might luck out with a buyer who doesn’t mind these types of neighbors, and may want to party alongside the partying teens.

If you live in a condo, the condominium corporation will most likely have rules in place that don’t allow loud and disruptive behavior. In this case, a simple call to the corporation can be all that’s needed, after which they’ll deal with the problem for you. Otherwise you might need to come up with an “override” solution to your noisy neighbors, such as planting some sound-absorbing tree shrubs to help drown out the loudness next door.

Menacing Dogs

Barking dogs are always a nuisance, especially if they go at it all day (and sometimes all night). The problem can be even worse if the neighbors allow the dogs to roam the area off their leashes. If the neighbors are unwilling to control the situation, the solution here is simple and straightforward – call animal control.

The Hoarders

If you’ve got a junk collector living next door, it’ll negatively affect the appearance of your home. Maybe the neighbor is using the front lawn as a place to store spare car parts, old appliances, or even junk cars. Whatever the case may be be, this stuff has got to go. This perpetual garage sale-style yard is going to do little to attract home buyers.

If the neighbor is unwilling to put in some elbow grease to clear the yard, or simply can’t afford to get a company to do it for him or her, consider doing the job yourself. If you don’t have the time, flip the bill for a garbage bin rental, temporary storage shed, or junk removal services. Every month that your house sits on the market costs you money in carrying costs. And a nearby property’s clutter can easily shave 5 to 10 percent off the sale price of your home. The money you spend to rectify this situation will come back in spades with a quicker sale at top dollar.

The Next-Door Foreclosure

Probably some of the worst eyesores are homes that are owned by the banks. The previous owners may have destroyed the place before they were kicked out, and lenders aren’t always on top of property maintenance. Not only that, but foreclosed homes might make buyers think that prices in the neighborhood may fall even lower, which does little to the perceived value of the area.

If the neighboring home is a foreclosed one, try calling the bank and the listing agent if it’s currently on the market. Insist that they protect the property to make sure it’s not further vandalized or open to transients setting up shop. Ask them to at least maintain the front yard so it looks somewhat presentable.

If all else fails, call the municipality. Every city has rules that dictate how properties should appear, particularly when it comes to health and safety. In some cities, for instance, grass over a certain height or fences falling over are considered violations.

There are a bunch of obstacles that could potentially stand in the way of attracting buyers to your home and making a sale in a decent amount of time. How you choose to deal with these hurdles can have a big effect on the final result. This is where the expertise of a real estate agent can really prove to be a life saver. He or she can help you tread these waters lightly in order to minimize any ruffling of feathers while getting your home sold in a decent amount of time, and for the money your home is really worth.