How Your Neighbors Can Help (or Hurt) Your Home's Sale

When preparing to sell your home, you probably spend a lot of time and energy getting it in its best showing condition. But can improvements to your neighbors property help sell your home?

Imagine that youve spent time and energy weeding the front yard, painting the front door, power-washing your siding and planting flowers. Youve updated the kitchen and bathrooms and de-cluttered the home. Youre ready to go to market.

And then, when you step across the street to look at your home, all that stands out are the beat-up cars in your neighbors driveway, not to mention the torn-up lawn, barking dogs and overall negative curb appeal (or in this case, curb unappealing).

If you find the neighbors home unappealing, imagine what a potential buyer may think. The fact is, your neighbors unsightly property can rub off on your own houses curb appeal, no matter how much youve done to improve it. But you have options.

Even if you dont have a plan to sell now, its good practice to maintain a friendly relationship with the neighbors. You never know when youll need them.

Aside from possible curb appeal issues, its not uncommon for issues to come up during a sale. Problems regarding fence repair, retaining walls or easements can often bring a neighbor into your home sale process. Having a good relationship with your neighbor from the beginning will help to ensure their cooperation when you need them at a critical time in the home sale.

If you plan to sell your home in the near future, its a good idea to give the neighbors a heads-up well in advance. Aside from the occasional nosey neighbor, people simply like to be in the know. If you think youll need assistance from a neighbor for whatever reason, it will be easier to approach them if youve given them notice. Knocking on their door telling them youre selling and then requesting their cooperation under the gun wont help.

It will be difficult to ask your neighbors to reseed their lawn, pull their weeds, change their fence or paint their door to help your sale. Ask them to pay for it, and you can expect resistance.

If you need your neighbor to do some curb appeal work to help your sale, the money should come out of your pocket. On top of that, you cant force the neighbor to use your landscaper, painter or contractor, even if youre paying for it. Dont forget: Its their home, not yours, and you need to tread lightly. Though many neighbors will appreciate the offer to spruce up their home on your dime, others may be hesitant. Bullying them to work on your timeframe or with your rules wont help.

With luck, a home sale can proceed smoothly without the need to involve neighbors. But if you hope to sell in the future, understand that your neighbors cooperation may be necessary. If you plan in advance, open the doors of communication and offer to make things easy, youre more likely to get what you want.

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How Your Neighbors Can Help (or Hurt) Your Home's Sale