“In America, we take care of each other, we support one another, and we look out for our neighbors.”
Michael M. Honda
One of the major benefits of living in Sanpete County is the way the whole community comes together when neighbors are in need. Whether a new business is opening or a friend needs a hand, we’re there to help out.
Great neighbors make a neighborhood a wonderful place to be. Together, we can do more than we ever could apart. For these reasons, your neighbors are a fantastic asset when selling your home.
Do Neighbors Affect the Sale of My Home?
The short answer is: YES, most definitely. If just one property is improperly maintained or if one neighbor causes problems, potential buyers may be turned off.
Not only can your neighbors turn off potential buyers, but they can decrease the value of your home. In fact, Richard Borges, the President of the Appraisal Institute, says, “I’ve seen many situations where external factors, such as living near a bad neighbor, can lower home values by more than 5 to 10 percent,”1
So how can you make sure your neighbors will help with the sale of your home instead of hindering it? It’s actually quite simple.
How To Enlist Neighbors To Help Sell Your Home
As a Realtor, I always recommend that homeowners send a small flyer to all the neighbors around them when they decide to sell their home. The flyer should do the following:
- Introduce you and your family to neighbors you may not know well, and let them know how long you have been in the neighborhood.
- Explain why you are moving.
- Reveal when your home will go on the market.
- Apologize for any noise or distractions from contractors or landscapers working to increase the curb appeal of your home.
- Inform them that a Realtor will be showing your home and prospective home buyers will be in the neighborhood.
- Provide details about the sale of your home, including price. I use online tools to grab a market snapshot of estimated property values of the neighborhood and share this, also. Everyone likes to know how their property value is doing.
- Invite them to a neighborhood private showing where you can show off the house and any upgrades you may have done.
- List any common neighborhood problems that you have solved on your property. An example may be how you have configured your home garden to keep out deer or other critters.
- Offer some incentive for your neighbors to get the word out to their friends and family. A simple gift of a nice dinner or gift card is well worth the cost if someone comes through with a buyer.
- Provide the contact information for your Realtor/Broker so they can answer any questions.
Neighbors like to be in “the know” with what happens near their home. These small flyers are a great way to get the word out. Bonus points if you also send some fresh baked cookies!!
After your neighbors receive your flyer, follow up with a brief conversation in person. Check for concerns. It’s just good manners, anyway!
Final Thoughts
Using this simple flyer idea, you can expand how many people know about your home and have neighbors champion the sale on your behalf. Neighbors will be more aware of how things like curb appeal and positive neighborhood experiences will be important to you during the sale of your home.
Add on a nice smile during your follow up conversation, and you will go a long way to getting even the most reserved neighbors involved. I have seen neighbors who have habitually neglected their yard work suddenly get outside to help bring up the property values in the whole neighborhood!!
Just in case you’re wondering what to do if your neighbor’s property is hindering the sale of yours, I am working on that, too. Look for it soon!
Do you have any questions about dealing with neighbors when selling your home? I would love to answer them in the comments.
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