Ugly Neighbours can Be Costly

29 Jul 2013| Posted by: Geoff Baldwin

The better presented a home the more it will be affected by untidy neighbours who can often cost tens of thousands of dollars off a sale price according to RE/MAX WA Managing Director, Geoff Baldwin. “The potential selling price of a home with average street presentation will be dragged down if adjacent homes are untidy, not maintained or overgrown however it is the superbly presented property that is affected the most” , Mr Baldwin said. “When a superbly presented home with immaculate street appeal is next door to an unkempt, run down property prospective buyers are even more distracted and more likely to be put off, “Often it can be worthwhile to have your agent seek permission from the offending neighbour to have the lawns and gardens trimmed and to have rubbish removed, etc even if it means spending a few dollars. “This often small investment can make a huge difference to the end result both in time on market and particularly in the price achieved. “Although bad presentation may be as a result of elderly owners or any numbers of legitimate reasons, potential buyers often relate untidiness with problem neighbours, so again it is better to address the issue before going to market. “I have often approached untidy neighbours asking them do they mind if we get our handyperson to give their front garden a free trim and tidy and this is usually accepted without hesitation so I would encourage any seller faced with a similar dilemma to have their agent do the same”, Mr Baldwin said. ENDS This and other subjects are covered in Geoff Baldwin's free how to guide ‘Hot Tips For Sellers' available at www.hottipsforsellers.com