A home seller living next door to a household with a slovenly property could find themselves losing prospective buyers who don’t want to be future neighbors with a bunch of slobs.
A new survey commissioned by REMAX Canada found 18% of Canadians admitting that a poorly maintained neighboring property would be their top deal breaker when viewing homes for sale. The other top five deal breakers are lack of curb appeal (41%), room sizes that are smaller than they appeared in marketing photos (40%), too much competition from other buyers (36%), and having the home being too close to bars, restaurants and stores (28%).
Other common turn-offs for buyers include cluttered or untidy homes from sellers during showings (27%), unhelpful real estate agents (18%), and sellers being present during showings (11%).
REMAX Canada recommended planting hedges or adding greenery can block unsightly views, while offering to help maintain a neighbor’s lawn could improve overall curb appeal. Still, many buyers are apprehensive if neighboring properties are in a state of disrepair or worse.
“While the home is the ultimate goal for buyers, the neighboring properties and surrounding community often say a lot about what life might be like there for you, as a resident,” says Don Kottick, President of REMAX Canada. “Not all homebuyers are able or willing to see past a rough exterior to find properties with potential, and something like an unkempt streetscape could be their sign to keep on walking. Market conditions are shifting in many markets. Buyers have more inventory to choose from and more time to shop, make decisions, and see what else is out there. When we talk about sellers adapting to current conditions, we’re not just referring to price adjustment. Sellers should be mindful of every detail of their property, including the ones that they can’t control — like the neighbor’s front lawn.”
The online survey was conducted by the market research firm Leger, which polled 1,510 Canadians between March 19-24.
