HOW TO DEAL WITH NOISY NEIGHBOURS WHEN SELLING YOUR HOUSE
The time has come, you want or NEED to move house. For an unfortunate few selling their home is due to noisy neighbours.
Having made the difficult decision to move house and put your property on the market, you now have a new issue to deal with – How do you deal with those troublesome neighbours when your trying to sell your house? The very last thing you want is for your Estate Agent to have arranged a diary full of viewers for you, and then have your neighbours destroy any chance of a sale!
Help is at hand! Provided you deal with the situation appropriately, some form of compromise or solution can be achieved. Better still, once sorted, you can move home with a clear conscience knowing that the family that bought your home won’t have to endure the same situation you did for years on end.
Whilst there are many options available to you, the following is the more dare we say.… ‘neighbourly’ answer!
Believe it or not, the majority of noisy neighbours are simply unaware. Very few people would intentionally disrupt their neighbours peace and quiet. So as a first step try talking to your neighbour and do so in a constructive manner.
Sit down one evening with a pen and paper and work out a few key points to ensure the conversation with your neighbour runs smoothly.
Think about the following:
What exactly is the problem – i.e. are the children running riot, does the dog bark continuously, or is their music too loud?
When would be the best time to have a chat with your neighbour? If the children are the issue for example, you don’t want to ask for a chat when they are about to feed the little darlings their dinner or have a bath. Perhaps you would be better to have an informal chat over the garden fence as you put the washing out in the back garden one Sunday morning.
Can you give some examples of when the noise is at its worst? Your neighbour may genuinely be unaware of the issue so don’t take offence if asked when the problem happens, just be in a position to politely provide some examples.
The main focus for you has to be calmness. You must ensure that you are firm but fair and NEVER confrontational. The last thing you want to do is make matters worse so have a solution or compromise in mind that you would be happy with BEFORE you raise the topic.
If the noise has been caused by the children or loud music that should be easily sorted. If the noise is due to the dog barking that may take a little bit more effort on your neighbours’ part. Explain that you are looking to sell your house and have viewers arranged. Do not joke that you are selling the house because of your neighbours, and do not discuss the conversation with any of your other neighbours, the outcome will not be favourable!
One suggestion could be that you will text/phone or provide your neighbour with a list of when your viewers are due to arrive. Your now ‘understanding’ neighbour could ensure the kids are entertained with a favourite movie, visit a friend or walk the dog – which of course sorts out the barking too!
If you neighbour is not open to this suggestion, offer another compromise in that noise could be reduced / stopped altogether during certain hours in order for you to book in viewers.
It is a good idea to keep your Estate Agent informed of the issue as they will then be in a position to assist you with the viewing diary. If your Estate Agent does not know of the problem they may worry that you are being uncooperative with regards to viewing schedules.
In general most people care about how their neighbours perceive them and would not want to be disliked within the street. However if you find that your neighbour is in the minority and quite simply does not care then it may be in your best interest to contact your local council.
The council can offer a mediation service to resolve the situation and can even contact the landlord of the property if the home is rented. In extreme situations you can take court action but this would of course be as a very last resort.
Remember conversation is king! A friendly, informal chat with you will be received far better than a letter of complaint or a knock on the door by a police officer or council member. Look at things from a different perspective, wouldn’t you prefer a friendly chat if the situation was reversed?
Go make that cuppa and get your mighty pen do the work of the sword. The sale of your house is only a nice conversation away. Good luck!
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