Listing your home for sale is often characterized by signing a few papers and putting a “For Sale” sign in the front yard. However, with increased competition and readily available resources online, selling your home has become more intricate. Homeowners are expected to “stage the house,” and make it more appealing to home buyers. Pricing and condition are key factors in selling your home, but there’s one last factor that could influence a buyer’s decision: Your neighbors.

From run-down, shabby houses to unkempt yards that show a lack in maintenance, each neighbor can impact the sale of your home. From appearance alone, buyers can be put off from moving into your home because they don’t want to be near your neighbors.

To avoid this bad impression, here are some ways of dealing with bad neighbors and the multitude of situations you could face:

Dealing with a Foreclosed Home

One of the most common issues when it comes to selling a home these days is dealing with a foreclosure in your neighborhood. Foreclosed homes are, unfortunately, a relatively common occurrence in many neighborhoods across the country. These properties may sit vacant for a long time and thus are not well kept.

Fortunately, there are ways to deal with foreclosed homes in your area. The first thing you should do if you notice that the home is beginning to look run down is to contact the bank that owns it. Notify them that they need to maintain the property to at least some extent. If this does not do the trick, you may be able to get your city law enforcement to step in.

Dealing with Poorly Maintained Homes

Do you have a neighbor who simply does not know how to care for his or her own property? Perhaps the grass is always overgrown or the property simply looks run down. Regardless of the specific situation, there are steps that can be taken. If you know your neighbor well enough, you may consider offering to work with him or her when it comes to restoring the property. Of course, you will want to use some tact when bringing the subject up to your neighbor, to avoid insulting him or her.

If that does not work, then you may need to get the city involved. For example, there are likely ordinances in place that require lawns to be reasonably maintained. Failure to do so can result in fines, which is usually enough to persuade the homeowner to take better care of the property.

Dealing with Loud or Annoying Pets

If your neighbors have loud or intimidating pets such as large dogs, this can certainly be a turn-off to any prospective home buyer who comes to see your listing. If speaking with your neighbor about keeping the pets quiet or making sure they are kept on the property does not work, then you may have no choice but to call animal control as a means of resolving the problem.

Dealing with Bad Neighbors

Dealing with bad neighbors can be annoying, but it should not mean that you have to sacrifice the value of your home. Keep the above tips in mind and focus on successfully selling your home.