Real Estate Advice
Make A Good Neighbor
Dear Pat,
We’re planning to sell this spring, and we’re busy getting things
ready inside our house, but it’s the outside that concerns us. Our
south side neighbor has a big elm tree in his backyard that overhangs
our property. It provides lots of nice shade in the summer, but it
needs trimming badly, as some of the branches are dead and others are
beginning to rub on our roof. We mentioned this last year but our
neighbor hasn’t done anything. We don’t want to argue with him, but we
do want the situation cleared up before we go on the market. Any
ideas?
---Need a Good Neighbor
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Dear Neighbors,
It’s surprising how often this question comes up in various forms, in
regard to neighbors’ unsightly paint jobs, or junk in their yards, or
noisy dogs, or broken-down fences. There is seemingly no limit to the
ways we can be hindered by our neighbors when it’s our turn to sell.
On the face of it, there appears to be little we can do—but I’ve
practiced, and advised using, a proactive approach that can help to
give you some control over these situations. This approach can be
expensive, but may be well worth the cost to many who want to sell
their home more easily. First, let’s answer your specific question.
The law gives you the right to trim branches that impinge on your
property or that hang over your yard. Before you do, speak to your
neighbor again. You cannot expect him to pay for a complete tree
trimming, but you can at least explain why you need to cut back the
branches touching your house. This is a good time to propose that you
help him to trim the entire tree, by lining up the tree service and
paying for half the cost. The offer may get your neighbor motivated,
and in the long run it can help sell your house by making both
properties look well maintained. Yes, it’s an expense of sale you had
not planned on, but after you’ve compiled the numbers, you may decide
it’s worth it. |
What I am proposing is that you pay
to make a good neighbor, Neighbors. In order to
sell our own houses over the years, my husband and
I once had trees planted in a neighbor’s yard to
help hide his decrepit garage from our view, and
another time we painted a neighbor’s peeling trim.
I’ve advised clients over the years to pay to
clean up their neighbors’ junky yards, mow their
10-inch lawns, and, on occasion, to provide
neighbors with cosmetic repairs that we agreed
were cost-effective. Obviously, it’s very unusual
to go to these extreme lengths—but when a
neighbor’s house can stop a sale, it may well be
worth it. Good luck!
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Pat
Rosaves is a full-time real estate
professional living in the Seward -
Longfellow area. She has more than 29
years experience in helping people with
their real estate needs. Questions may be
sent to her at River Realty, 2543 38th
Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55406. Or call her
at 612-724-1314 or email her at Pat@RiverRealty.net |
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