AIBU to think Neighbourhood Watch doesn't mean you live in a scummy area?!

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DH and I are trying to sell our house. Sold twice but fallen through, first time was us as we decided to pull out we house we wanted to buy needed to much work and DS was a baby. Second time our buyer was sadly made redundant.

We live on a relatively new development and a bloke has set up a Neighbourhood Watch group and signage has gone on a lamp post outside our house. DH thinks this is putting buyers off and is hell-bent on taking the sign down, I've said it doesn't mean it's a crime ridden area (it's not!) but he thinks potential buyers will think this. I've told him he's being ridiculous.

AIBU or is he?

Yanbu.
I live in a scummy area and there is no way that 70% of the bloody neighbours would even consider such a scheme.

Neighbourhood watch signs make me think of retirement communities and curtain-twitchers, rather than lots of crime! We live somewhere that is popular with older couples/people and it’s a neighbourhood watch area. Very few young couples / families.

I think you’ve just had bad luck on the last couple of sales tbh. I wouldn’t even notice a sign like that outside a property.

I don’t think I’d pay much attention to NW signage, but if I did happen to notice it, I’d probably think the opposite and that there were vigilant (busybody ) neighbours around to keep the community safe and informed.

vigilant (busybody) neighbours

was trying to avoid saying this in as many words but @CaptainCabinets has managed it for me.

Ha ha, thanks everyone! I also think of curtain twitchers. Hopefully we will sell soon. I think it's the busy road that's putting people off at the back of the house.

Agree with PPs, I don't think crime when I see Neighbourhood Watch, I just think there are nosey buggers spying out the window!

I live in a town with a fair bit of crime and we don't have Neighbourhood Watch because nobody cares what's happening to their neighbours

YANBU - doesn't mean anything really. Though my uncle used to tell me that it meant you had nosy neighbours

I live in quite an affluent area now and we don't have neighbourhood watch but my neighbours are far more vigilant than the neighbours we had when we lived in a less affluent area.

It may be diferent now but i thought some insurance companies gave a discount if you lived in a neighbourhood watch area. Me experience has been that its areas that actually care about where they live being safe rather than scummy areas. I would see it as positive if i was looking to buy.

I live in a scummy area and there is no way that 70% of the bloody neighbours would even consider such a scheme.
I think I live in the same area as meglet. Completely agree YANBU

It's usually a sign of community pulling together and sharing information. It's a positive thing, not offputting at all.

We are in a NW area

Far from scummy area.

As for curtain twitchers, they could be twitching their curtains but apart from their own front garden I doubt they would see very much

Neighbourhood watch is a good thing and quite middle class in my opinion. Just a group of community minded busybodies people who are interested on what is going down in the hood locality.

I live in a NW area. Beautiful village. Rural.

I'm not much cop though as I'm an introverted unsociable bastard and haven't got a clue what's going on but I do have discount on my home insurance

There is a neighbour hood watch scheme in Kensington, I don’t think it’s put buyers off in that area!

Thanks, everyone. He's driving me crackers! I've told him he's not taking it down and to give it a rest

Definitely lowers house insurance and indicates a low risk area for crime.

I did not know it lowers house insurance! I will be on the phone tomorrow, thanks!

If i was looking at a property and noticed a neighbourhood watch sign i wouldn't assume it was a high crime area. I'd assume i might get pestered by some busy body wanting to join their busy body crew. Wouldn't put me off the property but I would dust off my Collin Gem English-Pratt phrasebook.

Neighbourhood Watch is naice.

Saltire has it. Nhw is about sharing information to protect a community and it's residents. It is not confined to scummy areas or run by naice curtain twitchers, just regular people looking out for one another.

Agree. Neighbourhood watch = mostly retired peoplewho notice if number 32 have parked on the grass verge again. But that's good!you want a street where people check out unusaul things, I would see it as a positive.