House viewings - neighbour refuses to take down flag

[KayleighhMum]

Our house is up for sale and we have viewings commencing from tomorrow - 7 in total lined up over the course of the week.

Our neighbour hung a large England flag from his top window on Friday and it has remained up. DH saw him outside the front on Saturday and politely asked if he could take it down before Tuesday. He basically laughed and said if any prospective new neighbour dislikes the flag then they won’t be the sort of person he’d want living next to him. It remains up now.

I am concerned this would be off putting, but speaking to my mum earlier she thinks I am over thinking things and it wouldn’t make a difference if someone likes the house.

Do you think we should try and ask again or would you assume it shouldn’t put people off? We are semi detached so it will definitely be noticed.

No prior issues with this neighbour who has always been friendly etc.

He said no, asking again will likely just encourage him to get more. There's nothing you can do about it. I thought my neighbours hideously overgrown garden might put buyers off but it didn't. Good luck selling your house.

We have a house round ours that always displays a flag. It’s not just a thing in the last week or so with all the gland flags going up. It’s but a symbol that they are far right.

How am I a bigot?
in stating that lots of flags are flown by bigots and non bigots are trying to remove this tainted image is hardly displaying any bigotry.

I think you need a dictionary. There are many online.

You can’t make him take it down, but it would 100% put me off. Sorry!

I’m white , English born & bred and it would put me off.

But you can’t keep asking him op.

If I'd booked a viewing, I'd politely look round your house, coo in all the right places, but I would not put in an offer. Then I'd probably sneak back in the dead of night and nick his flag 😀 (to try and do you a favour 👍)

I completely understand your point of view OP.

It would definitely put me off buying your house.

Yes there should be no issue with people displaying their national flag.

But there is no doubt that the current ''flag shagging'' in England is associated with the likes of Farage and general dislike of non-white and immigrants and the far right in general. Not the type of people I would want to live next to.

Oh dear, there goes the neighbourhood….I wouldn’t even get out of the car to view your house, sorry.

Anyone who calls people “lefties” as a derogatory term is the kind of flag-shagging dunce I’d prefer to live far, far away from.

It will put some people off (including me) and be attractive to others. Nothing wrong with flying flags, but it's often an indicator of 'chaviness'.

Has he got a white van too?

Is the English flag a bad thing in England? In Scotland, no one would bat an eyelid at a saltire flying high although granted, I only usually see this on houses in the countryside or left over from staunch independence supporters.

It would put me off. But my neighbour hung a skull and crossbones flag on his door with the word hate when I was doing viewings. And I still managed to sell!

It would put me off however there’s nothing you can do. You’ve already asked and he said no.

They probably meant someone who's easily manipulated and prone to knee-jerk reactions.

You can’t make him remove it and he takes pleasure in knowing he’s annoying you. Best not ask again. Must admit it would put me off as a buyer, but some people won’t care or will even be pleased.

It would put me off.

I don’t think you can ask him again. In the end, it’s up to him what he displays on his property.

Yes, there’s nothing wrong with the England or UK flags, but as a buyer you’d naturally think about the potential intent behind displaying it at this time.

To be honest, your neighbour has a point. I can see why you think it might put people off, but he's entitled to display what he likes in his own window (as long as it's not nude pics 😆).

Me too

It could be for the Women’s Rugby World Cup. England had an amazing game against the US.

I agree with this.

It put us off offering on a house that we would’ve got for a brilliant price but I didn’t want risk living with neighbours like ‘that’.

Everyone waxing lyrical about the lovely flag flying in Scotland, Wales, France etc etc, do you have ANY knowledge or understanding of the flags issue in areas of N Ireland / Belfast

If I'd already said no and you asked again, I'd put another one up!

Let’s all fly Trattoria-opening flags!

Yes, flags hanging out of neighbouring windows have put me off houses. Maybe you could offer to pay him to take it down?