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.

I’m sorry but it would definitely put me off and o would not put an offer in. I’m white but I know what the flag represents, particularly right now, and I don’t want to live next to racist people

It’s probably best that prospective buyers know this and if it’s something that bothers them they can avoid buying.

He's said no. You have no right, at all, to badger him to take it down. Even if 'initial feedback' is it's put people off, he has every right to not actually care. What difference does you selling your house make to him? None whatsoever.

You can’t insist, but I wouldn’t buy the house.

And he probably doesn't want to live next door to judgey, reactive folk.

Normally it wouldn’t put me off, but the timing would make me think the neighbour is a supporter of these ridiculous protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers.

It doesn’t have the same connotations. Far right groups are actively encouraging people to display flags, particularly near hotels where asylum seekers are.
Everyone claiming it’s nothing to do with this is either naive or pretending

It would massively put me off, especially given what's going on at the moment. I would assume they're a racist, Reform-voting family and we wouldn't get on.

However, you can't make him. It's just rubbish timing. I suppose it wouldn't put everyone off.

I agree with this.

You have asked...he said no. Its his property and for whatever reasons, he wants to fly the flag and keep it up.

Having an English flag up does not make a person racist. It's pathetic that any other country is allowed to be represented by a flag but England is not. I imagine if we were to change our flag, to something completely different, we'd still be accused of being racist if we dared to display it. I don't even have any inclination to put a flag up, don't feel the need, but I do get annoyed by people thinking they have a right to tell others what they should and shouldn't be doing in their own home/garden.

Exactly this. Would massively put me off.

It’s quite windy today, it would be a terrible shame if it blew off in the dead of the night.

It only has connotations for those who are ridiculously over-sensitive and apologetic for being British.

Asking again risks prodding the bear...you may wake up to flags in every window! 🙈

To be fair, regardless of why they are displaying it (and you are quite probably right thinking related to this), no one has the right to dictate to their neighbour how they choose to decorate the outside or inside or their house. I would not be surprised if the neighbour is pissed off at being asked.

He is entitled to fly a flag from his own property, so there is nothing you can do. Your DH asked him to remove it, and he said no.

Unfortunately for you, it will put quite a lot of people off. It would be a dealbreaker for us. A lot of people wouldn't want to move in next door to someone like that.

But it is what it is, I'm afraid.

Buy his house and you can do what you want.

I'm not getting into the rights and wrongs of England flag waving but there are lots of things that affect the target market, price and appeal of your home - an HMO / drug rehab / STD clinic / dog hotel could open up opposite, your neighbours could paint their house lime green or have a Ford Capri on blocks in the front garden or fetish underwear drying on the line. This is one of them and in fact, one of the least to worry about.

In the current climate, it has connotations for anyone who dislikes racism.

I’m not saying he can’t do whatever he likes with his house. Just that I wouldn’t be buying a house next door to him

It would definitely put me off buying the house. Usually when we view houses we look around the neighborhood first. If their were flags flying I wouldn't go on to view the house.
But I'm afraid I don't think there is anything you can do about it.

Your request comes across as bossy and superior.

I don’t understand what the problem is here, it’s not your neighbour’s responsibility to maximise your selling price. He doesn’t need to concern himself with your curb appeal. If it puts off prospective buyers then good, presumably you want the new owner of your house to enjoy it as opposed to getting into neighbour disputes. Unless you don’t care able that, and are only concerned with getting the highest price possible?

I think asking the neighbour again would be like waving a red flag to a bull. I can't believe you asked in the first place tbh. You have absolutely no right to ask him to take it down.

You asked and he said no so that’s it. If you ask again he might add more.

Honestly though, it would put me off buying the house.

I'm sorry but what do you mean by 'someone like that'? Someone who is patriotic and is proud to be British/English?

he has every right to hang a flag if he wants to BUT you are right it will put some people off.
I help people who move here from overseas and if we were viewing a house with an England flag next door I probably wouldn't recommend it unless the house was otherwise outstanding. Even then I might express my worries