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.

But that flag is deemed acceptable, on trend don't y'know. The Hamas fan club as I refer to it.

Scandinavia. Totally relaxed use of national flags. No baggage. Little flags on cocktail sticks absolutely normal for a birthday party! Look at these - I wish it were that unproblematic in the UK.
https://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb#c87d/mobile/m=and&p=3&q=flag

I’m sure it will put off some people (particularly ethnic minority prospective buyers)

Why? Do they not identify as british? Isn’t that why they come here or are raised here to enjoy the freedom of being British?

Isn’t that why we all stay? For the freedom of choice, to have a NHS and free schooling - that we all club together to make the land a happier place to live? Isn’t this what we all want for our children?

Well, obviously not overtly, no. I would introduce myself as a potential new neighbour and have a friendly chat, ask them about the area, how long they've lived there and so on. If we seemed to be getting on and an opportunity arose, I might say "I couldn't help noticing that you have a St George's flag flying..." and see where the conversation goes.

😂🤣
Fabulous!

I agree, it would put me off too. Flags used to be joyful things, celebrating events. Not now, they are hostile.

However, op, if anyone who comes to look over your house mentions it, say something like, "Oh is that still up?", make it seem as though it was put there to celebrate a sporting occasion, women's rugby or something, then move on.

I hope you get plenty of offers from, and your house is eventually bought by, a family from overseas :-). Good luck.

I actually live near the stadium, but you'll never find me in there!

Yes it is

Yanbu. The thought of living next door to someone like that (in the current environment, maybe not so much eg during the football World Cup) would completely put me off buying.

Yeah it would put me off. I think flying a flag with a serious political significance is always an aggressive act. I was in Barcelona just before a referendum and the sea of Catalan flags made me uneasy, not because I had a strong view on Catalan separatism but because it suggested feelings were running high and I wondered what would happen. I love my country more the less it shouts about itself.

I have two M&S grocery bags with Union Jacks on them, they were produced in honour of some special occasion. I would now be wary of using them in case my neighbours thought I was a right wing xenophobic yob.

I long for us to return to flag waving for the world cup, Formula One or a royal wedding.

I think it is good for him to keep the flag up. If I went to the viewing it would tell me it wasn’t the house for me.

This^^
Reading the thread I couldn't even understand what is wrong with being proud of your own country or wanting to celebrate it..
I am not British and do not find it offensive, just as I dont think it offensive that I could put my own national flag or religious symbol in view, should I wish to do so.
Loads of houses in America for instance are decorated like that, no one has an issue.

This^^
Reading the thread I couldn't even understand what is wrong with being proud of your own country or wanting to celebrate it..
I am not British and do not find it offensive, just as I dont think it offensive that I could put my own national flag or religious symbol in view, should I wish to do so.
Loads of houses in America for instance are decorated like that, no one has an issue.

If it would put potential buyers off, don't you think it's unfair to effectively lie to them about the type of people they're living next door to?

Would put me off, but there's a buyer for everything, you just need a reform voter to view it

If I pulled up to view a house and anyone in the street had an england or union jack flag anywhere in sight, I wouldn't even get out of the car. There is no way I'd live anywhere close to someone like that.

Some people have Emma Bridgewater mugs and teatowels with Union Jacks on which they probably won't use now, they probably have to hide them if their house is for sale

It would put me off, but I think your neighbour is more likely to dig their heels in than take the flag down if you ask again.

You're right there and I do feel a bit sheepish about my previous remarks which were flippant.

Best to just ignore, leave it to the viewers to do their own investigations into prospective neighbours.

We saw a house we liked once but the neighbour had a st George's flag flying in his garden and as someone who is not white I didn't want to take rhe risk. I didn't make the offer. This was quite a few years ago when things weren't so bad. In the current climate there is no way I'd move to an area which has flags flying around. I don't need that kind of shit neither for my kids nor for myself.

It sucks for you but I think it's actually important information for potential buyers. Your neighbour sounds like he is likely to be quite an unpleasant person

It would put me off. I wouldn't even view it. Sorry, OP. I'm not sure what to suggest. Your neighbour's a dick.

Right now that would put me off buying a house because of the current context of how the England flag is being used. A few months ago I’d have raised an eyebrow but wouldn’t have given it much thought.

But you can’t expect him to take it down, it’s his property and if he wants to display a flag then he has every right to do so.

...but it might not put everyone off

You are being disingenuous. If you are not white then a st george's flag feels threatening and unwelcoming.

It's got nothing to do with identifying as British but I assume you know this.

I came to this country 20 years ago and I do identify as British. I still don't want to live next to a flag flyer because the flag flyer is likely to be racist and I don't want neither myself nor my kids to be subjected to racism or any other unpleasantness because of the colour of our skin.