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.

It's probably 50/50 who it would put off and who would love it, because it is 50/50 the house versus the neighbours.

Exactly.

If you look at current voting intentions, the flag might actually encourage buyers.

I don't think they will change their minds, but I would not buy your house.

Don't ask again, unless you want to get into a dispute with your neighbour - that will make it much harder to sell.

It would definitely put me off, I wouldn’t even bother coming in.

I don’t think there’s anything you can do about it though.

This 👆.

That isn't true in the current climate where people being encouraged by right wing and racist groups to fly the flag.

Having an English flag doesn’t make someone racist, but at the moment I wouldn’t be putting one up as I’m afraid Reform etc have absolutely now made it look like you support them and their shitty protests outside asylum centres. It would 110% put me off the house, but agree there is nothing you can do about it - sorry OP

Or maybe a member of the armed forces?? Please don’t tell me our military people are now considered racist?

But specifically with this timing right at this moment when far right (and racist) groups are encouraging flags to go up, you can’t see that there’s the possibility that his sudden flag flying motivation is linked? Or you feel it’s pure coincidence?

Why are white British people so offended by the English flag?

Post stolen from Threads, but it sums up
my thinking: it is an interesting paradox that the people who tell you to be proud to fly your national flag tend to be the reason you aren’t always proud to fly your national flag.

Racism. HTH.

This would put me off as soon as I noticed it, I doubt I would even look round the prospective house as I wouldn’t be able to live next to this sort of neighbour (we’re not white English).

Yes it would put me off buying the house tbh, but it's up to him what he does on his property. It's not illegal or even anti social - just doesn't align with your tastes. You were cheeky to ask him to take it down. How would it benefit him to take it down exactly? Your unreasonable request will probably have the effect of making him even more of a PITA - which isn't great for selling a house is it?

Ah, this is true!

The same reason anyone else is

It doesn’t make someone a racist, but it increases the chances they are IMO.

Wouldn’t want to live next door to one.

Neighbours are very important to be able to get along with.

Yes it would put me off buying the house tbh, but it's up to him what he does on his property. It's not illegal or even anti social - just doesn't align with your tastes. You were cheeky to ask him to take it down. How would it benefit him to take it down exactly? Your unreasonable request will probably have the effect of making him even more of a PITA - which isn't great for selling a house is it?

Flags everywhere during the World Cup are patriotic. Flags everywhere right now is racist. I would be put off a house straight away if I knew the neighbours were that proud of being racist.

I wouldn’t buy, or probably even view.

But there’ll be others who don’t mind, and regardless - he’s not going to take it down.

I wouldn’t mention any further. Just leave it and if anyone mentions at viewing, explain all the things you’ve said about him being generally a decent lovely neighbour etc.

Please can you explain?

As someone who isn't white, I'd be grateful for the warning about what my future neighbours would be like, and I wouldn't buy the house.

I’m mixed race and don’t look white and I don’t find it racist. Is it racist for every country to display their flag?