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.

This is a fallacy.

Just because it's not possible to rule out all racists doesn't mean you ignore the person who says 'I am a racist' out loud.

Come on though. The only place I ever see them in abundance is on the shit council estates near me (and the one hanging out of next doors window, but he’s exactly who you would think would have one).

Bloody hell OP even if you DO get negative feedback re the flag DON'T approach him again!

Can't you see how much you could piss them off and how they may react? Setting an old tatty sofa outside with empty beer cans strewn around for the foreseeable? They could make your house reduce in value so much that they could afford to buy it then clean up - literally and figuratively!

A better idea might be to put up something showing your support for the English Women's Rugby team - then viewers might make that connection rather than the EDL one.

I wouldn’t look at the house.

I understand why you did but it was very unwise of you to ask because his response was to be expected. He could escalate the flag situation by introducing more.

Let it go.

It’s because the vast majority of people flying them are bigots. If everyone flew them they would lose their taunted image. I think some towns are trying to do this.

I understand why you did but it was very unwise of you to ask because his response was to be expected. He could escalate the flag situation by introducing more.

Let it go.

We bought a house a few years ago with an Engmand flag outside ... no problems with neighbour.

Hahaha, love this!

Not everybody who puts up a national flag is racist, but I’m absolutely certain that 99 per cent of people in England who have put one up in the last 7 days is.

Clearly you have an agenda so why dont you paint that on a flag and fly it outside your house. I think if people want to fly a flag on their own property then it is nobody else's business.

It would put me off because I’d be afraid that he was a hooligan and that any neighbour disputes would become violent or threatening.

Totally agree with this.

It seems that if his house had a Ukrainian flag it would be fine, but flying an English flag oh no no no, can’t do that.

We should be proud of our English flag. Why on earth is it linked to skin colour??!!!

Too many people have swallowed the mainstream media garbage pill.

Flags IMO are for public buildings and special National occasions. I feel, rightly or wrongly that those who fly them from a pole in their garden permanently or out their front window are supporters of Farage, members of racist SM groups, and are generally dickheads.

Has neighbour just recently begun to fly the flag at his house? If yes, he is a racist dickhead.

But there may be more dickheads out there who would be very glad to live beside him, so you may get a dickhead buyer very quickly. Birds of a feather.

I've driven past a local hospital today that had flags flying. Does that mean they are racist then?

I wouldn't buy a house with an England flag at the moment, because of the sort of people who are currently flying England flags.

@Shedmistress
Did people in France all suddenly start flying flags last week? And paint roundabouts?

I'm sorry OP but it would definitely put me off.

Says the bigot.

Oh, yippee, another flag thread. 🙄
As for your neighbour, I can understand why you want him to take it down as it would potentially put buyers off as they wouldn't know whether they were living next to massive racists or a football fan. Or "just someone who loves their country". which he's only thought of displaying his pride this week?
You're playing right into his hands though by asking him to take it down, sounds like he's the type of person that will put up five more.
He's entitled to put up what he likes on his property, you don't really get a say how he gets to decorate it.

You are totally missing the point that right now, in England, there is a big campaign by the far right to put flags everywhere. They are doing it to mini roundabouts, zebra crossings, everywhere.

And is part of their anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim agenda, and goes alongside ‘demonstrating’ outside migrant accommodation in a noisy aggressive way that is terrifying for the residents.

Please tell me you would be happy to move in next to a flag-flyer in this current context if you were a ‘Muslim looking’ family in the minds of these people?

Doh!

Still here and in a good mood then 😆!

You can’t stop responding and want me to agree.

I never said they can’t fly it, I said I wouldn’t buy the property next to it! Which of course is my choice, which I’ve said previously.

It’s honestly like you’re saying I should ignore my gut feelings and buy it anyway.

A very expensive potential mistake IMO.

Sorry OP but if I turned up to view your house and saw that next door I wouldn’t even bother with the viewing. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do about it though.

I would never view a house with an England flag anywhere visible on the premises. I do a drive by first to check these things. No point wasting everyone's time. I feel for you OP.

Planning permission required for flags on non public property, immediately!

Straight to the Gulags if you ignore.