Neighbors. Love them or hate them, they’re people that you need to get along with if you want an easy life. Obviously, saying hello and inviting them around once in a blue moon is one of the best ways to do that, but even this won’t help if your house itself leaves a lot to be desired.
In every street, there’s always one house that is either less pristine or simply less in keeping with the area than all the others. The owners of that house receive scorn on all sides. But what if you’re unclear on whether your property is the odd house out or not?
It’s pretty easy to tell whether your neighbors talk about your house when you aren’t around. Keep on reading to find out the sure signs that you’ve got a little work to do before you can be a truly good neighbor.
Sign 1: A Messy Lawn
We aren’t all born gardeners, but remember that your garden is the one part of your home that your neighbors see everyday. There’s also a risk that weeds from your land will creep elsewhere. And hell hath no fury like a neighbor pulling up someone else’s thorny roots!
To avoid slipping into street-wide disrepute, take steps to look after your lawn at last by embarking on practices like regular mowing. Equally, you may prefer to just rip up your grass and lay down paving slabs that look sleek without any input from you and also prevent risks of weeds in the future.
Sign 2: Obvious External Repairs
When you’re inside your home, it’s easy to forget about external repair requirements like missing roof tiles and grubby guttering, but these are things your neighbors will surely notice. Leave a few external repairs in want of attention for too long, and you’ll become ‘that’ unattractive home on the street in no time.
Pre-empting external repairs is the best way to avoid this reputational damage, as it ensures you address problems before neighbors notice them. Simple things, like regularly maintaining your gutters, or contacting professional roofers as soon as you notice a leak indoors, is all it takes. That way, you can retain your shining neighborly reputation at all times.
Sign 3: Out-of-Touch Renovations
If you live in a residential area, there’s probably some cohesion between the properties on display. If you go against this widespread styling with any renovation work, you’ll quickly fall out of favor.
After all, no neighbor wants to see a standout conservatory renovation (or similar) each time they look out the window! Staying on the right side of the street requires you to simply think about styling, and how your renovation fits, before you make any major changes. Alternatively, arrange a meeting with your closest neighbors to get their permission before work goes ahead, so there’s far less risk of issues later on.
It’s never easy towing the neighborly line, but you can ensure you aren’t the standout house on the street for much longer when you rectify these issues.