We’ve all had ‘that’ neighbour at least once in our lifetime. You know the one I’m talking about, the one who has a dog that barks incessantly and roams the yard all day (I wonder why?). Or the one who doesn’t shovel their portion of the sidewalk in the winter. Or…well you catch my drift. I recently was present at the offer night at a property for sale occupied by a wonderful family. After chatting for awhile and speaking about the neighbours and street, the husband said, “I was surprised nobody asked me about the neighbours”. Frankly, so was I.
One thing the family explained to us was that when the children were much younger, 4 houses in a row removed their fences. They did this so their children could play safely together in the backyard away from traffic. I thought of my childhood and became quite jealous. My tennis ball homeruns would have had so much more credibility and the games probably way more intense and fun. The point is though, it’s really hard to put a price on something as amazing as that.
I had a similar experience as a child….ahhhh good ol’ Mrs. Beardale (may she Rest in Peace). If I walked home from school and my parents weren’t home yet, I went next door to spend time with her. She’d feed me and give me a drink in one of her circa 1960’s teacups. As I got older, she’d always answer with a smile and open door when I rang her doorbell for my spare key. I forgot my key quite often…I wouldn’t have if it was a hassle. Ultimately for me she was amazing, but for my parents…probably closer to a ‘lifesaver’.
However, as we all know too well, life isn’t perfect. Bad neighbours can be found anywhere and nobody is ultimately safe. I’ve had some humdingers in my lifetime. I once had a family whose two kids blared electronic music with the best subwoofers a Honda Civic could handle *sigh* until the wee hours of the morning with no regard. This is why I found it a little shocking that prospective buyers showed little to no interest.
You don’t have to be a social butterfly to appreciate great neighbours. Regardless of where you fall on the introverted/extroverted scale, neighbours have the power to transform lives in an amazing way or make your life a living hell. Wouldn’t you do everything to find out all you could about potential neighbours and the neighbourhood?
The bottom line is, don’t be afraid to ask! If you don’t feel the agent is being sincere it’s usually obvious. And it never hurts to ask neighbours on the street in and around the property. Pending you don’t look ominous and are polite, most people are happy to share.
Remember, you’ll never know if you don’t ask. And besides, you might just be fascinated by what you find out!