You know it... that house down the street that has junk cars in the driveway, poorly maintained yard and trash bins left out days after the garbage truck has come and gone. It's the house you don't want potential buyers to drive by before seeing your house. Maybe they'll come a different way? But if you have no choice, they will see it and they'll cringe. 
Is this house lowering the value of your own? Are you that owner that keeps a pristine yard, puts the cans away the second the truck is out of the neighborhood and pressure washes your driveway every 5th Saturday of the month. So, how can you combat that complete opposite house in your neighborhood?
Called "External Obsolescence", these eyesores can account for decreasing a homes value by up to 10%! That's nothing to sneeze at! Especially when you're trying to squeeze every penny out of the sale of your home. So can you remedy the situation?
First off, consider your options. Do you live in an HOA that requires certain standards? You can probably start there by contacting the manager and asking about requirements for living in the neighborhood before you list. If the house in question is in violation, they can be sent notices. Ask about this neighbor and if they are in violation and what you can do about it. Perhaps even police notices are in order if there is a safety issue such as too many cars blocking road signs or causing a traffic incident. Talk to the HOA manager and your local police about your options if there are any.
Of course, not every homeowner is going to do the right thing and comply. And then if there is no HOA, you'll need to take measures into your own hands.
If it's just the yard, maybe see if you can offer to mow their yard as part of a community outreach? Talk to them about some needs they may require. You don't always know a person's situation. Perhaps its an elderly person that just can't keep up with maintenance any longer. Helping a neighbor is always good Karma.
Related: What if your home is luxury and other's are not?
Maybe it's a hoarder. Trash piled high in the yard. This is where talking to them first can help you decipher what's really going on. If they are just lazy or careless, the police may need to be called as a safety precaution for the neighborhood and children that live there in. Sometimes you can reason with people, sometimes you have to bring in the big guns... no, not real guns here people... but the authorities.
What if it's just a cluttered lot and they like it that way?
Is this the neighbor that collects every wood carving, metal statue and gnome figurine in existence only to display them all out in the front lawn? A tourist attraction maybe, a good selling point, not so much. This is where you'll need to distract. This is where your house has to be amazing. Make your house so awesome that it doesn't matter what's down the street.
Then again, maybe you'll attract a buyer that LOVES living in such an eclectic neighborhood! Great! Works for you! But that may not be the case.
The take-away is to find out what the real issue is, try and reason with the owner or if all else fails, distract or use to your advantage. Each home and neighborhood is unique so talk to your agent about the best ways to combat that "interesting" neighbor.
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Images by Tom Bridge & Kristina D.C. Hoeppner
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