Accentuate the Postive - Deal with the Negatives Problem 3: Your neighbor's house Is a run-down mess
This week in a series of posts, I've been sharing a variety of tips for dealing with the not-so-great aspects of a home, after all every house has them. Monday I touched on what to do with an unsightly view. Yesterday I covered traffic-noise. Today's subject is a touchy one - what to do when your neighbor's house is a run-down mess.
You've done everything you can to make the house you're selling beautiful but the house next door is an eyesore. Perhaps its a vacant foreclosure with a jungle of overgrown grass or a home in disrepair that an elderly neighbor just can't keep up with. 
You don't have a whole lot of choices, but the situation might not be hopeless.
Of course you can always grumble about what a huge problem it is, OR find out who owns the house, talk to them about the situation, and maybe even offer to help them. (Our perspective on a situation tends to change when we learn more about it.)
You could knock on the door, ask if you can cut the grass, trim the hedges and/or pick up the trash/debris in their yard. What's the worst that could happen? I suppose they could say no, but then again they might really appreciate the help!
Do you have a few neighbors who are are just as bothered by the sight of this house as you are? Why not ask if they'd like to pitch in and help out too. If you don't want to do the work yourself, take a collection or organize a fundraiser and hire someone else to do it.
Of course this assumes that your neighbor is agreeable to the idea - sure it might be a bit of a stretch but it could be worth a try. And look on the bright side, your house will look that much better in comparison. Tomorrow, overcoming a few of challenges of selling a vacant home.
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