How to Ensure Your New Neighbors Won’t Be a Nightmare

Does location still matter most? Should you remodel your home to suit your tastes or for resale value? Are starter homes still a thing? We all have plenty of questions about the ever-changing world of real estate. In our Ask an Agent series, we’re partnering with experts at Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate to answer your biggest questions about finding, buying, and selling a home.

A house is only one part of a daily living experience—the yard, school district, distance from work, and neighbors all factor into a house-buying decision. While most of these elements can be experienced while walking through the home or seen on paper, neighbors can be unpredictable. Do they have a dog that barks all night? Are they difficult to get along with? Do they drive recklessly through the neighborhood? Knowing these things before purchasing a home will help you know exactly what to expect before it’s too late.

For this installment of Ask an Agent, we spoke with Ben Fox of the Better Homes & Gardens Journey to learn how to vet potential neighbors before purchasing a home.

Ask an Agent: How Do I Vet My Neighbors?

I always encourage potential buyers to go visit the neighborhood, and not just go one time when you’re touring the house—go multiple times. Between dogs barking and lights and school traffic, you will want to go at different times of the day. Go see what happens in the morning, midday, rush hour, and in the evening. Look at other factors, too, such as events in the neighborhood, nearby businesses, and traffic. If you have time, look during the week and the weekend.

When you’re in the neighborhood, walk around the area and talk to the nearby homeowners. Ask them what they like about the area, what they don’t like, and what events happen regularly—you’ll find out a lot. You can also check out online social media groups. If you have to be a member, ask the admin of the group if you can join for a little bit to learn more about the area and the people that live there.

Each municipality will have multiple resources, like demographic information and crime data. Check with your local municipality office or site to see what resources they offer to tell you more about the neighborhood and its occupants. Your real estate professional can help you find these resources easily. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if any negatives about your potential neighbors are worth not moving forward with the purchase. Weigh the pros and cons and decide what your tolerance is.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.