St George’s Day has arrived and with it, households across England in particular will be celebrating the day which honours the patron saint of England (though sadly it’s not abank holiday).
In recent times, more and more St George’s Cross flags of England, along with Union Jacks and even the Scottish Saltaire and the Welsh dragon standards have been raised on houses across the UK.
It follows protests by patriotic flag wavers who hit back at the decision to pull flags from streetlights in Birmingham last year, resulting in a wave of flags being hoisted and roundabouts being painted.
But if you – or your neighbours – have popped a patriotic flag in your front garden, could it affect your house price?
Jack Malnick, managing director of Sell House Fast, warned: “There is no statistical proof showing that property prices have dropped due to St George’s flags being flown; however, some estate agents and property experts may advise sellers against displaying, due to negative associations some demographics have with the flag, though equally depending on the area it may have the opposite effect.
“Flying the St George’s flag when trying to sell your home could alter buyer perceptions and therefore affect viewing bookings, which would impact offers and the overall speed of the sale, again area dependent.
“There are no concrete figures to suggest that displaying the St. George’s flag in your garden can reduce property value but for the sake of selling your property, presenting your home as a space that any buyer can imagine themselves in is your best bet and the easiest way to do this is to remove a certain amount of personalisation.”
For a neighbour’s flag, he continued: “Firstly, if you are particularly worried about it, you could, if possible, subtly block the view from the flag next door using fencing or plants, without causing any conflict with your neighbour. Ultimately, you cannot control whether your neighbour chooses to fly a flag outside their home, but you can take steps to minimise the impact it might have on potential buyers.
“For example, focus on strengthening your own property’s appeal, and make sure your home looks and feels as welcoming as possible with clean and tidy outdoor spaces. Make sure the garden is looking well-kept; perhaps the fence needs a lick of paint?
“This kind of detail will draw attention away from the flag next door. Ultimately a buyer needs to know the kind of area they are moving into and who their neighbours are so it will either work for them or it won’t and you are better off knowing that sooner rather than later.
“But if your neighbours’ excessive use of national flags is causing difficulty with selling your house, a quick sale through a cash house buyer could be the answer.”
