Want to increase the value of your home? Increase the value of your Neighborhood - through a block party!

Our uptown 41st Street block, in Des Monies, IA just held it's eighth annual block party.  I've been actively involved for a long time now, as one of the founders of the original organizing committee so I knew the value of a block party several years before I restarted my RE career.

We've typically had at least 50% participation from the 40 households that are on the block.   Because we've done it so long now, this year's preparation was pretty much on autopilot -- the leadership team knows what roll they have played in the past and each member took simply a "same thing, different year" approach.

We try to pull in new neighbors and this year our two new households (from Chicago and N.C.) attended and that's a nice testimony to the caliber of people we are attracting.  Then most of the neighborhood core supporters came, and maybe another new face or two.  We hold garage & yard sales in the AM (8-12), offer house and garden tours in the afternoon (2-5), then block off the street from 5 O'Clock 'til there are only two guys left -- they get the job of removing the barricades provided by the city.  I'm in bed long before but it seemed like it lasts 'til about 11:00. 

For the last three years, we've followed up the night with a nice brunch on Sunday morning -- around 10 showed up today and that extra touch adds a nice finish to the weekend.   

As a Realtor, many people ask me, "So where do you live"?   After I tell them, many comment, "Oh, that's a nice neighborhood", then I'll tell them they are right -- adding that we've just had our Xth annual block party (now 8) and our Xth annual (now 4) Holiday Season Progressive Hors'deuvers events so we actively work to make it nice. 

Believe me when I say, these two events have done an awful lot to promote a neighborly feel on the block -- I'm biased but I think I'm right.  On our block, we try to make sure our children know who the strangers are, and who the neighbors are.  "Don't talk to strangers" really doesn't apply to neighbors, but unless those children engage those neighbors when their parents are around, how will they ever get to know whose a kind neighbor and who might be a total stranger. 

Perhaps the highlight of the night for me was when one of the young children ran across the picnic area to come and give me a hug.  I had, several months back, helped her much older step-sister find a home and I guess that through that experience, she built a positive memory of me.  I had not seen her for those several months, but what a pleasant surprise to have her come over and say, "Hello", in such a kind way. 

I highly recommend that if you want to increase the value of your home, increase the value of your neighborhood -  by holding a block party.   What a great time we had!