Dear Urban Diplomat: What can we do about our semi-detached neighbours poor taste in exterior paint?

If your neighbours’ grass were too long or their garbage heaps too high, you’d be able to sic the city on them, but there are no ordinances regarding poor taste (hello, Honest Ed’s). That said, any real estate agent worth his or her commission knows that a neat, neutral-toned paint job can boost the value of both homes by up to 15 per cent. In your neighbourhood, that can mean extra tens of thousands of dollars, so it’s well worth your time and effort to intervene. Ask them to consider taupe or ivory, and offer to pay pros to do the job—and then undo it once you sell, in their preferred Green Bay Packers colour scheme.

Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com