What will your chickens do to the neighborhood property value?
One of the most prevalent myths about chickens is that they lower property values. This is one of the reasons HOA's generally do not allow them. To be honest, it is hard to study such a claim, but we can look at the facts.
The Facts about “Lower Property Value because of Chickens”
There is not one documented case of a chicken coop lowering the property value of the neighborhood. Neighborhoods that did not allow chickens and then changed the ordinances to allow them DID NOT see a decrease in property values. In fact, they increased. Although, again, it is hard to say if they increased due to allowing chickens or just due to the economy. The economy is the primary drive in property values.
The value of your house increases and decreases with supply and demand. If your home is in demand then it will go for more money, if there are lots of homes out there like yours and fewer buyers then it goes for less. The argument that it lowers your property value relies on the belief that there are a large number of people out there that will choose not to purchase a house based on the pets that a neighbor has. The research shows that this is simply not true. Especially in the case of chickens.
The Urban Chicken Trend
Chickens have become a trend of the middle class and people who have young families. Surveys show that many people, especially younger people, like to see chickens in yards. It shows that the neighborhood is young, environmentally, and health-conscious. Despite the occasional internet commenter who claims that they will never ever purchase a home next to one that has pet hens, there is no documented case where an actual home was not purchased with the excuse that there were chickens next door. On the other side, there are documented cases where people say they purchased homes due to chickens in the area. If you want to see further proof of this, head over to greenwaynews.com, where they actually show an ad campaign where a free chicken coop (or mini orchard) is offered with every home purchase.
Local (Arizona) Chicken Statistics
In our own area (Arizona) we have a tour de coop in both Phoenix and Tucson that attracts a large number of people each year. Just to go look at other coop designs! The state of Arizona is currently trying to pass a law that says cities and municipalities will not be able to deny the property rights of owning chicken. That law passed the Senate with a vote of 29 yes to 1 no. It is currently in the House so I do not have those statistics. Celebrities keep chickens (with no harm or worry to the property value of multi-million dollar homes). Some examples of this are Martha Stewart, Hulk Hogan, Sandra Bullock, and Jennifer Aniston.
Knowing those statistics, do you want to be the house that denies chickens? Remember, the value of your home is based on supply and demand. The more people that you cut out from looking at your home, the less your home will be worth. Healthy living and being more aware of where your food comes from is becoming more important to the middle class suburban families. If you are in an upper or lower class neighborhood or in a very urban location (apartments, condos, etc) then I don't think allowing or not allowing chickens will make much of a difference. But, if you are in a middle class suburban neighborhood and/or one that attracts young families then you are running the risk of decreasing the number of people who will look at your home. Fewer people, less money.
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Thanks for sharing this on Simple Life Sundays. This is a great topic, one I haven’t really thought about. Given the trendiness of chicken keeping at the moment, I suspect you are right that chickens in the yard might help more than hurt property values. I would think that as long as your set up is clean and attractive, it wouldn’t turn off anyone, and would increase the value in the eyes of anyone who entertains the notion of keeping chickens.
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