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1- Not 100% but a very good chance I'll change jobs soon and move out in the country but still in VA.
2- The current fence, at least most of it, is a wire fence with stakes driven in the ground. About 50 feet of an old section of chain link will be replaced.
3- We have about 400 feet of fence needing replaced.
I would talk to my neighbor about sharing costs. If replaced mutually the fence can be on the property line. If not a shared expense you may have to build the fence on your side of the property fence.
Your results may differ.
You could consider leaving the fence posts if they are in great shape since that is a big part of the job. In an area where fences are allowed...not all that common nowadays...a buyer might consider putting one in. Posts are part way there. You can then take them out if the buyer's don't want a fence at all.
What is the neighbor situation? Ferretkona has a good idea. Your neighbors may depend on your fence for some sense of privacy...perhaps a neighbor hooked into it or even planning to be soon?
Look at what people would most likely buy in your neighborhood. If it's a family neighborhood, then expect that buyers will want a fence, and may ask for an allowance to put one in, so you may end up paying the money anyhow. If it's an area where most buyers will probably have animals (does a dog live in every house on the street), then again, a fence may be wanted by buyers. However, if you're in an area that is mostly singles or older folks, they may not care about a fence.
To make the yard look better, you might just take the fence down. Better a nice looking yard without a fence, then a yard that has an old rusting falling down fence in it. A rusted, broken fence is in disrepair, and that would probably make a buyer think twice about purchasing the property - after all, what else did you not keep up/what else is in disrepair. Basically, for selling, you want the house to look well kept and clean, and that includes the yard.
Only border one neighbor and there's zero chance they can afford to assist.
Just tear it down. If the new owner wants a fence they can put one in themselves. Plus you never know, your neighbor might just find some money for a fence, if you tear yours down.
It seems like you should either stand-up the parts that are 'down' or remove the fence altogether. In either case, you could advertise as "Fence allowance possible" ... and build the amount into the price.
This would help people to whom the fence was important, 'deal' with the poor condition of the existing fence; allow buyers to think in terms of the fence they would like to have; help you deal with the 'fence' without costing you anything or committing to a fixed price and style up-front; and give you some built-in 'fence negotiating flexibility' (or ability to simply remove the built-in fence $ add for those who don't care about a fence) ... without really costing you anything extra.
I'd ask a couple realtors who are familiar with your neighborhood for their opinions. We sold our house in 2010 after 15 months on the market - due to a bunch of fore closures, too high of price, poor marketing, etc. We had relisted with a different realtor and asked his opinion about replacing living room carpet with hardwood since a nearby house like ours (but with hardwood) had sold quickly. He suggested to install a fence instead because in our neighborhood, that's what people wanted/expected. The fence was finished on Monday. We had a contract on Thursday. Coincidence.? Maybe, maybe not. YMMV
My suggestion is if you do not need the use of the fence, then remove it. Cross the bridge of a buyer saying I like everything except it has no fence when you sell. That stumbling block can easily be removed.
This is what my mind processed before reading the entire post. It's easier to do away with it and let the next buyer put up a fence if they choose so. I know of people who redo their kitchens/baths at some expense to sell their homes only to have the new owners rip it all out and redo it in their flavor. A mere coat of paint is your friend in that case.
Get rid of it, and replace it if you can afford to. Don't get another chain link/wire. They used to be the standard when I was growing up, but now it's solid fences for privacy, either wood or some no-maintainence material. It needs to look attractive from the street as well as from inside your yard. The difference will be amazing! But 400 ft is not cheap, I know.
I sold a small house with a picket fence that badly needed painting. I repaired what I could and just left it "as is". The new owners tore it down and put up what should have been there -- a 6 ft privacy fence. The back yard lost some charm, but gained a lot of usability.
The house I bought had no fence, and no privacy. A year later, I put up 300 ft of 6 ft cedar fencing. Not cheap, but what a difference! I gained an outdoor "room". I bought the house knowing that I would put up the fence (and budgeted for it). I didn't have dogs or kids - I just wanted it for me and a sense of security. (But now I have dogs, since it's such a dog-friendly yard!).
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This is what my mind processed before reading the entire post. It's easier to do away with it and let the next buyer put up a fence if they choose so. I know of people who redo their kitchens/baths at some expense to sell their homes only to have the new owners rip it all out and redo it in their flavor. A mere coat of paint is your friend in that case.
