Pros and Cons to Having a Yard

Approximately 83 percent of Americans believe that a yard is an important thing for a home to have. Of that 83 percent, 90 percent of them think that not only is it important to have a yard but its also crucial to keep it well maintained.
There are plenty of reasons to have a yard and plenty of reasons not to. Outdoor living spaces are quite common these days but a lot of people don’t want to mess with the hassle. There are a few pros and cons of having outdoor living spaces or some sort of landscape design.

Pros
The run of it
What do you have children or pets, having a yard is a great place to burn off some Energy. Many people don’t have to walk their dogs as often when they have a big yard because the dog is able to get the exercise it needs by chasing balls, sticks or frisbees in the backyard. Better yet, if you have kids and pets, the kids can play with the pets in the yard and get exercise, sun and fresh air instead of being cooped up inside playing on electronics. This generation is so consumed in the latest technology that they forget about the fun of the outdoors coupled with an imagination. Sending the kids to your outdoor living spaces to play with the pets gives them a sense of responsibility over the pad as well as a break from screen time.

The beauty of it
When people look at your home they don’t only look at the inside. In fact, depending on how your house is set up, your outdoor living spaces may be the first impression your guests will get when they come over to your house. Keeping your landscaping well maintained is important if you’re going to have one at all because of what it says about you and your home. People cannot see inside all the time, but they can always see the outside. Obviously, you don’t want to set up your house for the enjoyment of others solely but it’s nice for the neighbors and passersby to have a nice looking neighborhood if everyone does their part on their own house. Some homeowners association’s insist on it and could find you for not keeping up with your outdoor living spaces.

The value of it
Having a well kept outdoor area enhances what is called the curve appeal among real estate agents. The better your outside looks, the higher value the home will have. If you have put investment into the home as far as your yard goes then it’s likely you will make that money back if you were to sell the home. Houses with no yards or worse, neglected yards tend to sell much slower and at a much lower value then homes with nice outdoor areas. Keep in mind that the value of your home also depends on many other factors including location but keeping your landscape looking nice will definitely help your cause.

Cons
The maintenance of it
Let’s face it, if you have a yard, you have to maintain it and that’s a lot of work. You’re either going to end up doing it yourself which will take up time and effort and energy or you will have to hire somebody to take care of it for you. That costs money and sometimes a lot of money depending on who you hire and what you expect of the landscaping company. If you don’t want to spend the money or time on your yard, you are better off getting a house that doesn’t come with the yard. Even if all you have is a brick wall and a dirt lot, you’ll still need to rake and clean periodically.

The attraction of it
Now, when we say the attraction, that may sound like this is going to be a pro, but it is not. This attraction is referring to rodents, critters and other animals. Having trees with fruit and bushes and flowers not only attract pretty animals like hummingbirds but they can also attract raccoons, mice or rats and any number of creepy crawlers. Speaking of fruit trees, we may also attract if you trespassers in search of a sweet, fresh fruit.