They say do not judge a book by its cover but admit it, you’ve been judging everyone based on what they wear, what car they drive, and what jobs they have. It’s human nature to see only with our eyes. We see something we don’t understand, so we draw conclusions based on what little we know about someone or something. That’s the same principle your neighbors are applying when they see your front yard. They see that it is unkempt, so they naturally think you’re irresponsible. Of course, they don’t see that you’re working two jobs and that your boss is the meanest and most demanding of all bosses.
Start giving more attention to your yard. You can pave it with asphalt. You can ask a landscape artist to design it with easy-to-maintain plants. You can spend an hour each week pruning plants and a couple of minutes each day to water them. Yes, you don’t have to always impress your guests and neighbors. Nobody should live that way. However, if your yard is devaluing your neighbors’ properties, you are responsible to keep your side of the street clean and well-maintained.
Your Responsibility as a Good Neighbor
Do you know you are responsible for maintaining your property so your neighbors can sell their homes for a profit? Your being an irresponsible homeowner should in no way affect the value of your neighbors’ properties. If they are unable to sell their homes because any potential buyer takes one look at your yard and decides it’s a deal-breaker, you could be held liable. No one wants to be neighbors with someone whose yard is full of weeds, dead squirrels, and garbage.
Sure, these are all happening within your property, but you wouldn’t want your property to lose its value because of someone else, right? The least you can do is keep your front yard clean, so nobody gets offended by it. You don’t need to have a landscaped yard or one of those you see only in gated communities. Just keep it clean and remove the weeds out from time to time.
What Does Your Front Yard Say About You?
If you love beautiful things inside your house, why shouldn’t that translate to your front yard as well? The front yard connects your house to the street. While the backyard is for personal use, the front yard is the one you share with your neighbors. It’s that part of the property that your neighbors are privy to.
When you have expensive and seasonal plants there, your neighbors will see you as a classy individual who loves beautiful things. Even if these expensive plants don’t translate to what you have inside your house, your neighbors will think that your home’s interior is as well-designed as your front yard. They’ll also think you’re successful, career-oriented, and makes quite a lot of money.
Some homeowners love a subdued garden. It reflects a person’s personality. Your neighbors will think you’re timid, shy, and reserved. They’ll be less likely to engage you in a conversation because your front yard isn’t too welcoming. If it’s plain and basic, you’ll also look very busy on their eyes. A well-maintained but nonetheless basic garden will show neighbors that you don’t have time for more complicated things.
Do you know homeowners who are experimental with their front yards? You probably know someone who always has a landscape architect working on the yard. Whether it’s to update the plants, rearrange the planters, or install new features, neighbors love to talk about a homeowner who’s not afraid to play around with colors, textures, heights, and trends.
How Much Should You Invest in Your Front Yard?
Never invest more than you can afford. Although your neighbors might look at you differently if you let your front yard go to waste, their opinions shouldn’t force you to spend on something you cannot afford. At the very least, keep your front yard clean and well-maintained. Make sure to remove weeds and cut the grass. No law tells you to have your front yard landscaped. Your responsibility is to keep it clean, so it won’t devalue your neighbors’ properties.
The front yard can sometimes be a reflection of your wealth, but what it should be is a reflection of your neighborly spirit. If you care about your neighbors (which you should), you’ll take care of not offending them. And if that can be achieved by simply maintaining your front yard, then why should you not do it?
