https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 08:53:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909327 Thu, 30 Jan 2020 19:11:04 +0000 jhd 2909327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ajsmommy: I agree. I think we over-valued the idea of a yard after living in an apt with no yard for several years.</p> <p>Our oldest is nearly 6. He loves to be outside. But he also loves being near me and has NEVER played outside solo in our fenced back yard! I'm glad we have a yard, but a small yard or less than ideal layout would be ok with me as long as the house felt right. The only thing we didn't want was a the possibility of children playing near a busy street. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909325 Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:53:52 +0000 wrkbrk 2909325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Becky: Yes! We’re super close to a big park with a great playground so we walk there all the time. Very good point. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909324 Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:50:56 +0000 wrkbrk 2909324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: Literally zero. Zero value - in fact a yard detracted from a property when we were looking!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909227 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 21:31:28 +0000 Ms. RV 2909227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My old house had a small flat part then a slope into the woods. It was such a pain to mow the slope. It took forever, even with a self propelled mower. So it isn't just size to consider... also upkeep! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909211 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:18:01 +0000 LadyDi 2909211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LCTBQE: Thanks for saying that, I do really love it. It felt like home when we walked in! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909210 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:16:58 +0000 LadyDi 2909210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, I didn't expect this much feedback. Thanks everyone! This gave me a lot to think about today. I actually drove by the house today since we only saw it in the dark. It's still as sloped as I thought but am glad I saw it in the daylight. There are two decks, one screened in, in the back. So that is additional outside area that's usable for play and entertaining. </p> <p>@MamaCate: @Lahela017: There is a library and park that's about a 10 minute walk away and another huge park that's about a 2 minute drive. And there are a lot of parks nearby, so that's definitely a bonus. The house is on a corner and faces<br /> a busier road, but the slope is away from the road to the house and the driveway is actually on a small side street that's a cul de sac, so it would be easy for the kids to play in the driveway and go down to the cul de sac to play.</p> <p>@JennyPenny: The driveway of the house is actually really nice. It's super wide and the top part near the doors is really flat so we could probably put up a basketball hoop. It has a grade toward the street but it's not so steep that they couldn't handle bikes or scooters. At least I don't think. I tried to pay attention to that when I went and looked at it today.</p> <p>@Anagram: That's a good question, I'll ask her. I assume it wouldn't affect retail too much...we live in a very hilly region so it's common here. I am spoiled because I grew up with a HUGE flat backyard and our current house has a pretty flat but very tiny yard. </p> <p>@gotkimchi: I told DH last night that it's a great house for sledding lol. </p> <p>@DesertDreams88: That'd be great if you remember, thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909208 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:58:42 +0000 agold 2909208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I live in a very high cost of living area. We had a lot of high priorities when looking for a bigger house - specific school, specific year of house being built, yard and pool were high priority too. But we couldn't afford to have it all. So, we got a larger house than expected, but on a much smaller lot than we want. The front yard is very nice size and its in a cul de sac. So, we play out front more than we thought we would. I still want a large back yard some day. But I'm happy with this as a long term interim house (like maybe 8-10 years). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909206 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:32:41 +0000 QBbride 2909206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We value a flat, usable lot SO much. It’s so nice to be able to send the kids outside when I’m making dinner etc. Plus we have a trampoline and a climbing dome and we could never have those things on an inclined lot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909198 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 13:48:11 +0000 DesertDreams88 2909198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There's a ton of comments and I can't read them all, but a quick note - depending on the yard, you can do landscaping to make a slope more usable. If it's larger, you could probably do some terracing with multi-levels. If it's smaller, people on our street have had landscapers bring in more earth and create a shorter, flat front lawn, with decorative brick for the drop off. If I remember, I'll try to take some pics tonight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909189 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 12:04:01 +0000 Becky 2909189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our current house has 0.8 acres of yard, and is surrounded by woods we don’t own but can go in (but only in winter because sooo much poison ivy). Our old house was on a double city corner lot and that was a great size. With a park closer it would have been perfect. We love our big yard now but probably only use half of it (but pay taxes on it all 😭). I think 1/4-1/2 acre would be great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909186 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 11:43:06 +0000 Anagram 2909186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: Can you trust your realtor to give you the facts about resale value in your area with a sloped yard? Or do you have the money in budget to tier the yard or even it out? </p> <p>This question depends so much on where you live and what your market is like. In some markets, it's a big drawback to not have a big yard. It other markets, it's not expected at all to have a big yard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909185 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 11:34:00 +0000 Corduroy 2909185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A yard was important to us but we've been here 6 years and we almost never use it. DH and I both WOH so there aren't a lot of daylight hours to work with at home. Also we're on a cul de sac and the kids spend most of their time playing there with the neighbors. DH and I are starting to enjoy it more but that took hiring a gardener so we didn't collapse under the weight of maintenance every time we went outside. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909177 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:57:01 +0000 JennyPenny 2909177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our current home had sloped yards front and back. We added a retaining wall to the back to give us flat usable space back there and it has been great for the kids. However, there's nothing to be done about the slope in the front and of the driveway and it has been the most hated thing about my home since having kids. It slopes down from the house to a cul-de-sac, but it is steep enough that the kids can't get bikes, scooters, etc out on their own and certainly can't play on them in the driveway. Any stray balls, trucks, etc that start rolling go down the driveway and can often pick up enough speed to go down past the cul-de-sac and start going down busier streets. Its a mess. If I had it to do all over again I wouldn't have picked the same house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909174 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:40:15 +0000 karenbme 2909174@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're on 1/8 acre and it's big enough. DD is not mobile yet, but nieces and nephews aged 2-8 play over here regularly without issue even with a big garden taking up some of the space. We're also about 1000 feet from an elementary school and near several other parks and hiking trails, which factored into our decision to be in the village (and on a smaller lot). One thing I didn't think of when we were house hunting that I really appreciate now is how low maintenance our small lot is. I'm not sure what your slope would be in terms of maintenance, but we can mow in ~20 minutes after work, which is a huge plus compared to friends on larger lots who need 2 hours and time to shower afterwards if they want to mow their lawn. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909173 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:36:10 +0000 LCTBQE 2909173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agree with most of the others here who say house over yard. To be truly truly in love with your house is a wonderful thing that I don't think most people have, and I'm sure something can be done with the yard (like the double retaining walls suggested etc) to make it more fun/prettier/more pleasant. If the issue was location on a super busy intersection or something I'd be more reluctant. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909168 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:14:59 +0000 Madison43 2909168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ajsmommy: yes, this. my kids are 4 and 6 and when we were looking, our realtor (also a mom) told us that by the time kids are old enough to really enjoy a big outdoor space, they are old enough to not want to play by themselves in the back, and truer words were never spoken. They just want to be where the other kids are! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909166 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:11:50 +0000 Madison43 2909166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: it depends on where you’re located? We are close to NYC, so most of the houses don’t have huge yards. Our yard is decent sized for where we live, and we have a swing set and lots of outdoor toys, but my kids will pick playing in one of the many parks nearby over playing in the yard any day, so I think it was ultimately more important to my husband and I than it ended up being to the kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909165 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:09:16 +0000 Ajsmommy 2909165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we "over valued" it honestly.</p> <p>One of the big factors for us moving was to have a flatter back yard, our first home had a small front yard and a steep hill in the back. Our new home has a flat side yard and front yard and much better back yard, we even have our play set out back BUT our kids barely go out back.. maybe it's their ages?? They are 6 and 3.</p> <p>They always always 100% want to play out front/near the road/cul de sac bc that's were the other kids are. It's still a new neighborhood so things might change as we all get more comfortable with the neighbors and boundaries etc </p> <p>But honestly at this point in time the high priority of a yard is not reflected in how much it gets used.</p> <p>ETA: at our first home we actually built a retaining wall to flatten the front yard more and make it larger. It worked nicely. That could be an option for you </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909164 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:58:10 +0000 bhbee 2909164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’d pick house over yard any day. In fact we did! We have a small not that usable back yard. But it’s SO HOT here (also buggy, with crazy mosquitos) a lot of the year so I don’t personally want to use it much then. We have a patio we screened in and that’s my favorite part - we can eat there or the kids can use the sandbox we keep in there. The kids play in the yard some but we are more likely to go elsewhere to play. However, kids can still have a lot of fun in a small space - they are creative as they need to be. I grew up with big yards we loved to play in, but dh and I both hate yard work so what we have is plenty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909162 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:54:13 +0000 Lahela017 2909162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up with a huge yard and loved it, so when we were house hunting it was a priority to me to have a good sized yard. We did end up getting what I wanted and I love it. It's more maintenance, but I also like that neighbors are farther apart. In your case, is there a park nearby? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909157 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:49:59 +0000 graceandjoy 2909157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don’t need big; our yard is a nice size now, but with all the maintenance involved I honestly could go smaller. But the big factor would be what else is around. There is both a community playground AND the elementary school playground that’s within walking distance to us. Plus many more playgrounds within short driving distance. </p> <p>I do love our yard for when there isn’t enough time to go OUT out, or due to weather it makes more sense to just pop out there quickly. </p> <p>What we are able to put back there makes a if difference too. We love eating dinner outside and BBQ-ing our when it’s nice. We have all kinds of outdoor toys, a done climber and going to be setting up swing set. Now that my older ones are 5 &amp; 3 I do think a yard is super valuable as I can see them playing outside with minimal supervision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909156 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:41:59 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2909156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catgirl: I agree with you. We previously had a townhouse with a small shared front yard, and a very small backyard with patio. It seemed like not enough space at all. Then we purchased our forever home and it’s a corner lot: huge front and side yards with trees, then the backyard is part patio stones and part yard. We have too much space we don’t know what to do with. The kids LOVE it and we spend a lot of time out there, but we do hire out to have it seeded, aerated, weeded, etc. I cut the lawn myself and actually enjoy doing it but it takes 45-1hr every week in summer. The biggest pain is there’s a lot of trees so raking and bagging is the worst...we half ass it for sure. We do have lots of parks and green space around us but we spend a lot of time in the back, and it’s good to entertain too. We do have plenty of space for a pool when kids are older too and still have room for everything else. </p> <p>In your case, I would probably go for the house and look into renovating the yard space to make it useable. Having a big yard requires maintenance and time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909154 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:29:13 +0000 Mrs. Starfish 2909154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like @Mama Bird: we nixed a couple of houses that had very small yards in our house hunt last year. It's important to me at this stage of life with children, BUT before kids and at the baby stage, I actually loved a small yard because it was one less thing to worry about... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909153 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:27:42 +0000 catgirl 2909153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love the idea of a big backyard, and we prioritized it when house hunting two years ago, but in reality I would prefer a smaller yard. We tend to go to playgrounds, trails, or parks when we want to be outside for a long time. So I really just need enough space for DD to play in the small windows of time where it doesn’t make sense to leave the house. And she doesn’t require a lot of space for that. </p> <p>I would prioritize a usable yard space, but having a slope doesn’t instantly make it unusable. Just depends on what you intend to do in it. </p> <p>Our yard is way bigger than we need and we have the constant struggle of - do we pay someone to deal with it or do we lose hours a week dealing with it? I would much rather have a small yard that would be easy for us to maintain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909152 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:21:45 +0000 gotkimchi 2909152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are options even for a sloped yard. My cousins recently did two tiered retaining walls to create flat space and it’s awesome - how is the front yard? Also slopes are great for sledding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909151 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:21:39 +0000 Mama Bird 2909151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I guess a yard is a big deal for me - when we were house hunting, I nixed a few houses only because there was no yard or not enough yard. But I wanted a yard for gardening, not playing - we're so used to playing on playgrounds and in parks that not having our own play area didn't seem that bad. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909150 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:19:49 +0000 erinbaderin 2909150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally, I value a yard a lot - my kids will be 4 and 6 this summer and I think the ability to send them outside to play while I do stuff inside is going to be invaluable. But that's just how our schedule works - when I get home I pretty much need to start dinner right away, and they're very active outside kids who always want to be in the open air. If you have more time, or different kids, it might be less important.</p> <p>Would it be possible to grade out the yard at all to make it a little more usable? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909149 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:12:30 +0000 MamaCate 2909149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: what do you have nearby, if anything, that compensate? If the yard is for kids to play around, is there a nearby park, culdesac etc?</p> <p>We have a pretty little yard that has limited function for kids to play but we are on a culdesac and next to a bike trail so that fills those needs pretty well. They tend to play with the neighbor kids in the culdesac. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-do-you-value-a-yard#post-2909148 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 08:03:14 +0000 LadyDi 2909148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know this is personal preference but how important is a good yard at your home? DH and I are house hunting and yesterday we saw the perfect house. I love everything about the house itself and it’s in our ideal school district. </p> <p>The only drawback is the lot. It’s a decent sized but it’s pretty sloped do the amount of flat usable space for the kids to run play on is pretty minimal. I don’t want a huge amount of space but I was definitely hoping for more yard than this house has. But I cannot get over how much I love the house itself and I don’t know what to do! </p>