Will I Regret Moving from a large yard to a Townhouse size yard???

[Anonymous]

We live in in a townhouse with virtually no yard. the kids play in the driveway and ride their bikes on the sidewalks. Our community has several playgrounds/parks - one that it a 2-3 minute walk. It works for us!

[Anonymous]

i live in clarendon area--lots aren't huge/many have expanded(larger houses) on smaller lots--given the high demand for living close to amenities. I love the size of our front and back yards--not as small as a townhome lot--but a great patio, fenced in with a playset...with windows along the back of the house looking out to it. our young kids play out there alot with the neighborhood kids. When they grow older--won't be room for a serious ball game.

BUT--our neighborhood has 4 GREAT parks within walking distance. They are filled with neighborhood kids--some are splash lots. I love the less upkeep of the backyard--and the proximity to parks. they can still play in the backyard with friends...and hosue is large enought to have a rec room and a home office so during winter months there is tons of room to play.

I am all for the switch you are contemplating!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not speaking to the yard issue, but why do you want to live so close to someone else's house that you see in their windows? At least in a townhouse you share a wall but can't see into your neighbor's house (nor they into yours). I know communities like that (King Farm, Kentlands) and they have a lot going for them, but what I really dislike is the way the SFHs just sit on top of one another.

Anyway, to me that would be a bigger issue than the yard, or lack thereof. Plenty of people live without large yards, and if it's not a priority for you, I see no reason not to move.

Seriously? What townhouse community do you speak of with so much privacy? Every townhouse I've seen that does not back to common space backs to someone else's house-therefore you can see in their windows. A very few percentage of townhouses that I've seen are actually ones that do not back to yet another townhouse.

[Anonymous]

I could be wrong but I think houses with small yards have a better resale value. People with kids may go for it if a park is very close and in the neighborhood. It will appeal to others who do not want to do maintenance. On the small lot, can you have a grill on the deck and still eat outside? I did see small lots in the Kentlands but some of them had enough space for kids to have a picnic, we're fenced, kids could still play but not big enough to install a playground set or have a big ball game. I think this type of lot would still be fine. If you have mid sixed or large dogs or like to garden it could be more of issue.

If you are looking at the Kentlands the one thing that makes me not regret buying one of these houses was the detached garage. I would not want to deal with getting kids, groceries, and stuff from the car into the house having to be outside when it rains or snows.

With three kids I probably would stay with a bigger lot with three kids. Walking to a park is great but if one has to go the bathroom, you all have to turn around unless you know other parents who can watch the kids.

[Anonymous]

We moved from a house with a small TH sized yard to one with a much bigger (albeit less than 1/4 ac.) yard, and it made a huge difference to our kids, who play outside daily when the weather is nice. Our yard is fenced, so I don't worry too much when they are outside, as I can see them playing from my kitchen window. I am a gardener, so that makes a difference, and we have few trees, so there's not a lot of raking of leaves, sticks, etc. We do pay for lawn care (organic!), as DH has no time to mow. I SAH, but never do yard work, aside from gardening.

Also, we have a dog, which would be so much more difficult without a fenced yard, especially in the winter. If you think you might get a dog in the future, you might want a yard. Our dog is big, though, and needs a lot of room to run.

In our old house, we could see right into our neighbor's kitchen, noticed every time they came and went, and I found it claustrophobic. Our new house is much further from the neighbors, and it gives me a little more privacy. We do go to a nearby park to play, but mostly the kids stay home and play in the yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not speaking to the yard issue, but why do you want to live so close to someone else's house that you see in their windows? At least in a townhouse you share a wall but can't see into your neighbor's house (nor they into yours). I know communities like that (King Farm, Kentlands) and they have a lot going for them, but what I really dislike is the way the SFHs just sit on top of one another.

Anyway, to me that would be a bigger issue than the yard, or lack thereof. Plenty of people live without large yards, and if it's not a priority for you, I see no reason not to move.

Seriously? What townhouse community do you speak of with so much privacy? Every townhouse I've seen that does not back to common space backs to someone else's house-therefore you can see in their windows. A very few percentage of townhouses that I've seen are actually ones that do not back to yet another townhouse.

Most of the townhouses near where I live are in rows that have a street in front and then some green space (or other space) in back before the next row. I'm sure people can see into the townhouses near them, but they aren't as close as the single family homes that are built like a foot apart in the planned communities I mentioned.

Believe me, I'm not arguing in favor of the privacy of townhouses, and no doubt I don't speak for all townhouses. In fact, I seriously dislike townhouses for a lot of reasons, but I dislike more single family homes where the windows are a foot apart. I'd buy a SFH because I value some space and privacy, and that would give me none of either.