OT: Get off my Lawn!

[Farnsworth]

There is a difference in a neighbor who is a few days late mowing and it's a little tall. We all get that. It's the neighbor that lets it get 2-3 feet tall which causes all kinds of problems for the neighborhood.

I have the opposite problems. Our neighborhood mows too much, makes us look bad. The guy behind us and to the right of us are lawn nazis, and mow twice a week and manicure the crap out of everything (one because he's an arborist, the other I just think can't stand his wife). The guy to the left is recently retired so he has nothing better to do. I feel bad going once every 7-10 days. Most of the time I can't even tell a difference in what I am mowing.

 

[CtownCyclone]

There is a difference in a neighbor who is a few days late mowing and it's a little tall. We all get that. It's the neighbor that lets it get 2-3 feet tall which causes all kinds of problems for the neighborhood.

Had some folks in our previous neighborhood that would let it get waist high. Snake heaven!

Watching them try to cut it with a regular push power was entertaining, though.

 

[CtownCyclone]

I have the opposite problems. Our neighborhood mows too much, makes us look bad. The guy behind us and to the right of us are lawn nazis, and mow twice a week and manicure the crap out of everything (one because he's an arborist, the other I just think can't stand his wife). The guy to the left is recently retired so he has nothing better to do. I feel bad going once every 7-10 days. Most of the time I can't even tell a difference in what I am mowing.

I had to be that guy one summer. We had a drought the previous year, and I had just moved in. The lawn looked pretty sorry, so I got some fertilizer to put on it. Got plenty of rain that year, the grass grew like crazy. Had to mow it multiple times a week, otherwise the mower would bog down.


Never fertilized that yard again.

 

[Farnsworth]

I had to be that guy one summer. We had a drought the previous year, and I had just moved in. The lawn looked pretty sorry, so I got some fertilizer to put on it. Got plenty of rain that year, the grass grew like crazy. Had to mow it multiple times a week, otherwise the mower would bog down.


Never fertilized that yard again.

We fertilized this year, so maybe we'll have that problem next year. We just moved into this house last July, so this is my first full season taking care of it. My problem is we have areas that you could honestly mow every 3 days it grows so f'n fast, and then others that don't grow for **** (and others completely bare mud pits from children's stuff/shed).

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I have the opposite problems. Our neighborhood mows too much, makes us look bad. The guy behind us and to the right of us are lawn nazis, and mow twice a week and manicure the crap out of everything (one because he's an arborist, the other I just think can't stand his wife). The guy to the left is recently retired so he has nothing better to do. I feel bad going once every 7-10 days. Most of the time I can't even tell a difference in what I am mowing.

The people on either side of me work from home and have immaculate lawns and landscaping. I definitely stay on top of mine, but not to their level. Conversely, the couple across the street from me are good friends of ours and they are flanked by the two worst lawn-keepers on the entire block. They have to battle dandelions, papers that accumulate in their over-grown lawn and even poison ivy.

My "problems" pale in comparison to theirs.

 

[Farnsworth]

Our retired neighbors are building a house in rural Iowa to retire on, I'm praying we get good neighbors as they own the house closest too us. The rest of the neighborhood is great an a nice young cyclone couple just moved in a few houses down, so fingers crossed.

Anyone looking to buy in January let me know!

 

[SayMyName]

My question is why do some people obsess over their little patch of grass? What is the point? And even worse why do you think that other neighbors who do not have your same obsession are somehow lessor people? City ordinances that try to dictate the height of lawns are stupid and should be unconstitutional but just goes to show that you are just renting from the City.

Can anyone honestly claim that they would have "no problem" living next to this?



This property "bales their hay" something like twice a year. So it still has a ways to grow before harvesting. Current picture, in Ames, west of North Grand mall area.

 

[VeloClone]

I have a neighbor who always mows really, really short. It is mildly annoying because he always seems to mow a day or two after me so mine always looks long next to his. I don't scalp mine. I used to have a neighbor on the other side who would mow relatively regularly but would do nothing about dandelions and other weeds and trimmed about twice a summer whether it needed it or not. It was a constant battle to keep up in my lawn with a constant source of seeds right there. I had another neighbor across the street whose lawn was always immaculate. His wife used to refer to his yard (lawn, plantings and trees) as "his mistress".

With all of those I will take the two neighbors who care everyday of the week and twice on Sunday over the one who didn't.

Luckily all of the homeowners who don't care are about a block down the street right now.

 

[ArgentCy]

Try selling your house when you live next to neighbor(s) who don't take care of their property. That's what it pretty much boils down to -- devaluation of adjacent properties and neighborhoods.

That's funny because as an appraiser I don't think I've Ever mentioned the neighbor's grass. There are about a thousand variables higher on the list. Perhaps if they are starting a junk yard or animal sanctuary then you might start to worry.

I have seen a lot of people looking to move out of the city because of onerous and ridiculous regulations like having to keep your grass 10" tall or less. Helps the rural acreages and probably hurts the values in town somewhat.

 

[ArgentCy]

Can anyone honestly claim that they would have "no problem" living next to this?

View attachment 47892

This property "bales their hay" something like twice a year. So it still has a ways to grow before harvesting. Current picture, in Ames, west of North Grand mall area.

I literally allowed a neighbor to bail our yard the first year in our house. Didn't want to buy a riding lawn mower and 2+ acres is a lot of work with a push mower. Nobody said a word, in fact I think they were pretty happy about the extra feed for their animals. At least that way it wasn't a complete waste.

 

[isufbcurt]

Can anyone honestly claim that they would have "no problem" living next to this?

View attachment 47892

This property "bales their hay" something like twice a year. So it still has a ways to grow before harvesting. Current picture, in Ames, west of North Grand mall area.

I honestly can. My neighbors lawn is about half that high and I wouldn't have even thought about it if they hadn't mentioned that they currently don't have a lawnmower since it broke.

 

[3TrueFans]

I honestly can. My neighbors lawn is about half that high and I wouldn't have even thought about it if they hadn't mentioned that they currently don't have a lawnmower since it broke.

Don't you live in the country away from neighbors?

 

[isufbcurt]

Don't you live in the country away from neighbors?

Yes I do live in the country and have one close neighbor on the corner of our lot.

 

[NWICY]

Can anyone honestly claim that they would have "no problem" living next to this?

View attachment 47892

This property "bales their hay" something like twice a year. So it still has a ways to grow before harvesting. Current picture, in Ames, west of North Grand mall area.

Rental Property?

 

[DeftOne]

That's funny because as an appraiser I don't think I've Ever mentioned the neighbor's grass. There are about a thousand variables higher on the list. Perhaps if they are starting a junk yard or animal sanctuary then you might start to worry.

I'm sure that's true, but how you value a property as an appraiser is not necessarily the same as how potential buyers may value it. I'd say they can be pretty far a part in a lot of cases, actually.

 

[VeloClone]

I'm sure that's true, but how you value a property as an appraiser is not necessarily the same as how potential buyers may value it. I'd say they can be pretty far a part in a lot of cases, actually.

True, curb appeal is the first impression a prospective buyer has of a house and we all know how important first impressions are. The look of the neighborhood definitely affects curb appeal.