No hardscapes in landscaping

[architect77]

Originally Posted by glazersight

I assume the OP was asking about trends in situations where all things being equal. In other words if looking at upper scale 3000-5000 sqft homes in SoCal and comparing them to homes of similar size here, one might notice different landscape trends. Most people that have already decided they need a mcmansion are not going to suddenly say "we can't afford landscaping", so I don't think simple economics really explains it. I also think Southern California has had a rougher time over the last twelve years or so than this region.

With the growing uncertainty of Southern California's water resources, Los Angeles actually pays homeowners to rip out their grass lawns and switch to whatever doesn't need watering. I think they pay a couple of bucks per sq. yard. A few other Western cities do this also. They enter an agreement with the city forbidding even future property owners from switching back to grass.

[MB1972]

Originally Posted by glazersight

Sometimes restrictions or covenants help save us from ourselves. Lots of custom landscaping or swimming pools can actually make a home a lot harder to sell if you ever need to and will usually not come close to recovering original cost by adding to the resale value. It's true with any customization I suppose, because it adds a subjective element and hinders the new homeowners ability to make the place feel like their own unless they happen to be in agreement with your exact taste.

Maybe you'll never sell your place, but most people stay in a house on average 5-8 years around here so the odds are against anyone staying "forever" in their home.

I actually wasn't putting a pool in for resale value, just for my own personal desire, but the Town of Cary won't let me do it and I've got a yard with plenty of space for a pool and grass.

[glazersight]

Originally Posted by MB1972

I actually wasn't putting a pool in for resale value, just for my own personal desire, but the Town of Cary won't let me do it and I've got a yard with plenty of space for a pool and grass.

Yeah, Cary is kind of the North Korea of the Triangle -- not the best place to be if you're into heavy yard customization.

I'm sure there's a chart out there that shows the 30 approved yard possibilities in Cary

North Koreans get to pick from 28 state-approved haircuts* - NY Daily News