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You don't put up a pool on your front yard, neither sit down without a shirt there for reading a book, nor you invite 30 guests to hang out on the front of the house. The backyard is for that purpose.
Where we live the homes have large front porches, so it's actually fairly common to see someone out on the porch swing reading. Or hanging out on the front porch sipping a drink and watching the world go by. If you have a large front yard, that become even more inviting. You can sit on the porch and watch the kids play in the yard.
The other advantage to a large front yard is that there's room to have more cars up on blocks and store your trash cans, not to mention the fire pit/ring.
I would recommend moving; your area sounds really trashy. Around here, our larger front yards are well-kept lawns with plentiful trees.
In my neighborhood my house was built farther from the street than I would like but it's an older house and yes it gives you a useless huge front yard and a smaller back yard and to make matters worse we have a township line about 15 feet that the town owns since we don't have sidewalks and there is a swale in the front.
what also makes it worse is that it takes longer to mow my front yard than the backyard and I prefer a smaller front yard so it's easier to maintain since that's what everyone sees from the street. In the summer in SW Florida all the rain and sun makes the grass grow like crazy too, you need to mow it every 2 weeks, I try to put it off a little longer, plus it gets so hot that I can only do the front on one day and the back on another usually
Where I grew up in the northeast the lots were small 25 feet by 150 and the old homes were closer to the street and had a large back yard, they build them so close with porches so that you can't even get a permit to make a small driveway to fit one car.
Sorry - I can't resist - EVERY 2 WEEKS you have to mow? Try twice a week in the spring in the midwest!
In my tiny-lotted subdivision the front and back yards are about equal - people entertain in their driveways with a grill they pull out of the garage which seems kinda low class and their dogs are entertained in a fenced off back yard. Go figger.
What I have seen, MOST large lot homes have more front yard and less backyard.
Is this what most home buyers want or what most builders want?
In cities or states where people dont talk to their neighbors much, the front yard is only for show but not for outdoor enjoyment. Then it comes down to show vs outdoor enjoyment.
I like being set back from the road, less noise from vehicles and less dust and dirt in the house if I want to have my windows open. The houses we are looking at are set back, but also have nice sized backyards.
In cities or states where people dont talk to their neighbors much,
the front yard is only for show but not for outdoor enjoyment.
Who would want to live like that?
Quote:
What I have seen, MOST large lot homes have more front yard and less backyard.
They're common. If you don't like them then choose a home from among the others.
Quote:
Is this what most home buyers want or what most builders want?
When new (the only time that Q matters)... I suspect it'll still be local/situational.
But all of it is a throwback to England and the landed gentry.
In many areas they put the well and septic systems in the front (c 1950ish) to make later connection
to city systems far less complicated (c1970ish). In many areas the large homes had large park like settings
as a status symbol that would appeal to the nouveau riche with money having "arrived" to tend
(or pay others to tend) crops that no one will eat. Back yards you don't have to be as finicky.
I like being set back from the road, less noise from vehicles and less dust and dirt in the house if I want to have my windows open. The houses we are looking at are set back, but also have nice sized backyards.
The issue is the imbalance of those 2.
I'm not saying that houses should be pushed fully to the front to maximize backyard, but I also don't like when the house is pushed fully back (like many houses I have seen).
On a larger suburban (not farm) front yard you reach diminishing returns after 40-50ft, while the backyard could increase to infinity with ever increasing benefit.
What I have seen, MOST large lot homes have more front yard and less backyard.
Is this what most home buyers want or what most builders want?
In cities or states where people dont talk to their neighbors much, the front yard is only for show but not for outdoor enjoyment. Then it comes down to show vs outdoor enjoyment.
I haven't seen this in most suburbs I have seen at least here on the East Coast
On a medium-sized lot (0.3-0.5 acres), the structure will usually be in the middle of the lot, with a bit more given to the backyard. This gives the nice look to the front, a bit of noise reduction while still leaving enough backyard.
On a small lot (0.2 acres or less), they will often be pushed up more towards the front to keep the backyard more pleasant and usable.
On a large lot (1 acre+), you have enough space that you can have a large front and backyard so it becomes moot
Anyway, the setback is not really about making it look good for show. It's about maximizing the benefits of being setback from the street while not making your yard too small.
Anyway, I guess my point is you seem stuck on this idea that it's all for "show" and I don't think that is the case.
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