Zero lot line homes - Good or bad? (Frisco, Little Elm: apartment, HOA)

[T2015]

Would you ever buy a house on a zero lot line? Anyone have good experiences or regrets? I've seen some decent prices for some of these homes. The yard's aren't big and nonexistent in some cases, but the inside of the homes seem good for the price.

I read some horror stories online about having a zero lot line property but I doubt that's the norm for the majority of people that live in houses like these. Some of the neighborhoods are huge and people keep moving in so it can't be that bad. It still seems better then buying a townhouse, less HOA too, and you get a tiny patch of yard vs no yard, and it costs less then a comparable single family house with more land.

It would be horrible though if you ended up with a horrible neighbor but that's bad anywhere. And I'm assuming there are rules everyone living that close together have to follow. Like the side of my home's wall (no windows) that a neighbor has in his / her yard, that neighbor can't plant trees near it or something. And maybe if I am getting my roof replaced I'd have to let my right and left neighbors know? I'm just guessing. Small compromises made over the course of several years may add up and be a pain or maybe not. Resale won't be great either with these type of homes, but prices have already gone up and I bet they'll keep climbing, even for zero lot line homes.

Any input is appreciated! Villas of Beacon Hill is one example of these zero lot line homes. Thanks

[ChristieP]

They are great if you have no interest in lawn maintenance, and you don't need a back yard for kids or a pool. They are popular with single people and older couples.

[compSciGuy]

Do you want a yard? Do you want to maintain it for the liking of the HOA, or do you want the time (or money) to do other things? Do you have (or do you plan on having) kids that might like to play? Do you like some fresh air sometimes? Do you perhaps want a little garden?

How's your hearing? Do you like to hear the neighbors? For instance, I can hear the neighbors (on both sides) if their kid play a musical instrument, if the neighbors are watching TV, if the neighbor is coming or going by opening their garage door. These are normal day-to-day things, not issues like the neighbor having a party, etc.

No rules about planting trees in consideration of neighbors, or telling people (other than the HOA) about work being done on the home (roof or otherwise).

[UnfairPark]

Main reason people settle for zero lots is want of new construction in a specific area, once they learn their lesson, only empty nesters and retired folks stay there. I would rather buy an older single family house than share walls with neighbors.

[turf3]

We lived in one for six years. I would say we were well satisfied. The layout of the houses provided better privacy than most standard houses. We did have to interact with our neighbors in relation to the shared facilities - one of our walls sat on the lot line/backyard of our next door neighbor. I would ask her when I would go over and trim things, etc., which was never a problem. I can only remember one issue, which was when the neighbor's daughter and some high school friends were bouncing a ball off our wall at night; I went over and told them to stop; when they resumed after a bit I ran them off. No trouble other than that one time, as far as I can remember.

Bad neighbors can happen in any kind of situation. At least you are not sharing walls like in an apartment or condo. I never had any noise issues with things like neighbors' stereos or musical instruments, unlike the poster above. Maybe this is related to quality of construction.

I assure you that we did not "settle" for a zero lot line because there was not new construction in the area. Rather, we sold a new construction house and moved from it into a 20 year old zero lot line, because we liked the neighborhood better, the house was less expensive, and we wanted to experience minimal yard work.

We only sold out and moved because of a job relocation, we were still happy with the house.

I would not recommend it if you have trouble having positive businesslike interactions with your close neighbors.

[Katana49]

As a generalization, the types of people moving into zero lot line homes are typically empty nesters who are downsizing a bit, don't want to do yard work, etc. That's the majority of who I've personally seen living in neighborhoods like these.

I personally wouldn't want to live in one. I've lived in a condo complex before where about half the residents were retired... They had nothing better to do than complain about things. When you're living on top of your neighbors, that could get old very quickly.

I want some space between my home and neighbors. It's the same reason why I'd never consider a home in Little Elm or Frisco, their lots are typically very tiny and the homes are too close together. A zero lot line home is even worse.

[froglipz]

Closer the house the closer your neighbors noise!

[jdallas]

given the problems with foundations around here, I would not want to have the structural integrity of my home so reliant upon my neighbor's home

[turf3]

Lots of people here posting how bad zero lot line houses are, but their posts indicate they have never lived in one.

With any kind of house, you must do your own homework and assess the neighborhood, HOA, and the specific house. (I assume almost all zero lot lines are in HOAs.)

Zero lot line houses are not for everyone, but I think they are a huge step up from attached or semi-detached houses in quality of life.

Also check whether the house is in an HOA, versus a condo association. There are pluses and minuses of each, but they are very distinct. Yes it is possible to have a condominium association of detached houses.

[Rakin]

Perfectly good if you want a smaller yard.

Just have to know your neighbor so they properly water their yard and you don't have a foundation issue.