Often times when families are evaluating a new home, the focus ends up being completely on the home itself, with little thought or regard for the backyard. We’ve outlined four reasons you should pay attention to the size of the backyard when you’re looking at a new home.
Do You Have Kids?
Perhaps the biggest reason to have a bigger backyard is that it gives your kids a lot more space and opportunities to play.
Kids love playing outdoors at all ages, and they will absolutely love having space to run around and explore. If your children play a sport, the backyard is a great place to work on their skills.
You can kick a ball around in the yard and practice the sports that they are enrolled in. Your kids can break in their soccer cleats, practice passing and dribbling, and even play scrimmages with their friends.
The same applies if they are into baseball, football, lacrosse… the list goes on.
Beyond practicing sports, an open space is a great place for kids to use their imagination. The outdoors pulls them away from screen time and engages them in ways that the indoors can’t.
Hosting Friends and Family?
A larger backyard allows you to host friends and families. Warm summer evenings can be spent hosting BBQ’s, while cool fall and spring evenings can be spent bundled up with a bonfire.
Outdoor spaces give you a blank canvas to set up for hosting. Larger backyards give you more opportunities, and more space to host bigger groups.
Some hosting opportunities you have with a backyard:
- Add an outdoor bar and host a cocktail party
- Add a built-in BBQ and host a summer party
- Add a fire pit and host a s’mores night
- Don’t do anything and host your kids birthday party
When you have the space outside, the options are virtually endless.
Do You Want a Garden?
Large backyards also give you the opportunity to create a garden. Growing your own fruits and vegetables, planting flowers, or trying your hand at sourcing your own herbs are all great ways to utilize outdoor space.
Depending on the region you live in, different fruits and vegetables will excel in your climate. Do you research so you know what to grow and what not to. Seasonality also plays a role in what you plant.
Growing your own fruits and vegetables allows you to start to control your own food source. You’re also growing highly organic produce, and cutting your costs down a bit at the grocery store.
On the other hand, flowers give you the perfect opportunity to have your favorite annuals or perennials on hand whenever you want. From table décor to festive decorations, flowers are the perfect compliment.
Finally, herbs are relatively easy to grow, and can be used as décor outdoors as well. For example, rosemary is often used as a hedge, in addition to providing a wonderful herb to use in cooking.
Expanding Down the Road?
Finally, a large backyard gives you opportunities down the road. Perhaps you don’t have any interest right now, but you never know what the future will bring.
One common interest for families as time passes is adding an extension or room addition to their house. When you have a large backyard, this is much easier to consider.
Further, you might have a relative or parent that needs a place to stay as they age. Having the ability to add a stand alone granny flat in the backyard could be a great option, while also providing additional value to your home.
Smaller yards, however, make it a lot more difficult to consider. Sometimes, without any additional space to expand on, the idea is squashed.
Wrapping It Up
Large backyards certainly have their share of upkeep, but they also bring with them a plethora of options and opportunities. Consider exactly what you want and need out of a backyard before you buy a new home, rather than evaluating after its too late.