Looking to have the best yard on the block? Make sure you have a nice mailbox, a mowed lawn and avoid garden gnomes at all costs, according to new research.
A study examining the “curb appeal” of America’s homes asked people to rank the dos and don’ts of a visually appealing home exterior.
Results found that trampolines, beware of dog signs and stone animal statues all count negatively towards that first curbside impression.
You can never go wrong with a well-manicured lawn and a bit of color in the flowerbed in forming a positive first home impression, according to the results.
One in two named mowing the lawn as the most important part of achieving good vibes from neighbors.
The study conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Snapper Brand Mowers also found that 36 percent of people admit to being in an unspoken competition for the best yard in their neighborhood and seven in 10 revealed that they do their best to keep their outdoor space looking fresh.
Nearly four in five take a tremendous amount of pride in their yard and 51 percent think their home has serious curb appeal.
But not everyone is quite so on top of it. In fact, some people are really bringing down the neighborhood with their messy yards — more than half of people studied have a particular neighbor whose yard they find “unappealing.”
Keeping the neighborhood looking inviting and fresh is still important — one in four have been so put off by the sight of a neighbor’s outdoor space they’ve even had to ask them to clean up their yard.
A dirty exterior came in at the top of the list of curb appeal don’ts with 57 percent. A lawn that is not mowed (55 percent) and dead plants and flowers (53 percent) rounded out the top three.
Other dishonorable mentions from the survey of 2,000 Americans with a yard were: garish house colors, tacky mailboxes, no trespassing or beware of dog signs, garden gnomes, fairy statues, metal sculptures, paper lanterns and trampolines.
What really sets a nice yard apart are things like a nice mailbox, exterior lights, and a welcoming front porch — all of these made the top 10.
It’s no surprise then that two in five feel more motivated to mow their lawn after seeing a neighbor taking care of their yard.
Weekend warriors take inspiration for their outdoor space from all sorts of places, but landscaping TV shows are number one (41 percent). They also look to their neighbors, landscaping magazines and memories of their childhood home for ideas as well.
Despite all the hard work that goes into maintaining an outdoor space, 58 percent would describe it as “enjoyable” and others called it “relaxing” (40 percent).
Still, lawn care can take up a lot of time as 37 percent described it as “long,” which makes sense seeing as it takes 49.5 minutes to mow the average lawn.
One in two think mowing the lawn is the most important element in curb appeal, but that’s not all there is to it since the average person spends 9.7 hours a month taking care of their outdoor space.
After all that time and effort, it makes sense then that people get protective of their yards.
Seven in 10 think it’s unacceptable to walk through a neighbor’s yard to get somewhere, and four in five would never allow their pet to go to the bathroom on a neighbor’s lawn.
Curb appeal ‘don’ts’
| Dirty exterior | 57% |
| Unmown lawn | 55% |
| Dead flowers/plants | 53% |
| Weeds | 53% |
| Overgrown flower beds | 47% |
| Garish house color | 31% |
| Tacky mailbox | 30% |
| No trespassing signs | 27% |
| Chain link fencing | 22% |
| Beware of dog signs | 22% |