Pros and Cons of Having a Well Maintained Yard vs Having No Yard

Throughout my life, I have lived in a condo with the yard maintained for me. Or an apartment that doesn't have grass at all. Then there was the rental house that we were in charge of the yard 100%. Now we have our own home that is 80% dirt and 20% thorns. You may be asking me now. Which was the best? Is it better to have a yard or no yard? Here are some pros and cons to consider.

Pros of Having a Well Maintained Yard

1. There is nothing better than soft green grass! Some people might disagree but walking through soft grass in the middle of the summer is the best! 
2.  A summer BBQ is a lot more fun if you have a yard. It is not appealing to have a picnic or BBQ in a dirty weed-filled yard. 
3. Your home will stay cooler. The more plants and trees you have in your yard. The cooler your home inside will stay. 
4. There seem to be fewer hornets in your yard when you maintain it. Right after moving into a home without a yard, we noticed how many hornets we had. As soon as we started watering, the hornet packs faded away.
5. The value of your home increases as you take the time to work in your yard. Probably a no-brainer. The better a home looks the, better value your home holds.
6. A yard can have more than grass. Some yards were designed to have bushes, water fountains, and flowers. Other owners enjoy landscape rocks and grass. It is up to your imagination and needs!
7. Pets love having a yard to go play in. Dogs love to rub in soft green grass. Cats seem to enjoy wandering around a well-landscaped yard. #petheaven

Cons of Having No Yard or a Poorly Maintained Yard

1. Thorns, thorns, and more thorns! Need I say more?
2. Without a well-manicured lawn, you drag a lot of dirt into your home. Before planting grass in our back yard, my mom would often talk about how much dirt was brought into our home. Grass saves you a lot of housework!
3. Your home looks trashy when the yard looks unkempt. The ugliest pile of bricks can look amazing when accompanied by a beautiful green lawn.
4. In an apartment with no yard, pets and children have nowhere to play. I don't even want to ask where they go to the bathroom...
5. Without a nice yard, it is not as fun to play yard games. Trying to putt a golf ball isn't very enjoyable in the dirt.

Cons of Having a Yard and Pros of Having No Yard

1. If you want a nice-looking yard, you have to weed or pay for someone to weed. So many weeds! I think that I can pull a weed one day, and it will be back the next. Why can't my fruit trees grow that fast?
2. Healthy grass that gets watered grows fast. It might feel like you mow your lawn every other day when you have healthy grass.
3. If you don't have a sprinkler system, you have to get used to dragging a ton of hoses. My parent's yard is huge and didn't have a sprinkler system while we lived at home. I feel like going out and helping my mom move hoses took forever!
4. If you don't have a yard, you save a lot of time! In spring one week, you can be in charge of mowing, weeding, watering, trimming, planting, and pruning. Or higher out this load of work and pay a pretty penny. Maybe not having a yard will make your life a lot easier! 
5. You save money when you don't have a yard. Stop and think about the lawnmower, weed eater, rake, shovel, hoses, and water. A couple of hundred dollars, and you are just getting started.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah