Eye opener
- Thread starter ps99472
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socal78
Well-known member
ps9 said:
If you couldn't see the fence line, maybe it doesn't have one? In many areas of the country, large lots are not sectioned off. Sometimes they have just tree lines. Where was this place?
I never had a yard my whole life. Always wanted one. Now, finally, I have a yard. Guess what - it's not as nice as I thought it would be.... it's way better!!! We get so much wildlife. It's a lot of fun to watch. In the last 24 hours I've watched two squirrels play together. They bounce across the lawn, to and fro, up & down trees. Two hummingbirds chase each other then nest in my tree. I have an owl which visits to perch up high. Rabbits. Lizards. The lizards creep me out a little but fun to watch them scurry along. It's like living in a park. It also provides so much privacy. No neighbors's windows peeking into yours. Go for the yard. You won't be sorry, PS9!
cubiczirconia
New member
SoCal said:ps9 said:
If you couldn't see the fence line, maybe it doesn't have one? In many areas of the country, large lots are not sectioned off. Sometimes they have just tree lines. Where was this place?
I never had a yard my whole life. Always wanted one. Now, finally, I have a yard. Guess what - it's not as nice as I thought it would be.... it's way better!!! We get so much wildlife. It's a lot of fun to watch. In the last 24 hours I've watched two squirrels play together. They bounce across the lawn, to and fro, up & down trees. Two hummingbirds chase each other then nest in my tree. I have an owl which visits to perch up high. Rabbits. Lizards. The lizards creep me out a little but fun to watch them scurry along. It's like living in a park. It also provides so much privacy. No neighbors's windows peeking into yours. Go for the yard. You won't be sorry, PS9!
Hehe, I have "wildlife" in my itty-bitty also ;-) Hummingbirds are so territorial.. they fight for the feeder. I bought two, thinking they will learn to share.. but no! More fights. This hummingbird wants to own both. May be if the yard was bigger than this, I could put them so that he wouldn't see both, but it's not so.. We have bunnies, and I hate to hose down their you know what. Bought those ball bird feeders that you can hang in the trees, and filled them with sunflowers. Lot of house wren. No blue jays, even though I would love to see one. Raccoon at the front door last evening, and the tail was so beautiful, R2 ran after it to bring it home..Lizzy the lizard- oh yes! And she has a lot of babies
Wild life aside, you have a beautiful yard (and kitchen too! have you considered sending in your remodel story to apartment therapy?), and you had hail in your backyard!! Something Irvine was discriminated by mother nature :/
PS9, last month, we went to visit my friend in bay area. Beautiful house up the hills, with a character (old, but not just plain old) backyard with all mature trees that kids could swing on, front yard again with trees, side yard with space to park RV.. all that for a little less than a million. I was smitten, couldn't stop thinking of how each area should be decorated. Came home, told husband that we need to move (I do love houses up the hills, some day/ one day I will own one.. as soon as I blip-blop-bleh) But, visited cousin in Cupertino the next weekend. Same kind of old house with character, trees and all that jazz for more than a million.. and then it was dark, time to sleep. The doors didn't bolt well, there was whooshing sound from the trees in the bedroom (no double pane windows) It just wasn't pretty. I am not saying that stopped me from buying a bigger house with a nicer backyard
Just puts things in perspective. Two jobs, two kids, four schedules to juggle- house shouldn't be one of them unless you have time and energy to dedicate. Open your eyes, but open them wide to see everything else
Your around the world post on the other thread- go for it! Time is ripe ;-)
cubiczirconia
New member
How many times do you come home saying "I am glad I am in Irvine" BTW..
I do, whenever I go to Arcadia/ Pasadena Just the open streets and plenty of parking here make me breathe easy!
I do, whenever I go to Arcadia/ Pasadena
Just the open streets and plenty of parking here make me breathe easy!
cubiczirconia
New member
ps9 said:It was actually in Arcadia... 43000 sq ft... You can fit like 14 detached condos on it
Whaaaaaaaaaaat! Someone has so much land in Arcadia, and it's not filled with condos selling for a million??
(I still have memories of looking at 3 bed/ 2.5 bath attached condos in Arcadia for $750k and wondering why should anyone pay so much to a dark place in need of upgrades..these were all near Golden West)
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
A couple of friends of mine have homes with huge lots... and while it's nice to have and to entertain there... I don't envy the expense of the upkeep.
One of them has a really nice pool and while it's fun to go to a party there... I look at it and think "How much work is that to keep clean and how much does that cost a month?".
Then we go home and our kids want to still go swimming so we take them to the pool down the street and I feel "glad" I'm not cleaning that pool.
If I had a big back yard... it would all be cemented with two hoops and a tennis net (that can be raised to a volleyball net). I would probably have to resurface/paint it every 3-5 years but that's it.
One of them has a really nice pool and while it's fun to go to a party there... I look at it and think "How much work is that to keep clean and how much does that cost a month?".
Then we go home and our kids want to still go swimming so we take them to the pool down the street and I feel "glad" I'm not cleaning that pool.
If I had a big back yard... it would all be cemented with two hoops and a tennis net (that can be raised to a volleyball net). I would probably have to resurface/paint it every 3-5 years but that's it.
socal78
Well-known member
irvinehomeowner said:
Without a pool, for the basics (low pruning, weeding, edging, mowing, hedges), between $50-80/mo. will do ya depending on the lot size and level of service. My landscaping costs + HOA combined (including HOA pool) are less than half of an average Irvine HOA payment.
socal78
Well-known member
ps9 said:It was actually in Arcadia... 43000 sq ft... You can fit like 14 detached condos on it
Are you considering relocating?
I think the nicest part of a yard is spontaneous play for the kids. Mine play soccer in the yard with each other and with their friends. It's nice not having to drop everything to take them to the park every time they want to play or have them play where cars are and they could get run over. My favorite time are the spring and summer. We do Badminton and Croquet in the yard... fun to play with family or get the neighbors together to play. Do neighbors play Badminton and Croquet on the HOA greenbelts in Irvine? Serious question, I don't know. I didn't even know my neighbor's names in Irvine.
cubiczirconia
New member
SoCal said:
Loaded question, not just serious
Enter California court.. know your neighbor, socialize in the warmth of your garage, watch the kids play soccer while the slow moving cars play goalies
socal78
Well-known member
Cubic Zirconia said:SoCal said:
Loaded question, not just serious
Not loaded, I promise. I grew up in attached townhomes in Yorba Linda. Some of my favorite childhood memories were my family and the neighbors playing Badminton and Croquet on the greenbelts. Maybe they do in Irvine. I didn't exactly fit the new demographic, so how would I know. Maybe they just didn't invite me. Complexes aren't really built with greenbelts anymore these days, which is unfortunate. But maybe everybody gets together at the pocket park to play. Asians may not be into these two sports but maybe the neighborhood families play something else together?? Serious question.
ps99472
New member
I thought I had a decent "Irvine" backyard, until I saw the Arcadia home. Landscape maintenance probably up there, lots of grass and old trees. Full size basketball court would be no problem, mostly flat too, so lots of usable space. It would probably go for low 3's on the market right now, but of course in that area it's always a bidding frenzy.
cubiczirconia
New member
irvinehomeowner said:
IHO, are you my long lost twin?
cubiczirconia
New member
SoCal said:Cubic Zirconia said:SoCal said:
Loaded question, not just serious
Not loaded, I promise. I grew up in attached townhomes in Yorba Linda. Some of my favorite childhood memories were my family and the neighbors playing Badminton and Croquet on the greenbelts. Maybe they do in Irvine. I didn't exactly fit the new demographic, so how would I know. Maybe they just didn't invite me. Complexes aren't really built with greenbelts anymore these days, which is unfortunate. But maybe everybody gets together at the pocket park to play. Asians may not be into these two sports but maybe the neighborhood families play something else together?? Serious question.
Honest California court answer: I know all my motor court neighbors. Our kids play together, we talk about housing market, summer vacations, schools, teachers and all the generic things. What do they play? Mostly they all ride their bikes/ scooters, occasionally play ball or badminton. The girls on my side skip rope also. It's not really like rest of Irvine.
nosuchreality
Well-known member
SoCal said:
I need your lawn guy. I'm on a 1/4 acre and it's $135/month.
Not to mention when I talk to landscapers, the backyard redo comes in at the price of a small car and that's the no frill landscape. Adding hardscape and a pergola parks it into midrange SUV.
socal78
Well-known member
nosuchreality said:
Ooooh, a pergola! If you do, will you please post about it. I have been looking at them as well but have not gotten into the foundation / building quote stage, only looked at the pergola and arbor kits.
I'd be happy to PM you the gardener's contact info if you'd like. (Yours is bigger than mine, cost may vary.) However, coincidentally, this Wednesday I am interviewing a new landscaper because the current one is just no super star. The new one seems a lot better. I actually stopped my car dead in its tracks over the weekend, drooling over a neighbor's landscaping. It looked straight out of a magazine. I knocked on her door for the 411. She invited me - a complete stranger - into her house to see the back, too. That was so nice. It was amazing. I even took pictures. And I hear he's only $10 more a month. So, I'll probably give the current one the boot and get my "magazine landscaping" going! If people start stopping their car to take pics of my lawn, too, and beating my door down I'll know it was worth it.
ps99472
New member
Did they specify how many working minutes/hrs per week? Just let go my gardener of 2 months, thought $80 a month is a good price for ~1/6th of an acre and slope too. The owner told me its only 20 minutes per week for two guys. So I let them go.....End up hiring my neighbors gardener at the same price but he'll put in 1hr per week with two guys, plus fix sprinklers (I just pay parts), free mulching, and extra plants he has left over from another job.