7 Landscaping Features That Are Annoying Your Neighbors, Real Estate Pros Say

You want to be a good neighbor. If anything, you want the same treatment in return. But certain landscaping features like fire pits, motion lights, and water features are guaranteed to annoy your neighbor. 

We spoke with real estate professionals to learn the top landscaping features that annoy neighbors.

Fire Pits

Fire pits are an elegant way to enhance a backyard space, especially if they are incorporated into an outdoor kitchen and comply with local regulations, says Kristina Chervenka, of Five Buffalo Capital, LLC.

“The problem is generally how they are used and maintained,” Chervenka says. “Burning items that shouldn’t be burned, using them incorrectly, or not maintaining them can cause neighbors and homeowners associations to complain.”

Solutions

The rule of thumb with fire pits is to be conscious of how the smoke tends to blow, says Cara Ameer, a real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Realty Vanguard. This can be especially problematic if you have a fire pit and your neighbors like to keep their windows open for fresh air.

Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!

Motion Lights

Motion lights are another common annoyance for neighbors.

“In my first-hand experience, additions such as overpowering security lights generate privacy concerns,” says Alexei Morgado, a real estate broker and CEO and founder of Lexawise.

Ameer agrees.

“They can shine directly into an adjoining house,” Ameer says. “If this turns off and on multiple times at night, it can be frustrating for the neighbors.”

Solutions

When Chervenka had a neighbor issue, she adjusted the motion sensor’s sensitivity. She also adjusted the beams and their brightness while maintaining light on all four corners of the home. 

“It took open dialogue and trial and error to balance safety concerns and home aesthetic with being a good neighbor,” she says.

Water Features

Garden ponds provide sanctuary and serenity for a home, but they often fall out of use. An unused water feature can breed mosquitos or fill with algae and debris. During rain, the pond may overflow.

“When selling the home, a pond that is not pristine and easy to maintain will detract from the home’s value,” Chervenka says. “It will rarely add value unless the pond is used for recreation, livestock water, or is easy to maintain.”

Solutions

Fill in a garden pond with sand and xeriscape it into a rock garden. Or fill it with gravel to turn it into a dry well, to help with yard drainage.

Yard Structures

Large backyard or front yard structures like chicken coops, sheds, old gazebos, pergolas, old play structures, and clotheslines are things buyers don’t want to see in a house, Ameer says.

“There is nothing worse than having to look at an unsightly neighbor’s structure from your backyard day in and day out,” she says.

Solutions

If the structure isn’t used or otherwise maintains property value, tear it down. Architect-designed, contractor-built tiny houses integrated with the property and neighborhood are exceptions.

Above-Ground Pools

Above-ground pools can be fun, but generally they are landscaping eyesores, Chervenka says. Pools kill the grass. When in use, they can be noisy and frustrating for neighbors. When not in use, they are a safety liability to the property.

Solutions

For above-ground pools that are visible to neighbors, border them with decking and foliage so they appear as part of the natural landscape. Always add safety fencing. 

Too Much Concrete

Not only is a concrete driveway practical, but stained and stamped concrete adds beauty to a yard. But too much concrete can be bad.

“I have seen properties where there is excessive pavement or paving stones so that it becomes difficult to maintain the property,” Chervenka says.

Neighbors may complain when the front of the home resembles a parking lot, she adds. Also, if excess water drains to the property line, that’s not just an annoyance—that’s a flooded foundation.

Solutions

Crushed gravel or mulch are natural solutions to concrete overload, Chervenka says. They allow for better drainage and have a more gentle appearance that eliminate neighbor complaints.

Invasive Plants

Healthy trees planted away from the property line enhance a yard. But trees planted near the property line can damage plumbing and structural elements.

Real estate pros single out bamboo as one of the most annoying landscape features for neighbors. Bamboo is difficult to get rid of, and it’s incredibly invasive, clogging pipes, cracking foundations, and ripping apart driveways.

Solutions

Take care when landscaping property lines. Hedges, shrubs, and ornamental grasses can go next to the property line, but keep trees well away from the edges.