How big is too big?

Perhaps this depends on the overall size of your home, but if you are maintaining your own yard, how big is too big before you rebel and say 'not moving here' or 'time to get some help'?

I'd say if it takes you more than 4 hours a day to maintain your yard, then I would say it's time to get some help, especially if you have a job as well.

hornet said:

I'd say if it takes you more than 4 hours a day to maintain your yard, then I would say it's time to get some help, especially if you have a job as well.

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I'd say 4 hrs a week as an average,

I guess part of this equation depends on how much you enjoy doing outdoor work. I think a lot of people like working on their yards while for others it is more of a chore.

Very true, it is a matter of preference and whether you prefer the outdoors. One person may find maintaining a yard for 4 hours really tasking yet another may find that really enjoyable.

We bought 5 acres of undeveloped land and built a home. We planned to keep all five acres, but later we sub-divided into two 2 1/2 acre parcels. Even at that, I'm a little more involved in the upkeep than I would really prefer----cuts into my fishing!

This really depends on how much time you can spend taking care of the lawn and how much you enjoy your garden. A big lawn is great for entertaining friends but it's no use at all if you can't spend time taking care of it. If you need a big lawn and yet you don't have that much time to take care of it be sure to set it up so taking care of it won't require much effort on your part.

In thinking about it more, it really does depend on where your joy comes from. I'm more into enjoying the beauty and not making it happen, so for me, anything over a half hour pushes me.

Hershey said:

Perhaps this depends on the overall size of your home, but if you are maintaining your own yard, how big is too big before you rebel and say 'not moving here' or 'time to get some help'?

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My property is 11 acres, the actual area I mow is about 5 plus the ATV trails on the back 6 acres. It takes me roughly 7-8 hours a week during the growing season to keep the yard area mowed and trimmed (4-5 hrs with tractor, 2-3 with pusher mower, 1-2 hrs with weedeater) but being retired, I have the time, and I enjoy the activity UNLESS there is a lot of rain and I end up raking the clippings.

The garden is about another 2-5 hours a week in spring and summer....still, I enjoy that too, except for weeding. Every year I use my tractor to enlarge the yard area by cutting back the pasture, in the past ten years I have added another acre of lawn to cut, but I am done enlarging the area because any more lawn to take care of, it's not worth the headache. The only reason I have so much lawn area is because I don't water or fertilize it, and I don't give a darn if the neighbors kids play on it, or if the guy down on the corner wants to drive on it to use my burn pile. My wife's brother has a half acre yard that looks like a putting green, he has a fit if anybody puts a wheel on any of it....stupid, IMO. Why go to all that work and expense and then worry if the grass gets matted down...:confused2:

JDGreen has the ideal lifestyle I think. The most important thing is to be realistic and to enjoy what you have (and the time it takes to maintain.) If I ever get to the point where I can't enjoy the time it needs then that's when I will be hiring help.