How important is a big backyard?

Hi guys!

So we think we have found the perfect house for our block, only problem is the backyard space.. and a difference in opinion.

I am happy with where the house sits - 4m setback (as per res code) and a 3.6m backyard (not including the 3.7m x 8.5m alfresco to the side of the house) - however, my boyfriend thinks a bigger backyard is important.

We are building in the South East Suburbs of Victoria and this seems to be the norm with all the display homes and recently built homes in the area. We also have an acre park at our doorstep and a primary school at the end on the street (with an oval and two soccer pitches behind that).

This is something I think we both could live with (provided my boyfriend comes around) but we also don't want to be shooting ourselves in the foot with resell value. Would love to hear peoples opinions?

Everyone's lifestyle is different. Some love small yards with little maintainence. We have a 1200sq m block with a big back yard and our 3 kids still like to play inside or ride their bikes in the driveway. That being said we have a 14ft trampoline that fits easily in our yard but it's 3.66 metres across.
Also having schools and parks are great to have so close but that means you have to take them. It's nice to be able to clean the house in your pj's and just have the kids play outside out of your way.
I always think bigger is better but you also have to be able to find a big block in a good location and then be able to afford it.

I think it comes down to what you both really want in the end, and how you'll use the backyard.

The huge backyard with clothesline in the middle is something of the past, and my best mate was actually told by an agent that families aren't looking for backyards any more - and that he should get a house to fill the big size of his block and skimp on the backyard.

On the other hand, we're moving a little further out to get more backyard. If we have kids in the future, we want the kids to be able to run around the back and play when ever they like, and having somewhere nice to go out and entertain and have bbq's etc is important for us. Also - if there's future plans of getting a boat / trailer etc, (of course if there's side entrance or big enough gate or garage), the bigger property will support it. I personally don't think it'll have much difference on value though.

I personally think parents are overcommitting kids with extracurricular activities outside the home these days so backyards and free play are not the phenomenon they used to be. There is no time!!! Therefore there is less emphasis on that space, more on inside spaces, that let them escape into their digital worlds.

I think the main reason you don't see many big backyards anymore isn't because people don't want them, it's because developers fit more lots into a new estate to maximise their profits. Most people who have kids will know how much children love to play outside. I have lived in a townhouse with a very small yard in Sydney and my children longed to play outside and run around and we found we had to take them to a park constantly to stop them crawling up the walls inside, hence the reason we purchased a 1200sqm block for our house. If you plan to have children outside space is important.

If you are as you say very close to a park for the kids to play in, a backyard isn't quite as important for your kids.

It is important for kids to get away from their digital domain, and do what kids used to do for many years, and that's get outside in the sun use their imagination and play.

You too will need some 'me time', but know that the kids are still safe in your own backyard, but in some situations like in your case, the park is very close by so you can join your kids by sitting down relaxing in the park whilst still in your sight they can play.

It varies from person to person. When we purchased our current place after years in apartments we craved a huge backyard with grand plans of gardening and having the kids run around and a dog. Well the reality is very different! We don't have the time to commit to the yard so it became a jungle, and for that reason the kids are hardly ever out there. Its taken forever to get it into an almost sale-able condition!

We wanted a much smaller yard with this build, so our back yard is only 4m from the house, 6m set back at the front and only a couple of meters either side of the house to the fence. We also have a park nearby if the kids want to run around.

Being close to a good park is good but it means that visits involve you to supervise, rather than the kids just playing in the backyard by themselves.

We chose a bigger block and a particular house design to maximise our backyard so that our kids would have the option of playing in it, or going to the park.

One of our requirements when we looked for and found our block was land was the ability for a large yard, we built 2 storey to maximise our land and our backyard is now 15m from the house to the fence and 21m wide. We have a park across the road and one with a playground a 2 minute walk away also.

I think it comes down to how your own family lives and it will only affect resale if it's inconsistent with the area. There are plenty of people (like me) who prefer a smaller yard for less maintenance and will happily buy a house with a smaller yard.

We wanted a lot of space for kids to run around in too and space to build a sand pit, cubby, etc. This is born out of my childhood memories of spending hours outside.

But its personal preference. You'll lose some future buyers either way, large or small.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for your responses!!

I wish this was an easy decision, since I know there are a lot more tough choices to come.

I'm still for having the smaller backyard - since I'm not much of an outdoors person - and I figure once the kids are of an age where they'll need the space they'll have friends that will more than likely want to hang out at the park (without mum and dad watching them). As for when they're too young to go by themselves, we can quite easily fit a 1.6mx1.8m 1 story cubby with a sand pit underneath in the back corner and still have enough room for some backyard cricket and as far as entertaining goes I'm hoping our 3.7mx 8.5m undercover alfresco will do the trick.

Thanks again guys - there has definitely been some good points raised!!