Corner lots

Are you thinking about buying a home? Possibly moving up into a bigger home and it’s located on a corner lot? There are some ‘pro’s and con’s’ to consider when choosing a home on a corner, and some may just surprise you!

yes, being on a corner means you have one less neighbor and with ‘standard’ planning setbacks, this means more privacy usually. Although most cities…Modesto include have city planning rules that helps govern your rights as a homeowner. For example, even though a home is located on a corner and you may have a side yard, it may include a utility easement underground, restricting a cement pad or additional trees.

Clients have called Scott Cary with Homesmart in the past for advice on possibly moving their fences closer to the sidewalk to help enlarge their backyards…only to find out that the city would not allow it! With much additional research…and phone calls…they were denied the altertion.

Thus, the front and side yards become an additional maintenance item. More grass to cut, trees to trim and weeds to pull! You may be one that enjoys added landscape duties, but also consider an added watering cost.

Now there are alternatives that corner lot offer. Some are able to access the backyard for an R.V. or boat gate while others are able to accommodate an R.V. parking pad along the side of the home. Strictly a preference but often a neighborhood eye sore to some.

If the home has a swimming pool in the backyard, clients can generally enjoy more sun exposure to their swimming pool due to not having a neighboring home in the way of the setting sun.

Nevertheless, in most subdivisions, residential lots are cut in similar sizes, therefore the corner lot homes have smaller backyards, so shop around and do some serious comparison shopping so you make the best choice for your family.

Scott Cary is a licensed real estate Broker and Associate with Homesmart PV & Associates DRE#01024173 (209) 402-8000