Why American Yards Are Shrinking - Cheddar Explains

[@jdubvdub]

It’s this simple: Lot sizes have gotten smaller so developers can put more houses on less land.

[@bgsound2721]

Exactly, they've gone from 4 to 5 new houses an acre here.

[@redbean9410]

CAPITALISM WHOOOOOOOO

[@cisium1184]

Houses have also gotten too big.

[@richdobbs6595]

@@redbean9410 Crony Capitalism. In real capitalism, you would be able to buy land and build a house on it with at most enforced building codes. This has largely been stopped in urban areas by zoning and land use regulations.

[@Actionronnie]

@Matt Kelly I'm in Canada and have a 720 sqf house,but have a livable basement so my square footage is really doubled.It's kind of a normal house in my neighborhood from the 50's and 60's. House sits on a 4000 sqf yard,so lots of outside space. They're building a 1500 sqf house right Next door,it looks so out of place in the area. They really are not going to have a yard after a deck and garage get put in. I walk outside my side door and all I see is a blank wall now,its depressing what people want now. These houses literally cut old close knit neighborhoods in half.

[@grail68]

I've been watching my yard very closely and haven't noticed it shrinking at all

[@a.yashwanth]

@Drukstylz 😂

[@hughtaggart565]

Get out and mow the dang lawn... Lmao

[@batmandalorian5504]

@Drukstylz that's a good point

[@TomMcKee33]

Yeah and I went straight from having 2 kids to 3, I wanted 2.5

[@ycdouble1]

Ha-ha! Need to rush to my backyard to check it out for myself!

[@EvaHoffmann153]

It is difficult to make exact projections for the housing market as it is still unclear how quickly or to what degree the Federal Reserve will reduce inflation and borrowing costs without having a substantial negative impact on demand from consumers for anything from houses to cars.

[@henryallard245]

If anything, it'll get worse. Very soon, affordable housing will no longer be affordable. So anything anyone wants to do, I will advise they do it now because the prices today will look like dips tomorrow. Until the Fed clamps down even further, I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. You can't halfway rip the band-aid off.

[@MarshalWagner457]

The new mortgage rates are crazy, add to that the recession and the fact that mortgage rules are getting more difficult, and home prices will need to fall by a minimum of 40% (more like 50%) before the market normalizes. For now, get your money (as much as you can) out of the housing market and get into the financial markets or gold. If you are at a cross roads or need honest advice on the best moves to take now, it is best to seek an independent advisor who knows about the financial markets.

[@LukasMeyer476]

I will be happy getting assistance and glad to get the help of one, but just how can one spot a reputable one?

[@MarshalWagner457]

'Rebecca Noblett Roberts' is the licensed advisor I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.

[@EvelynBrooks0]

Thank you for this Pointer. It was easy to find her handler, She seems very proficient and flexible. I booked a call session with her.

[@wc5099]

Totally missed the fact the you also no longer need a big yard for septic systems and well water connections. Back in the days, you didn’t have water or septic connections like you do today. You had to have a minimum distance between your well water and your septic field so you wouldn’t contaminate the water you drink.

[@joltjolt5060]

This is SO TRUE.

[@verbatos9498]

this is actually the smartest reply in this comments section

[@AnUnseenRuler]

And when when get rid of the septic system and the well you now have to service those lots with water and sanitary systems. People having larger lots means longer sanitary runs and bigger servicing systems meaning a larger expense per lot. Additionally cost of servicing has increased now that modern systems no longer combine sanitary and storm systems so huge runs of storm systems servicing the streets which service the bigger lots are more expensive. You can also lower the cost a lot on a home by spreading the cost of building roads over more lots. IOW, the costs really pile up the bigger your yard gets.

[@thornil2231]

That's a good point. Also people had chicken coop and vegetable gardens. But the most crucial: LAND WAS CHEAP AND AVAILABLE.

[@Ryan2022]

@@thornil2231 Landis cheap and available to ever been to North Carolina

[@alnoso]

that table is unsettlingly tall makes me feel like she's an 8 year old adult teaching me about land value

[@sos2530]

alnoso lol

[@elijahculper5522]

It doesn’t help that she looks young and is playing with LEGO’s.

[@DaltonHBrown]

looks like a coffee table and she's sitting on the floor.

[@ShahedVideo]

i imagined her kneeling the whole time

[@dardoukLYS]

You got it wrong, she's the 0.5 child she's talking about, she's just a torso with no legs.

[@truelymadmatt]

"Look how close these houses are" Laughs in European

[@kongafamous8736]

truelymadmatt my grandmas house is like giant

[@imnotracistbut7445]

And japanese

[@mohammadv8560]

Hongkong

[@GordonWaiteJr]

“Laughs in European.” Is European a language?

[@stefamart7]

@@GordonWaiteJr it's going to be a language one day 🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺

[@ezequielviana3687]

Yes 2.5 kids Timmy Sally And *legs*

[@thefirsttime7759]

Thats rasict

[@tara_nguyen]

How do you have half a kid?

[@thefirsttime7759]

@@tara_nguyen .5 refers to a pregnant woman

[@gildedbear5355]

just remember, .5 of a kid isn't a person, it's a crime scene.

[@ezequielviana3687]

@Lakshmi Kimmu lol did you notice that the Lego kid didn't have legs

[@ruisu919]

I just bought my first home at 30 during a pandemic and my thoughts were become a producer not a consumer. That led me to buy a older home with strong bones and a big yard for my pets, orchard, garden and eventually a pond.

[@peppermoon7485]

Good choice :) live in it and fix it up at the same time ! I did that and flipped it ..I’m to old but it was a fun project !

[@jbkawaiiholic]

That’s my dream!! I just want to be able to garden!

[@JJ-bj6hg]

@@peppermoon7485 HE DIDN’T GET IT

[@carbsncaffeine9254]

I want a pond too

[@dus10dnd]

Being a producer is great. True wealth originates with the land. It is great to get closer to it and to be involved in what you consume.

[@21Arrozito]

"millennials want bigger homes" Lol at this point we just want 'homes'

[@thejackbox]

@Miss Cute z...

[@southaussielad2496]

I'd be happy to be able to afford even a 2 bedroom unit in our state but the dream is slipping further away every day.....

[@Vejitatheouji]

As a millenial with a home, I want to move back into an apartment (or maybe a condo).

[@BrickworksDK]

I was thinking the same. For many, simply just owning a home - even a small one - is becoming a pipe dream.

[@kazemizu]

Renting a home let’s you up and leave if you want though.

[@Catalina._]

By 2050, "Get off my lawn" will be no longer relevant

[@Lightbringer_3]

No no... Actually by that time our population will start decreasing n the current world population is about 7 billion which will decrease to 4 billion by 2100... So less population more land...

[@runway5338]

@@Lightbringer_3 I hope that happens! We have limited resources, so a decrease in population would be better in the long run. We’re running into trouble w/ it now b/c of the economic system in place where we depend on a large young population in comparison to an elderly one. It seems like the only ways to fix this is for either the elderly to move on from this world, or for an overhaul of the current system to suit the current population problem some countries are facing.

[@JanG859]

"Get off my flying car docking station" doesn't have the same ring to it.

[@calebdonaldson8770]

"Get off my porch!"

[@thetheorex1036]

@@Lightbringer_3 The world population will be 10 billion in 2100 not 4 billion

[@Helperbot-2000]

"2.5 kids" "okay jimmy, we are gonna get your legs while the neigbors will get your torso"

[@FoxGoalie]

There's a Pewdiepie joke in there somewhere ....

[@rrss5497]

Nooo...You split little Jimmy down the middle, top to bottom. THAT way, you get 2 minimum wage American workers with half a brain apiece to flip burgers at Mickey's or shuffle sh*t at an Amazon warehouse.

[@Helperbot-2000]

@@rrss5497 GENIUS!

[@ginsederp]

Who's gonna get his head?

[@AliciaGuitar]

This makes me feel grateful for my 1.25 acre yard. I have been trying to farm it for 4 years and its going very well.

[@Mollygan]

Taking care of lawns is a pain in the ass, most people only do it because everyone else does it and presures you into it, or because the HOA requires you to do it. It would be much better I could at least put native and better adapted plants, without people thinking I'm lazy.

[@wastelesslearning1245]

FRED ALFREDO sucks. Maybe a visual Barrier to stop them from looking in. I believe the urbanites are appeased by tall hedges. Then on the other side of your wall where they can’t see have fun.

[@coleball6001]

Waste Less Learning Local ordinances tend to restrict visual barriers as well, under the believe that it improves safety.

[@damckissen]

HOA’s are a scam

[@lucasbendit7564]

I’m studying to be a landscape architect and these ordinances and HOA bylaws drive me wild. It’s ideal to put the best plant in the best spot. It’s better for the environment and your wallet. While I understand not wanting property values to fall due to your trash heap of a neighbor next door, I truly don’t understand why people want to live in cookie cutter neighborhoods. I will never want to live in a place where every home is 90% similar to the one next door

[@JackReacheround]

How is it a pain in the ass? you just run it over with a lawn mower every few weeks.

[@YgramNolles]

Look at How small our yards are now *laughs in european*

[@peanutmmssuck4370]

*Laughs in British*

[@badvibez2629]

Ygrama DaVinci laughs in mexican

[@octorokpie]

@@JarrodBaniqued No American in their right mind is going to vote for a measure (or politician) that says it will limit the size of suburban homes. The whole point of the suburbs is that that's where you can get a big house. Density bonuses on the other hand sound like a great idea, pushing the balance between the social good of density and the economic demand for space, so people will be more incentivized to decide that they don't really need that space.

[@JarrodBaniqued]

octorokpie Agreed.

[@Flozaa2]

@@octorokpie idk how people like living in suburbs. Every neighbor on my street has an acre, a nice sized house and it's perfect. Living too close to someone is something I never wanna do

[@AgentOracle]

Land Developers discovering they can sell 2 houses on 1/2 acre lots just as easily as 1 house on 1 acre lot. Answered, next.

[@JoseFloresEC]

In the block i live, they made 4 houses in an empty lot (7 years ago) that obviously all sold. But its funny because there's at least 4 houses across that street that *each* have the same or bigger lot size of those 4 houses combined but were built 60+ years ago

[@twdjt6245]

Jose Flores lmao they literally did the same exact thing close to me too...and you’re right our house is like 50-60 years old has like 2-3x more land overall than one of the 4 houses built like down the street from us less than 4 years ago. 😂. That’s why when I eventually inherit our house when my parents are gone, I’m going to do whatever I can to keep the house in my possession as long as possible, even if I don’t live in it....because mark my words, not only are said older homes built to last with better quality materials, (our house is built with block inside and out, -compared to the newer houses made mostly with wood- and even the inspector said the type of wood used to make the foundation of our roof is superb quality and builders don’t use it anymore) the value of houses with larger yards/lawns will only grow and grow the more developers keep making houses with less space. Truly wealthy folks will still want that status symbol of excess land, and thus since the supply of said properties will continue to dwindle....according to normal supply/demand trends, my house will be worth more per sq ft than the newer shoddily built tacky/identical looking houses down the street.

[@JoseFloresEC]

@@twdjt6245 Lol, sadly our house isn't made of such materials but for the size of our yard and for what my parents are paying (almost done) I think they got a really good deal. Got 2 siblings and ideally I'd want to keep our house too since I enjoy the amount of space we got and the chill neighborhood but maybe if we decide to sell it in the future, we could each use the money for our own house, but then again i really enjoy the area I live in... and more dense housing is all they're building in surrounding areas.

[@twdjt6245]

Jose Flores Yeap, it’s the same here in central FL. Most houses being built are just like that...barely any space compared to older properties. I live in one of those good neighborhoods where we have like individually gated houses worth millions (which have literally like acres of lawn in front of them) sitting literally across the road from houses like mine that are like upper lower - lower middle class houses and much more modest (only 1900 sq ft 4bd/2.5bth), but not far from the group of 4 houses that went up together, there’s an entire community just finished this year...they took an empty plot of land and built about 25-30 houses on it, creating one of those communities with a name and all. Seeing it go up so quickly and seeing what they’re made of etc and how little yard and back yard space they have made me really have an appreciation that my parents are the type who don’t put as much an importance on larger/newer houses...I mean not that they could afford one of them anyways....our house may have like 4x more yard space, a pool, and not that much smaller in sq ft than those newer houses, but it still cost my parents literally half the price as the STARTING price for one of those new community houses...and no HOA. It’s ridiculous to me that people are paying so much more for them, just so they can have a bigger looking and new house...even if it means being so very close to their neighbors (you wouldn’t even be able to fit a car in between these houses) , sacrificing build quality/architectural uniqueness, and that they’ll have to pay Hoa like it’s taxes or something. The goal of those developers is to build as many houses as possible as quickly as possible on whatever piece of land they’re developing on....so as soon as they realized people are insipid enough to pay the same top dollar for less overall space and tacky design, any free space in housing markets with a demand became free reign and they’re becoming richer doing just that.

[@tomfrazier1103]

Or here in Hawaii, 6 or 8 homes on one acre.

[@12345621613]

I'm a Millenial and personally would sacrifice some home for more yard. I love having outdoor space for the kids, socializing, and privacy. Having a family with little to no yard makes everyone stir crazy. Doesn't just have to be grass though. I love landscaping and having a mix of grass, foliage, and natural landscape. Some day, once the housing market calms down...

[@Kriss_L]

Yardwork for me would be to cut down a tree when I need some firewood. Otherwise, the forest can stay just the way it is - no need to expend countless manhours on a lawn.

[@joshpavelich5235]

Yup, just built my house this year. Told the builder "If you made the lot 20 feet deeper and 5 feet wider I would've paid an extra 50k easy.."

[@johnmeraz7348]

Why don’t you just let your kids play at a park instead. It better for a kids development to socialize with other kids then stay isolated in there back yard for there rest of there childhood. And then parents wonder why there kids aren’t social, have anxiety and deal with mental illness.

[@adeshkantha7034]

how does sacrificing indoor space for outdoor space result in more privacy

[@danielconradie191]

@@johnmeraz7348 Although I agree with your sentiment, it is however rather presumptuous to assume that they even have access to a public park that is nearby and safe.

[@realazduffman]

I never got watering the lawn, you just have to mow it more often. As my old man once said, "if God wants the grass watered he will make it rain."

[@MrShaclakclak]

scripture man, you get it. and whered the modern obsession with front lawns come from? like a patch of grass is a "patch of weeds gmo'd to be green and plentiful". what the absolute fuck?

[@fenrirgg]

🤣 wise. Also if you live in the desert, like me, having a lawn with a grass native to Oregon (or whatever rainy place) is plain idiotic.

[@gcsugirl]

Because it will die if it gets scorched

[@realazduffman]

@@gcsugirl So? It will eventually come back unless you are in the desert, and in the desert you should not have a lawn

[@gcsugirl]

@@realazduffman it won’t. Weeds will grow there.

[@briangarrow448]

Answer- zoning law changes allowing homes to be built closer together. Developers making more money.

[@vinovelo]

Not to mention the tax base per square foot that most towns / cities LOVE. All about the money.

[@snoopyloopy]

which is itself a change from previous zoning requiring the massive lawns that were popular in decades past.

[@garcjr]

And the developer to enact an HOA which cities also love.

[@rajastylez]

Bingo!

[@weetikissa]

Good! It makes things more walkable and easier to reach by bike.

[@supersammich344]

Let me sum up the video before even watching it. Land is f'ing expensive.

[@TheGerm24]

That isn't what the video said so maybe your summary isn't that great.

[@FlymanMS]

@@TheGerm24 It's the main actual reason though.

[@DrZbo]

@@FlymanMS Yeah but if you watch the video they actually outline the influences that led to the increase. That's like saying you know the colloquial name of a Bird so you know everything about biology and flight...

[@alf3488]

SUPER SAMMICH no. California and the rest of the East coast is expensive. In the Midwest, the same house you can get in L.A or San Diego that cost around 300-500,000 you can get for 50-100,000 with a good size lawn. With 300-500,000 you could get a nice 4 bed with a half acre of land.

[@RubsNL]

@@TheGerm24 yeah they did say that lol

[@themercer4972]

In the area I grew up in, there was a guy who had a brilliant plan. He bought an average home in the 1960s with a double sized lot. The area was still being developed then so it was not a hard thing to do, it just cost a bit more. When he retired in the 1990s, he was able to divide the extra lot up for 2 new houses. Great retirement plan and he gets to keep his original home with its 60s sized yard.

[@reinhard8053]

That's something happening around here (Austria) a lot. Not as a retirement plan but just to make some money as ground costs increased immensely especially in or around bigger cities. And in other areas (mountains) you just don't have more room for house building. Lots of houses with some free yard has the ground parted and the other area is sold. In most regions here there is no lower limit of how big a ground needs to be to build. I just bought a house like that. The other part (former garden) was AFAIK sold for half of what I paid for (older) house and the same area. There is now a two family house with only a small free patch around the house.

[@soha786sajju]

Meanwhile in Hong Kong: *Laughs in cage house*

[@AtomicEy]

True

[@luiscastanon6031]

@@AtomicEy Meanwhile in *CALIFORNA* *is homeless and addicted to ?!.!* *lives off the city*

[@Alderath989]

@@luiscastanon6031 Homeless people are a thing everywhere

[@luiscastanon6031]

@@Alderath989 true but it's prominent in high cost places.

[@PersonManManManMan]

more like laughs in tears

[@gitanafox9852]

My life dream is to buy a house. If you have one... cherish it and take care of it because it IS a big deal.

[@cynthiaholland13]

Wow. This helped me. Thanks

[@Theo-fb7kj]

Same mate same

[@geekygirl2596]

My dream is to move back into the house I grew up in. My mom rents it out, but I can't afford the rent nor can I afford to buy it right now. I just hope she doesn't decide to sell it before I can.

[@sevnlight6313]

I own a house. We will never own it in reality. I pay 3k in Taxes every year. Others pay more, few pay less. We will always be slaves 🍬

[@sevnlight6313]

If you don't pay your taxes of your paid off home then in a couple of years the government takes your home. And you end up homeless living in a Van Down By The River 🏊‍♂️

[@MidnightBloomDev]

"2.5 kids" I'mma head out

[@eterniton7273]

The kid skipped leg day.

[@ric7053]

I thought half a kid was a dog

[@wolffgang101]

It's supposed to be the average, but it's not going to be totally close to the average

[@Ziton98]

well if you have 10 kids but 4 families on average how many per each of those 4 families do you have. 10÷4=2.5

[@geekygirl2596]

I get it's a scientific average, but I will never understand how someone could have or conceive of someone else having half a kid.

[@robertosaleri5018]

One point five million dollars to have a wooden box where you can hear your neighbor pissing trough the walls? This is a peculiar form of madness

[@Teporame]

Can you piss though the walls? Wow!

[@robertosaleri5018]

@@Teporame definitely through THOSE tissue paper walls

[@josipmatic4732]

But you are tired of so much work and commute so you do not hear them 🤣 someone must pay off the house.

[@qh9070]

For 5 million i shouldnt have neighbors

[@robertosaleri5018]

@@qh9070, welp, for 5 millions you can buy 3 and live in the one in the middle :D

[@defaultset]

Americans: Our yards are getting smaller! Literally the east: *_Y'all have yards?_* EDIT: By east i meant the asian east

[@ethan.000]

east coast?

[@bcunt2639]

@@ethan.000 he either means asia or eastern europe.

[@sugarbum99]

😂

[@masonlynch1793]

Also the north east: Wait, y’all’s water doesn’t taste good?

[@masonlynch1793]

Patrick Laughing At Your Small PP, Yes, water flavor.

[@josh2676]

I dont care about lawns, i just dont want to open my bedroom window and see my neighbors brick wall 2 feet away.

[@SearchIndex]

we had to bolster our ‘privacy’ fence so I look out to my side of a decorated privacy fence 🤣

[@valiroime]

Better that brick wall than their living room or bathroom.

[@evegreenification]

@@valiroime Some narcissistic exhibitionists next door to my old place didn't use a curtain in their bathroom, so we got a full view of buttcrack lowering to toilet.

[@adhillA97]

Or you go for the European solution, which is to only have forward- or rear-facing windows. Problem solved, now you can build the houses as close as you want (even touching).

[@patrickflanagan3214]

If i had to pick I’d prefer having more land over more house

[@morganrussman]

Agreed.

[@Alex-it2nn]

Yup on first home and have 3 acres. Dont want neighbor up my ass

[@Dobiegal]

I do. I love my land. I raise sheep, chickens and Dobermans. They have the land, I have the house 🤣

[@Dobiegal]

@@Alex-it2nn me either. 1100 square feet of house on 2 acres.

[@Alex-it2nn]

Yea don't understand why people want to live right next to each other when especially you live in the open land.

[@JohnWarnockJAW]

It's interesting, when I was growing up, my dad ripped up the front lawn as part of the 'lawnsteading' trend, put in fruit trees, and started to grow food. When I was a kid, I didn't actually understand how novel that was, and how few people did that, as my grandparents' generation all had victory gardens and still grew food. As time went on, the house itself became more and more surrounded by big houses on smaller parcels, but the trees grew and grew, and because it was a 1/4 acre parcel, they didn't infringe on the house space or electrical wires. Now, you couldn't pay to have the kind of diversity in that old house's yard, but some of the bigger homes have started to do similar things with terracing. I think, given enough knowledge and enough of an incentive to really invest in a house and a property, the parcel to house ratio ceases to matter as much. I just hope we start building houses that really last again, so that all that work doesn't go nowhere.

[@evegreenification]

This is a great point

[@bradenboyko]

Tldr: land is expensive There just gave you 7 minutes of life :)

[@infinitecanadian]

Hey, at least we get to see Ali. That's something.

[@tadasmikoul3807]

So much more to analyse on this topic. Cheddar's insights are plumetting

[@daneclark3161]

Land is only expensive if you want it, at the same place that everyone else wants it...

[@IndieDenma]

Thanks.

[@kenster8270]

Fine, but first subtract the 3 minutes it took me to read that.

[@carlospulpo4205]

Land is expensive because they stopped making it a few billion years ago.

[@MatthewStinar]

The folks on the Arabian peninsula seem to have figured out how to make more.

[@laurencekbautista9629]

The Netherlands is doing great in reclaiming land lol

[@yacetube]

actually it is still produced once in a while, with volcanoes, ... but it's surely compensated by the exponential human driven erosion of soil, since agriculture, and now, sea level is rising anyway.

[@Ziton98]

Japan and the Netherlands have found ways the make land.

[@jandypimpson]

Except in Hawaii! ;)

[@MatthewWunderlich]

Check your math. The 2019 house at 4:15 is 100% bigger, the 1970 house is what is 50% smaller! Those numbers aren’t interchangeable.

[@GregoryRCosta]

Pretty hot that you caught that. I guess the American educational system hasn't failed all of us.

[@MatthewWunderlich]

@@GregoryRCosta It only failed the host!

[@GregoryRCosta]

​@@MatthewWunderlich I'm going to be honest. I'm a scientist in the Boston area, but if I were given anything beyond Algebra I, I'd struggle...it's been about 17 years since I've seen geometry, Algebra II, and calc.

[@p.s.8949]

Noticed the same thing... maybe they weren't sure whether they wanted to say that the 2019 house was 100% bigger than the 1970 one or that the 1970 house was 50% smaller than the 2019 house, so they just went with a mix instead? :D Or they mixed it up by accident.

[@amp279]

Also, they suburbanised en masse in the '50's when employment started becoming stable after the war, not the '70's when life long employment was no longer guaranteed, & strikes & financial instability became more prevalent.

[@shalexiadavis8493]

As a baby boomer, I grew with in a nice size house with a nice size back yard. My dad installed a swing set and my mother could plant flowers and vegetable plants there. Miss those days.

[@ImVeryBrad]

The good old days when men were men and sheep were scared

[@leothompson2777]

Money. More houses you can fit, more money you can make selling them. 30 second video, max.

[@pantheraleo4170]

pretty much. Seems American house developers are taking the British/European way of building; stick as many houses as possible on stamp size piece of land. Let this be a warning to you America, here in Britain, depending on the development, a lot of houses no longer have front gardens (yard) or a driveway, they cram them in together with parking space outside your door. If you get a semi-detached, then you get a driveway, but still no garage and still a front yard the size of a stamp, the back yard is bigger but not much. Don't let developers do this to your country. I hate England, cram everyone together it is so claustrophobic

[@Jay-jq6bl]

Infrastructure costs are another factor.

[@Skittl1321]

In addition to smaller lot sizes, larger houses are filling much more of the lot.

[@cont8155]

Her shaved armpits kreygasm ooohyaaaa

[@jamesjust1720]

and who is the biggest winner of all? the tax collector, and there is your answer

[@NightHawk59]

Allowing native species to colonize a lawn would mean less watering needed and more benefits to native insects. That said, not a lot of folks want (or are even allowed by draconian HOA's) to have a native lawn.

[@FlymanMS]

At first I thought you were talking about Native Americans.

[@MilwaukeeWoman]

My husband has spent most of his life mowing the lawn of his dad's lot once a week for over an hour a week and still thinks native grasslands are ugly. He doesn't mind mowing. It's just sitting, anyway. I don't care, I'll fight him over this.

[@Nirrrina]

I'd prefer a native type lawn. Especially if it was designed to need little to no upkeep in general. I'd even plant flowers, at the end of the lot far from me, for the fuzzy bumblebees. It would be nice seeing them getting their food from natural plants. Instead of drinking surgery soda like they do near me.

[@86kickass]

A native lawn is what they have in the hood that shit looks gross

[@twdjt6245]

That’s why I’m going to keep my non-Hoa older home with great lawn-yard space in my family as long as I possibly can when my parents are gone. Mark my words, as non-hoa homes with more decent yard space become less and less common, they’ll become worth more and more than their counterparts, as some people don’t/won’t want to have to pay an HOA to be up their face.

[@DivineBella1]

It just baffles me that family size is going down yet we feel like we “need” more house. While we don’t use the space we do have efficiently

[@mr.x2567]

Natural Bella the real estate industry is hungry for money no matter who they hurt. #riseup

[@Uriah625]

Natural Bella family size shrinking, but........it’s common place for people to work from home today. Homes have become offices. In addition, people own way more stuff now. When I was a kid in the 80’s, no one that I know owned a: camper, atv, boat, snowmobile, three cars, and jet ski. Now, it’s not that uncommon.

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

@@Uriah625 people own more stuff because they have room to store all the useless shit they never use. Also, i'd like to see your living room if tou are storing camper vans and jetski's in there!

[@joshborat8072]

Hey I need somewhere to put my lego collection ha

[@chuckschillingvideos]

That's the problem right there - big brother folks like you who feel as though they ought to superimpose their own values on others. What business is if of yours if others (who can afford it, mind you and aren't asking YOUR opinion or for your contribution) want to live on larger properties farther away from others? Perhaps - just perhaps - this is a reaction to people like you who wish to to become involved in others' decision-making and impinge on their liberties. Just guessing here, but I'll bet you'd have orgasms every day if every citizen was forced by law to recycle his/her household waste, wouldn't you?

[@iTheNem3sis]

Lol in England we have huge house shortages. You'll be happy with just a house, no gardens or front yard.

[@camilodub]

"The average 1.5 million dollar home in this neighborhood.." THE WHAT

[@thebeaner8609]

Worst part is that they're not even nice enough to be worth that

[@hunter-ws8sx]

what about what?

[@muradiaamilasan171]

@@hunter-ws8sx 1.5 mil is expensive

[@Brick-Life]

normal price in australia is 1M

[@runningfromabear8354]

Normal price for Toronto or Vancouver.

[@braynzzthere7923]

America: why are our yards shrinking Philippines: you got yards?!

[@thejewishgopnik959]

you got houses?

[@andresvillanueva5421]

@@thejewishgopnik959 Huh?

[@HelloWorld-ev9sg]

Yards are still common in provinces and in some suburban areas actually.

[@chef_miku]

It depends on where you live

[@jaezcorp]

Oh, a sidewalk. Let's extend our house on it as well.

[@jess8023]

bruh they have not been to england if they think that’s small

[@xulapostasy7132]

You haven't been to Japan if you think England is small.

[@rioyoung1493]

Xul Apostasy surprisingly most homes I stayed in while in Japan were actually the same size or bigger! Of course, flats in Japan are notoriously tiny

[@boaoftheboaians]

Jess Lucas Just go to any overpopulated developing country Now that’s really small.

[@razzle_dazzle]

In the UK, houses tend to have most or all of the lawn at the back, with the front of the houses being much closer to the road.

[@aura6485]

ha I was just going to comment this

[@zad08]

I loved that my neighbors where half a mile down the road. I don’t know how people stand being on top of one another in a city.

[@JanG859]

maybe they're kinky?

[@karoberts2198]

If I had money for everytime my neighbor's mother (who lives two doors down) came into my property and asked me what I'm doing...we would both be rich.

[@cononodapotato6920]

depends on who you are. maybe you don't have anything to use your lawns for so the only thing you use it for is mowing it.

[@austinhernandez2716]

Well that's you. Not everyone wants that. I do too but we don't represent the majority.

[@joshpavelich5235]

I live in a farm town 50 kms from the city and its the same thing here. Suburbs are everywhere

[@gurumage9555]

1800s: How much Lawn do you want. Americans: Yes, please

[@thebeaner8609]

As it should be

[@questworldmatrix]

@@thebeaner8609 Only if you're growing food and flowers for bees.

[@LaoSoftware]

In the 1800's: the population was low. In 2021: overpopulated and overcrowded.

[@64standardtrickyness]

"A lawn represents freedom" That's why we have a homeowners association to force you to mow it.

[@microbios8586]

Right? Such a joke. Suburbia sucks ass. I understand country people and city people but the suburban folk have me lost.

[@thebeaner8609]

I could never live in an area with an HOA

[@ennuiii]

@Miss Cute that's some bougie shit

[@samueljohansson2025]

@Miss Cute Caring more about how good of a return you will get on the investment in a house (IE Increasing Property Value) than the freedom to do whatever you want with your home is *extremely* bougie.

[@janejan9728]

I hate HOAs but I can see their value. My neighbors have a dog that barks all night every night, and my other new neighbors built their house at the very front edge of their front lawn, while directing their windows directly into mine. This must be the reason those things exist...

[@ni_lao]

"turf grasses, vegetables that nobady eats, is the USA's largest crop in 2019" 😂

[@christinacope562]

Well the midwest states had flooded fields and didn't get to plant this year.

[@merrywalsh2809]

I’ve lived in suburbia, downtown in a glass and steel high rise, and in the country on acreage. I liked all those places for various reasons. I wish I had more lifetimes so I could experience living in other countries. Variety is the spice of life for me.

[@dougpatterson7494]

People able to understand that different does not automatically mean better or worse are a minority. Good on you!

[@margiedenavarre7919]

I agree! Each option has its own benefits and deficits. Love this comment.

[@niiii_niiii]

😍😍😍😍😍

[@LadyAdakStillStands]

Born n raised in the burbs, I now live in the forest so my yard is not mine. It belongs to Bambi, Thumper, Pepe LePew, The Chipmunks and many other fine friends!

[@mattm8108]

Lol

[@FeralFelineFriend]

Even the Squatch?

[@cestgum7672]

I cant stand homes that are so close to each other

[@lefthanded5473]

Jesus Bucio sane lmao

[@omarmartinez7719]

You can not live in Puerto Rico

[@dennisthemenace8825]

@@omarmartinez7719 but our homes aren't even that close tho, almenos de que esté en una urbanización o en la cuidad, pero nuestras casa comoquiera no están tan pegado, y la realidad aquí venden todavía casas con mucho territorio ya que hay 1million less people here. Sorry for the Spanglish.

[@planescaped]

I used to live on a 2 acre property in the middle of the city. It was heaven. Then eminent domain widened the road and cut down two enormous black walnuts from the front yard. Over the next 5 years _everything_ died. The lush forest turned into a literal wasteland. Thank god we were able to sell it to some guys who wanted to cut it up into apartments... except the city ended up fucking them over two, because the property was a historical site and they wouldn't let them do anything to it... Not much left there but scorched earth, a now sun-bleached house that is unlivable in the summer and a widened road that is barely used, how historic... Though, the backyard did survive and remain green. Mostly...

[@Bamiyanbigasf]

You’d suffer if you lived in Europe then lel

[@dionysus3774]

"2.5 kids" Shows lego man without legs... 😂

[@VisitorsWelcome]

Where I live near Seattle, the city forces developers to build more houses per acre to increase density. This prevents suburban sprawl into farmland and makes public transit more efficient. And they encourage us to build rental units in our backyards.

[@SLow-fb3qm]

Yet Seattle has the fastest rising prices. Density doesn’t make for affordability.

[@mohdodat2]

@@SLow-fb3qm Did you pull that out of your ass? Seattle isn't even all that dense lmao. There simply aren't enough homes for everyone that wants to live there.

[@ChibaCityBlues]

Short answer: McMansion s

[@JMH702]

McMansions actually have pretty large yards

[@nntflow7058]

@@JMH702 The more expensive one does. The smaller cheaper one doesn't.

[@WhiteOut-]

**r/McMansionHell**

[@nstacho]

6:57 - more like 50% of millennials want to own a home someday regardless of size.

[@geekygirl2596]

Pretty much.

[@soco13466]

They've been screwed by the college industrial complex, saddled by debt, many with unmarketable degrees.

[@Xachremos]

@@soco13466 who are the ones to blame for going in debt for a useless degree?

[@UwU_the_UwUer]

@@Xachremos the society that makes any job they tell you worth having, and that pays a living wage, require a degree

[@painlessguy]

@@UwU_the_UwUer there are a lot of jobs that pay well that doesn't require a degree... But yeah you got to work lol. Lineman, carpenters, welders, roofers, and pretty much anything that makes something or uses their hands in a skillful way is in high demand.

[@elliieebit]

I live on two acres riverfront and having moved from an 8,000 square foot suburban lot I can't imagine having less land than I do now going forward. Space to breathe, privacy, room for gardening, and chickens. My ultimate goal would be to live off-grid. It seems the mindset of growing your own food and learning to be self-sufficient even in small ways is making a comeback in recent years which I think is pretty awesome.

[@Namari12]

I'm so grateful for my 5 acres. No neighbors, no traffic, just peace and quiet.

[@jwdalton]

I love my lawn. I tend my garden in it, teach my children in it, how social events in it, work on my projects in it, relax in it. It makes my family's life.

[@standehommel]

Having a big lawn was a status symbol way before this video depicts. Back in a more agricultural revolving time big lawns were already a thing for the rich. They showed off their wealth by planting grass instead of crops just to show they can afford it to not utilize all their land.

[@athena1491]

interesting and unsurprising that humans were like "hey look at me, im being wasteful, bask in my wealth," instead of "if i plant crops here, i can make even more money, and save even more money," i get they dont have to do that, and thats the point, but like, you dont have to be a billionaire either, thats more money than someone could ever spend, people are weird

[@harley_trader]

"People stopped being producers and started becoming consumers." >She's a producer.

[@DailyBrewGarage]

The move away from septic systems to city sewer systems also played a big part. Prior to that, many lots had to be big to have room for the septic drain field.

[@lupusor7]

"People are not meant to live on top of another" yea but we cant bc we are all broke

[@twdjt6245]

Maybe people in cities.

[@elijahculper5522]

I’m gonna call bullshit. I rent a portion of a large converted frat house in Kansas for under three hundred dollars a month. We have a large front lawn with a garden where any of us can plant whatever we want, a paved parking lot with a basketball hoop, and a decent sized back lawn with several shade trees. I got a good deal on my rent because I’m willing to just rent part of a house. But around here, there are two bedroom homes with yards going for under six hundred dollars a month. Land is cheap. It’s just when you get close to big population centers that it starts to become expensive to have space. If you feel too broke to pay for a decent living situation, come to a small town. The cost of living is dirt cheap.

[@Notfallkaramell]

I live in a flat/apartment and i am happy. When i move out, i live with my mom 'cause i'm a minor, i will live in a flat, too. Houses are to expensive and to much work to he a home, a place to relax after work etc.

[@mrgallbladder]

I want a huge house with a huge yard because I don't want to see what my neighbors are eating for dinner.

[@keerthichandra376]

That's oddly specific.. 😅

[@mrgallbladder]

@@keerthichandra376 comes from experience 🤭

[@hhiippiittyy]

I went for small house with a "huge" yard, because I could afford that.

[@mrgallbladder]

@@hhiippiittyy congrats on the house

[@hhiippiittyy]

@@mrgallbladder Thanks!

[@IgorDellaPietra]

meanwhile in germany: people install paving stones so they dont have to maintain the lawn.

[@paddyj7690]

I put down high quality fake grass, you'd never be able to tell the difference just by looking at it, and I only have to hoover it every few months ;-)

[@singingstars5006]

Not in this part of Germany. In the East anyway, lawns (or weed lawns) are normal, as is beautiful owner-created landscaping.

[@fuxan]

Why dont they just plant native plants?

[@harveylong5878]

Beautiful concrete/asphalt everywhere. First thing I did when bought my house - get rid of gardens, as much of the grass as I could. Township cant complain mow your grass, take care of plants when there isnt anyway

[@danielz722]

I would do that, except despite living a desert, the city will fine me $50/day that 70% of my yard area isn't green grass. The cost to water the grass in the summery is on par with their fines.

[@angelagillett1033]

They also don't talk about the water table. The more houses on a property in close range, uses up more water and towns dry up faster.

[@Baxtexx]

As we got more efficient heating and better insulated houses we can afford to make them bigger.

[@mbogucki1]

North America has efficient heating and better insulation? 🤔😂🤣 The houses are made of cheap sticks and cast off wood pieces wrapped in plastic diapers. The furnaces are the cheapest fan motors you can find blowing warm dust at random intervals and call it "heating." North America has the saddest and least energy efficiencent dwellings in the Western World. At least they are cheap.

[@orionorion1809]

@@mbogucki1 but the rent surely isn't!

[@fjellyo3261]

Why cleaning 15 rooms every week when you actually only need two of them?

[@LimitlessMarketings]

@@mbogucki1 lmao what are you talking about? where did you get these ideas?

[@nonegiven2830]

but why do they need to be bigger? I'd rather have more outside space

[@Despotic_Waffle]

America : The decrease of our yard space is concerning. Other underdeveloped or crowded nations : Whats a yard?

[@bryanmartinez6600]

Who TF needs a yard when you got the jungle.

[@Dobiegal]

Gee waffle, I work for my stuff. America shouldn't have to lower its lifestyle. Other countries can see what we have, figure out how we did it (capitalism, work for what you want and keep most of what you earn) and follow the model and do it yourself. Soviet union went capitalism and most folks are better off for it.

[@Despotic_Waffle]

@@Dobiegal I'm not saying americans should be hung for having nice things. Im saying even when trying to follow capitalism the best they can, other countries sometimes just don't get the same prosperity as the developed world . Maybe due to resources, maybe due to education not being adequate, maybe also due to infrastructure not complete. Many factors, but sometimes there are news stories which highlight unsightly complaints from developed lands. We can go back in history and see this being the case for decades. A slight decrease in convinience for you is the end of the world yet people work just as hard or more in other nations yet the only complaints they have are why are my children not getting enough medical treatment and why is the government not providing us clean water.

[@Brick-Life]

*whats a house whats food

[@randomuser5443]

About a meter

[@victorhopewave]

I've always wanted 2.5 kids!

[@birch_boi8323]

Me too I've always wanted 2 kids and a arm and a leg

[@doommagic]

Is this saying really that unfamiliar to a lot of people? It's the average for how many kids per family in the US (if those kids were born in the X or Millennial generation. These days it's closer to 1.8 - 1.9, so...more like 1 kid and one body minus a head).

[@darthutah6649]

@@doommagic r/woosh

[@seththomas9105]

I will make the half child my Manservent for life. Bwahhhhahahaha!

[@kellypenrod2979]

Yeah, me too!! That half a kid probably would be low maintenance, and wouldn't eat much either!!;)

[@izzypfutzenreuter]

My childhood home required a 15 mon walk to get from the house to the gate. It made me an anti-social kid who talked to my horse more than I did with humans.

[@lynne9321]

Id love if we adapted a japanese courtyard style lawn. Instead of these giant front lawns you cant really do anything in without your neighbors watching you.

[@donquixote6353]

Good idea 😤, or like a mexican patio these suburbs not it

[@bandombeviews6035]

Yes! I absolutely love courtyards!

[@thefrub]

Courtyard houses are too inefficient for cold climates because the core of your house would be exposed to cold snow. Could work in the south, though

[@shaunofthedead3000]

The American lawn was a snub at English nobility. It used to be lawns were only in front of very wealthy English nobles. By having most American homes have them it was a way to tell the British that the basic American was as good as their nobles. That's how it came to favor here. I much prefer a nice large backyard. I don't need much of a front yard. Like you say, it's mostly wasted space. Personally the front just needs to be big enough to have a small driveway for cars. Backyard gets the swimming pools, lawn, wood shed, etc. That's where the fun happens.

[@cathyrowe594]

@@shaunofthedead3000 I agree. The front yard is just for curb appeal/pretty landscaping. The back yard is where the family lives & plays.

[@christinafidance340]

I live on a boat so my “lawn” is water!

[@joesickler5888]

It sounds bad ass, but i can see it being a pain.

[@myrinsk]

I want my lawn to be normal thanks

[@macloveemail]

Also blue. A blue lawn sounds weird.

[@bassxpro]

That's my dream!

[@Lenin_enjoyer]

At least your yard is always watered.

[@neildennis7294]

3:40 I really doubt 1870s American homeowners were thinking, “Now I have my own little symbol of our nation conquering the continent.” Reality is the 19th century was a time where family dynamics were starting to change and people were trying to create new markets in home improvement. This was around the same time magazines were telling people to ditch parlors for “living rooms” so to help boost the undertaker/funeral home industry into the multi-billion dollar price gouge it is today. The popularization of lawns came from rich Scottish immigrants like Andrew Carnegie setting a trend, and entrepreneurs trying to create a yard care industry that’s going strong today.

[@BYOTools]

First time seeing this video and found it supper interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@EspHack]

i just want my neighbors to have all the parties they want without any of that noise getting even close to me

[@sabrinaleedance]

Having a big yard is like on of my biggest requirements for my future home. I dont care as much about size or style but having enough outdoor room is a must for me

[@TheOtherBill]

Way to go. You can always add on to (or rebuild) the house, you can't necessarily add on to the land. Planning is important: I once saw a guy (down the road from where I used to live) buy a nice 4 acre lot with a crummy trailer on it. After living there and saving for a few years he spent a year having a really nice small house built. Once he moved in to that the trailer was hauled away.

[@cherylsanders5538]

@@TheOtherBill That's a good plan. Im the same way. I dont care much about house size as much as I do about having outdoor space.

[@TheOtherBill]

@@cherylsanders5538 Another advantage is you can have an unfinished attic when you build (Cape-style home) and finish it later, or add on a breezeway and garage later.

[@KuK137]

Because you're an idiot. Sane people don't want a lawn, at all.

[@kawaiidere1023]

KuK137 she’s probably a rancher, or one of those mass gardeners who grows like an acre of plants. (Fr, I wonder why she wants such a large lawn)

[@Stradious]

The script for this be like: "Alright we want you to play with legos"

[@robertlomax543]

I grew up in a 1100 sq ft house that sat on 1 acre with a wooded lot next door and semi wooded area behind it. As kids we spent most of our free time outside exploring. I feel sorry for todays kids locked up in big houses on small lots. Even worse for those living in apartments.

[@hayleymarse2853]

This makes me happy that I live where we have an acre of land and are allowed to let everything grow naturally in our yard

[@DaveTexas]

I live in a townhouse because I don’t want a lawn. I don’t want to maintain a lawn. The kids are grown. I have no outdoor pets. I have a small back patio and a nice front porch - that’s all the outdoor space I need. Everyone I know who has a big lawn complains about how much trouble it is. How much work it is to maintain it. How much they spend on watering it. I can understand why lawns are disappearing.

[@babblesp1367]

Don’t water it.

[@Kriss_L]

I have just over 5 acres, and no yard work. The forest does what it wants and doesn't need my help.

[@AngryVet44]

“Little Boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of Ticky tack”. - Weeds

[@thomasr1051]

Little boxes by Malvina Reynolds

[@SearchIndex]

🎼there’s a green one and red one and a yellow one and a blue one and they’re all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same

[@johnkoenig326]

As an aging boomer who's been mowing lawns for years, I can assure you that my yard is definitely NOT shrinking.

[@SearchIndex]

🤣

[@ah5721]

You also probably live in a nice are too.

[@smiley7083]

Okay boomer

[@ManicEightBall]

As an aging Gen-Xer, I hope to own a house some day. Unfortunately, the boomers got them all.

[@johnkoenig326]

@Rafael Dejesus Is there a charity for the humor-impaired? Or should I just send a check to _Autism Speaks?_

[@RamdomRando]

I worked in real estate and sometimes people weren't interested in certain houses because the yards were to small and then i looked at the yards.... I really wanted to say "do yall want a forest?!"

[@johnnymonsters9717]

Yes, n when is that possible?

[@RamdomRando]

@@johnnymonsters9717 why do you need so much space?

[@SearchIndex]

gotta remember what the houses are built of too ...a small yard with a brick house is more preferable than a small yard with a wood house because wood housing has made walls thinner and thinner ...so living in a wood house too close to another wood house is like living in an apartment with paper walls

[@j.corona8118]

Yes a Forest is good as long as I do not have to maintain.

[@painlessguy]

Yes... Why yes I do.

[@TrangleC]

I'm German and I'm constantly debating and correcting fellow Germans, who scoff at Americans for living in "glorified sheds" and "cardboard boxes" (houses made of wood and drywall) instead of "real" houses made of brick and concrete, like in Germany. What I'm trying to explain to them is that houses made of wood and drywall are cheaper, so you can build them bigger for the same price. In Germany space is precious and the lots are small, so since the houses are limited in size anyways, whether expensive or cheap, there is no reason to not build them sturdy, out of stone and concrete. It makes sense though, when you have space and large lots, like in the USA, to go for the biggest house possible. I too would rather live in a 4000+ square foot 4 bedroom, 3 car garage "cardboard box", with walk in closets and a separate laundry room and study and a pool in the backyard, than in a 2000 square foot concrete and brick house in Germany, that cost the same or more and doesn't even have a garage and if it does, it is a 1 car garage. (And yes, I googled and didn't pull the square foot number out of my ass. The average 2000 square foot home in Germany costs as much as an 4000 or more square foot home in the USA, which is about half a million Dollars.)

[@luizurtiga]

I'm from Brazil and I can't agree more, people here are the same...and it's not only a better answer thinking about price, but time and future improvements too, americans probably can re-wire their entire houses in the time you spend to make one new electrical outlet in a brick wall

[@sanjaymatsuda4504]

I'd rather have a small, solid house not prone to fire in a small lot any day. Lawn is a pain in the ass/wallet to maintain, big houses have big heating/AC bills, why have a 3-car garage when one (or no) car is enough.

[@TrangleC]

@@sanjaymatsuda4504 Even if you only have one car, having additional garage space is always useful. Actually, most Germans I know who have a garage, park their cars (Most families have more than one car, by the way.) on the street and have the garage stuffed full with all sorts of crap, like Christmas tree decorations and old home training equipment and stuff like that. I also know a lot of Germans who live in cities and rent garages far away from their home, just for the extra storage space. You can never have too much space and room, I'm convinced. And as far as fire goes... Sure, a concrete or brick house won't burn down totally, but most German houses I heard of that had big house fires, still had to be torn down and rebuilt afterwards, for several reasons. The fire often will pollute the house with poisonous stuff that came out of the burning carpets, furniture, plastic appliances, isolation material in the roof and so on and apparently the fire can also make the mortar between the bricks brittle and compromise the structural integrity of the walls. Granted, there weren't many big house fires in my circle of friends, family and acquaintances, so my experience is limited, but I know of 3 in the village I live in and the neighboring town and in all 3 cases the house had to be demolished and rebuilt after the fire. (Besides, in 2 out of those 3 cases the tight, medieval infrastructure, the narrow streets and old city walls and all that stuff, made it hard for the fire fighters to get to the house. That is a problem they rarely have in the USA either. So depending on the location and the house, you are probably more likely to lose everything to a fire than you would be in the USA. But that is just a tangent.) So the fire "proofness" (if that is a word) isn't a very good argument, I'm afraid. No matter what house you are in, you need to save yourself, your stuff and your house by putting the fire out. Even a concrete house doesn't give you the luxury that you can just run out and watch it burn, relaxed because you know it won't collapse. And nobody forces you to have a natural lawn. If I had such a big American lot and big American house, I would prioritize swimming pool, patio and maybe RV parking over a lawn and depending on where it is, I wouldn't even have a lawn, but would prefer a desert garden, or just do gravel where I can't put stone slabs, or something. Heating/AC costs? Sure, but that is one point on the negative side of the equation. Still a lot of points going for lots of space on the other side. Why stop at choosing a small brick/concrete house? Why not go a step further and live in a caravan or a RV? Besides, at least in theory, a American style house could even be easier to isolate, because you can just stuff the walls full of isolation material, instead of having to slap it on the outside of a brick or concrete wall and then needing another protection layer on the isolation. People just don't pay that much attention to isolation in the States, because energy costs are relatively low there, at least compared to Germany. I'm not saying American houses would be better in Germany than German houses. I'm just saying Germans who don't see the advantages of American houses in the USA and act as if Americans would live in "cardboard boxes" because they don't know any better, or don't know what bricks and concrete are, are shortsighted or ignorant. When you have lots of space and low energy costs, it just makes sense to build the biggest house you can afford and once the paneling, tiling, stucco or wallpaper is on the walls, you don't see the difference anymore. You will notice the difference between 200 and 400 square meters though.

[@N7a7v7i]

You aren't considering how ridiculously expensive it is to heat and cool these shitty, tacky, cheap houses Americans love, and how utterly disposable they are, just like every other facet of American consumerism. Throwaway houses for a throwaway culture.

[@Monaleenian]

@@N7a7v7i He is. He says "Sure, but that is one point on the negative side of the equation". And as the OP mentioned, if heating costs are such a concern (sorry that you live in a place where such archaic concerns predominate) then why not live in a well insulated, flame retardant, sturdy pod or caravan? Also, regarding the choice of building materials; in many places the likelihood of a wooden house being destroyed by an event that would not destroy a brick house in the same location is so low that building with wood is justified and in fact more sensible than building with brick.

[@overtlyive]

Why are our lawns shrinking Me living in the country: *laughs in Texan* **PATHETIC**

[@YSLRD]

I recieved a pic from a Texas resident. The new subdivisions around Dallas have almost zero lawn.

[@overtlyive]

Joan Halcomb I said country, not in the cities fam

[@YSLRD]

I wasn't trying to contradict just add info. I wasn't talking about the city either. These are small Texas suburbs that are becoming cities overnight. Texas still has lots of open space.

[@yoshikagekira3615]

Is that Justinian in your pic? The Byzantine emperor?

[@Uriah625]

MarioGiver now I have to wonder how big your lawn is?

[@chrisjager5370]

Lawns also used to be a sign of insane wealth: that you could afford to grow a "crop" of grass and hire people to mow it using medieval tools. Other senseless expensive things we do like lavish weddings and funerals and fashion are similar. Things like renting a pineapple to appear rich fall out of favor if just anyone can afford them.

[@johnmeraz7348]

Those that tend to appear richer are more poorer because they spend all there money to maintenance something they probably don’t even use and never have time to go on vacations or spend with family.

[@hkm239]

Literally Hong Kongers: You guys have yards?

[@randomuser5443]

No, their asking about the idea of houses

[@mattthegamerhongkong6948]

@@randomuser5443 Accurate. I can just barely stretch from wall to wall in my room

[@coreywong]

In hk we collect all our yards and throw them into country parks.

[@lutfiprayogi2]

You guys live ON a land? We live ABOVE it.

[@robertoXCX]

Seeing Calabasas makes Little Boxes start playing in my head. Thanks Weeds.

[@AngryVet44]

Yup, good memories!!!

[@suadela87]

I currently live in an apartment. Someday I’d like a small house with a decent sized yard that isn’t zoned to shit by an HOA where I can grow my own vegetables. I guess I want it similar to the old 1800s land usage. But let’s be real. I’m probably never going to be able to afford to own any kind of land.

[@YSLRD]

You can. The choice would involve relocating. There are many parts of the country that offer a 1250 sq ft house on a quarter acre for $ 75, 000.

[@geodude6244]

Yup i feel you it sucks when your poor then got to work pennies to pay for your moms medicine or she dies. And i also have mental health problems stemming from abuse ect that makes me want to medicate so life is ok. Abusive drunk drug addict gambling father i have a loving mother but shes been emotionally beaten also where it set her life path back alot.

[@kunzilla]

one word: practicality. I'd rather have a big house with no lawn than a smaller house with a big lawn.

[@SearchIndex]

it’s not so practical when you then have to be able to afford to buy, heat, and cool and upkeep a bigger house

[@kunzilla]

@@SearchIndex if i decide to buy a property, personally, then i'll have to count all of those into my budget, otherwise i wouldn't even consider buying it. i'll only buy something i can afford, WITH all the upkeep and maintenance.

[@noytelinu]

Not to mention that people go outside less. Kids can't because people are scared of kidnapping. Plus electronic things are more common and time is taken up by other people's outdoor space such as sports. Having a big lawn doesn't matter when you play football at school or are indoors all day. And yes. You can fit more homes that way.

[@finalstation]

My dogs need a decent size backyard. ☹️ So that’s a big factor when looking for a house.

[@randomuser5443]

Same

[@mirzaahmed6589]

You don't need a dog.

[@miu__m]

Mirza Ahmed yes he does

[@Asterius_101]

@@mirzaahmed6589 how dare

[@freddymarcel-marcum6831]

@@moomoomoo33ass that and never trust a man who doesn't drink 😆

[@The_VANtastic_Pack]

I live in a van, so the world is my back yard. Maintenance free!

[@MrSpankee02]

The Pawesome adVANturists down by the river?

[@Ron-hr5uf]

Do you have candy in your van

[@AaronCMounts]

Is it down by the river?

[@akinigiri]

I agree with you. I prefer a bigger yard than a bigger house. Both of these are hard to get in Japan, but a modest house with a nice spacious backyard is my dream.

[@GingerTheMusical]

A video about the harmful affects of urban sprawl would be interesting.

[@kildareire]

Also videos of the history of tenements and the working class experience of housing from non middle class white people who think $1.5m is not a lot of money for a house 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️. You only think the 1960s were the good ol days if you’re a white lady.

[@chai_lattes]

@@kildareire 7ùaa a away aww away w×awww ×wa away aww aww aww ×awww w×awww wweawwwwwwww w3qsney×aww w awww awww a aww w×awww wwww3ww×wwwww×w×ww×www××www ww e we ww aww wwwawwwwwww×××wwa wwww×w aww aw awww×was aww ea w a awww aaw2 2 q q www 1 qq a aww ssss w awww

[@chai_lattes]

@@kildareire @@@@@@#@a@sees@9 a new and frequent to take them so happy #87@

[@jozef667]

Don't know what drugs the guy above me is taking but Not Just Bikes and City Beautiful do great videos on Urban and suburban sprawls.

[@chai_lattes]

@@jozef667 that's me! I have no idea when I did that or even how... must've been some strong drugs😅

[@bosavi8697]

i would personally like to live in a tiny house with a large lawn so i can grow my own produce in the country or even in an open lot near a city.

[@adriankepler5254]

Bosavi Detroit would give you that feel

[@timfreeman2603]

Buy 2 small adjoining lots, build 1 farm 1.

[@bosavi8697]

@@halcyonoutlander2105 you're so aspirational.

[@TheCristallo83]

It's STILL my dream to have a small home on an acre of land.

[@mashy712]

TheCristallo83 That’s Canada’s dream eh?

[@marypatton1122]

I would live to have 850 sq foot house on 10 acres with a barn and a loft.

[@TheCristallo83]

@Austin Martín Hernández but depending on where you live an acre is more affordable then multiple acres.

[@TheCristallo83]

@Austin Martín Hernández you can grow a lot on an acre, they are called micro farms.

[@TheCristallo83]

@Austin Martín Hernández for you perhaps.

[@stefamart7]

The girl in the video: feet, acres, yards... Me: wait, what? Where are meters?

[@61rampy65]

The meters are where the electrical cables go into the house.

[@v4l3nt1nn]

0:25 *suburbs look so frickying depressing*

[@kingslushie1018]

Vali Tsunami 😂 but they sure are efficient

[@S_u_n_Flower_]

Most suburbs don't really look like that, at least in my state, and California is crap so....

[@noytelinu]

@@S_u_n_Flower_ oh fuck off.

[@thefirsttime7759]

They are

[@dennisverweij4817]

@@kingslushie1018 suburbs are actually really inefficient (urban sprawl). You can fit a lot more row houses in the same space, and still have a similar sqft of home.

[@brynclarke1746]

Interesting how you use a map of central Paris as a backdrop, a nicely dense European city in which no-one much has single family houses with lawns

[@ThePixel1983]

I loved to see and recognise it since I live not far outside that map

[@bbomg02]

Gotta love how Michigan got bigger yards and bigger houses. I'm simple. Going to be in an apartment til the end of grad school, then once I save up I will have a tiny house and lots of land.

[@stitches318]

yeah but it's like freezing there half the year

[@bbomg02]

@@stitches318 you're not wrong lol

[@bbomg02]

@Deborah Oyebade Going to be going for my doctorate in psychology. I just gotta pick a school.

[@Aqweius]

It's all about personal needs. We just purchased a 3.1 acre 5-bedroom, 3.5 bath home with partial finished basement for less than our current 0.2 acre, 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath suburban home in the city. The plus side: we only have two neighbors instead of what seems like 80; it's so peaceful out in the country, less "suburban rackett"; we have green space, trees, wooded seclusion, wildlife, etc; the only downside, I went from a 9 minute commute to work to 25 (BUT ITS SO WORTH IT)

[@totally_not_a_troll]

what a pointlessly long winded and inane way of saying "more houses per area, lmao"

[@Verilee1970]

the history was provided so I learned that lawn area is something that fluctuates over time, and watching Ali Larkin is never an inane thing to do

[@dsp628]

Can't forget the tangent about the yard being the sexist symbol of men and their manifest destiny.

[@SearchIndex]

it’s not more houses per area ...it’s bigger houses per area

[@typ0id]

Us: "Hey, check out how small our yards are getting!" Japan: *_ふふふふふふぅ〜_*

[@filthbomb]

When i bought my house ...one of the requirements was AT LEAST a half acre, to build my shop out back and have plenty of room to do whateverthehell I wanted ...I got what I wanted and happy and thankful to have it

[@Florida_man21]

Nice! My family is looking for a 5 acre lot

[@bettysmith4527]

DITTO, minus the shop 'cause I don't know how to build things.... Got an acre, lots of space to garden, and just chill I the Hammock! Feeling blessed to have a home on a nice green space!

[@DadgeCity]

I'd been wondering this. Looking at aerial views of new housing districts, the houses seem to have no yards at all, which I suppose means the living room just has a slightly depressing view of the back fence.