Gary Woltal's Blog

Well I like to have a fence because if I choose to run around naked in teh back I dont distract the neighbors :) I like the privacy but I also keep an eye on the neighbors and try to get to know them. I think if you are a friendly neighbor person it doesnt matter if you have a fence or not you find a way around the barriers. Your Orlando & Lake Mary REal Estate Expert, Heather Joubran

I once installed a fence by necessity.  My neighbors children were constantly playing in my yard and peeking in my windows.  Fences sometimes make neighbors tolerable! 

Most of my neighborhood needs fences as we all seem to have dogs and inground pools, so there is the safety issue.  

My answer is, it depends, don't-cha love it.

Actually here in SoCal people fence and wall up everything. So many of our lots are like postage stamps, if we didn't you could tell what each other might be having for dinner. I can't begin to remember the last time I showed a property that did not have a fence.

Hi Gary, Almost all houses in our town has wooden fences.  I'd say most are because they have dogs or children.  However, I think people just prefer to have privacy in today's world and would rather have a fence. I don't want to have to talk to anyone if I'm in my backyard.  Times have changed since we went from chain link to wooden fences.

Our last home had a wide open space shared by several homes.  At first I wanted to put up a fence because my kids were younger and a nearby home had a large dog and a swimming pool.  But in the end, we were glad we did not.  It's much easier to have a chat with a neighbor when it's not through a fence.  It was also beautiful to look out on an acre of undisturbed land from our windows.

Like Lynda said above most of Southern CA is fenced.  In fact, when I was little, I didn't understand how kids in books used to cut through the neighbor's back yard, because ours all had fences.  I now live in the hills and homes here were never fenced until lately.  A lot of neighborhood "trails" have been blocked by fences.  Kind of sad. 

I completely forgot about the chain link fences which I grew up around. On the four foot ones you could see through them but you also could have a chat over them. I see them in 1960's era houses. Then there was the front yard white picket fences ala Leave it to Beaver or It's A Wonderful Life days. Picket fences are almost like "antique" style house fences today. Probably many in their 20's or younger don't even know what picket fences are. I agree that for dogs, children, and pools, fences are almost a necessity. But sometimes to run through yards was a nice free feeling too. Or just to not have fences block a view. We could probably do a whole blog on fence maintenance. Some agricultural fences around horses on some ranch land could use lots of painting on the steel or the wood slat ones.

Gary, I grew up in a house with no fence and we knew all the neighbors and were very close friends.  In fact, I live across the country and am still friends with these people.  I raised my boys in a house with no fence but we had 9 acres of property and it was nice to have some privacy.  We still became friends with the neighbors because we could just walk over to each others houses with no restrictions along the way.  Now I live with a block wall all around my property and I like the privacy.  I have lived here for 5 years and am lucky to know my neighbors names.  But, at this point in my life, I think I prefer this.

Gary,

Fences.....as you said, can either keep people in or out in more ways than one.  I'm not sure, but in todays world I do see the need, depending on the neighborhood to have some type of barrier.  Safety, privacy, maybe even just a feeling of "mine" are some of the reasons.....I think we have a different world now, but do we need them....I don't know.

I live in a rural area of Cape Cod and I am on 3/4 of an acre of land with 25' setbacks.  I have an old, weathered 2' foot high fence that was here when I bought the house.  It only serves as the property line.  Due to the space I have, I don't need a fence for privacy.

However, I believe most people want a fence for privacy and as enclosure for pets and maybe a pool.  If a fence is installed, I hope it is a really nice one!  As you stated, fences have come a long way over the years!

HI Gary, Fences in my neighborhood of Austin Texas are due to horses or livestock on the property, but you can drive down the streets and see the cedars have all but blocked the homesites with their growth.  I think its a privacy issue and the Home is the Castle theory where one has a sanctuary.  Even a small backyard with a wooden fence can give a person a feeling of his/her own sanctuary.

I think the idea that fences mark the boundaries of our "castle" or domain is a good one. Beyond roping in children, pets, horses, pools or just ensuring privacy, fences can give us a feel of security as well. Probably if the world were not as crowded or potentially unsafe as in yesteryear maybe an open backyard would be more the norm. But if you look back in history countries have had fences on borders and businesses like car dealerships and warehouses have always built fences around inventory. And think of prisons with barbed wire or razor fences. Much of it is about security and protection. Maybe in a residential setting we just find comfort with fences. There certainly are a lot of decorative types now that offer that security but also are like artwork and add to the landscaping. But you do have to make more of an effort to visit your neighbor when there's an 8 foot wall between you.

Gary, as you know in our area you almost have to have a fence if you buy a house! I kind of like the acreage lots that are not allowed to have privacy fencing; wrought iron looks so much better.

Gary - most of houses in my neighborhood have fences because of the deer. We are one of the few who don't, so the deer really love us:) Ours is a very private street and our home backs to the woods, so I can't see anyone. If you have a pool, in our town, you are required to have a fence. I guess, the answer depends on where you live, who do you live next to, what are the zoning laws, and what you like.

For me the fence is more for the purpose of to keep the dogs & kids in the yard. With so many lawsuits involving dogs if I lived in the country I would still have a fence, just for the goats and other animals I would own. So fences are a part of life, but mine if I had a choice would be one that is neighbor friendly and not one to lock out the world.

Everyone has their opinion, and my preference is no fence.  It's worked really well for me, however, I do seen the value of having a fence.

What is this the creamy Cougar page? Nice!