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View Full Version : Is it not good to get a house on the corner lot or on the cul-de-sac?



moonsky
01-30-2011, 05:00 AM
My SIL told me today but couldn't remember where she read it from. Any thoughts? TIA!

HannaAddict
01-30-2011, 05:57 AM
Corner lots are usually more expensive around here and more valued, they get more sunlight, more privacy without houses on all sides, etc. Not super familiar with cul de sac values since we are in a traditional neighborhood, but our friends who are cul de sac experts say the back lot in the U of the cul de sac is preferable and generally more expensive. Those who live in cul de sacs can weigh in, is that the case?

bigpassport
01-30-2011, 07:06 AM
OP, not good in what respect? Financially? Practically? Feng shui? Other? Do you know what she was referring to?

dukie41181
01-30-2011, 07:54 AM
OP, not good in what respect? Financially? Practically? Feng shui? Other? Do you know what she was referring to?

:yeahthat:

Our house is on the corner so you have me wondering. We do have higher taxes because of our location on the corner and more sidewalks to shovel in thw winter (and grass to mow in the summer)! Those are surely some negatives in my mind but i'd love to know what you (your friend) were thinking about.

JTsMom
01-30-2011, 08:01 AM
Cul de sac lots are usually premium lots, and are great when you have kids b/c they have a relatively safe place to ride bikes, etc. Corner lots are a little different, imo. Some people love them, some people hate them. I like to be way in the back of the neighborhood so that we have more privacy. When you're on the corner, you have two sides exposed instead of just the front. Usually you see corner lots used a selling point though.

ETA: I could see someone who didn't have kids maybe not wanting to be on a cul de sac b/c of kids playing in front of their house.

wellyes
01-30-2011, 08:16 AM
Pretty much the opposite, those are both desirable!

mezzona
01-30-2011, 08:32 AM
Cul de sac lots are probably more desirable because they get the least # of cars going through, therefore quieter and safer place for kids to play. I LOVE cul de sacs.

Eta. Some lots on the cul de sacs have longer driveways = farther from street. Others have bigger, tho oddly shaped yards.

mommylamb
01-30-2011, 08:40 AM
The only thing I can think of is that corner lots may have more traffic going past them??? But, I can't think of a down side to cul-de-sacs.

hez
01-30-2011, 08:47 AM
We're 2 lots down from a cul de sac & love it for all the reasons mentioned-- less traffic, safer for the kids, etc. The houses actually ON the cul de sac are some of the most expensive in the neighborhood as a result. I also think they're slightly bigger b/c there was a little more room to build on those lots.

TwinFoxes
01-30-2011, 08:48 AM
I wouldn't want a corner because you get traffic on two sides. We live in a quiet neighborhood, but when you're home all day you realize how many delivery trucks etc go by. I wouldn't want to have that on two sides.

For cul de sacs I've read they are not as safe as people think. They don't have through traffic, but lots of u-turning cars make it not so safe (though I can't remember if it's less safe than traditional streets). I'll try to find the article.

MoJo
01-30-2011, 08:48 AM
We used to live at the end of a cul-de-sac, and the only negatives were kids playing basketball after bedtime and the odd shaped yard (sort of pie shaped.)

We have had the basketball problem here, too.

If I were buying today, I'd have a strong preference for a cul-de-sac.

Claki
01-30-2011, 09:27 AM
Echoing other posters... corner lots can be less desirable because of higher taxes because they are along more street and odd-shaped yards. Often large side yards with small backyards. And less privacy.

Cul-de-sacs are usually highly desirable. Less traffic, more privacy.

crl
01-30-2011, 09:58 AM
Corner lots can have more traffic and also can have more restrictions for adding on (two sides are considered the "front" for set back purposes in some places). They were less desirable in NVa for those reasons. Here in SF they are more desirable for the additional light.

Never heard that cul-de-sacs are less desirable, though they do tend to give kids and parents a false sense of security about the safety of playing in the street.

Catherine

Melaine
01-30-2011, 10:02 AM
I hate being on a corner but I'd love a cul de sac lot.

Asianmommy
01-30-2011, 10:20 AM
We live on the corner of a cul-de-sac. It's a very quiet neighborhood, and we have the only kids in the cul-de-sac. It's nice to ride our bikes there. The backyard is a triangle shape. The lot is big, so the major drawback is that there's more yardwork to take care of and more driveway to shovel.

gobadgers
01-30-2011, 10:20 AM
We live on the corner of a cul-de-sac so have both angles covered :p

In this area, cul-de-sacs are highly prized. The lots are bigger, and because of the pie-shape they are more private (there is not another house lined up directly behind) and have a higher percentage of useful backyard space.

The cul-de-sac sidewalk makes a great loop for DD to go around on her tricycle.

I consider corner lots less desirable because it is harder to have a private backyard, plus potential extra traffic noise as PP's have mentioned. We end up enjoying it more than I thought we would - you can't see our deck from the side so we still have some privacy, but when we play in the yard we can see the neighbors walking their dogs. Fun for the kids (and our dog!).

ETA: I posted at the same time as you, AsianMommy! And I forgot to mention the extra driveway/sidewalk shoveling - definite MAJOR downside to a corner lot.

JamiMac
01-30-2011, 10:57 AM
We live on a corner lot. We've only got neighbors on one side and no one looking into our backyard, because it actually runs up the side. It was our first choice on the street (we built). My next choice would have been a cul-de-sac.

willow33
01-30-2011, 11:18 AM
We just moved from a corner lot to a cul-de-sac lot. I didn't really care for our corner lot as it wasn't safe for kids to ride bikes, but we did have more privacy. I absolutely love our current cul-de-sac lot. The kids are safe, the road is quiet and it is highly sought after in our neighborhood.

egoldber
01-30-2011, 11:21 AM
We live at the end of a cul de sac and I love it.

But like a PP said, we do actually get way more turn around traffic than I would have thought. And the speed at which some people whip around is terrifying. So while the kids are definitely safer, you do still have to be vigilant. Part of it is our location. My neighborhood is in between two major routes into DC and people are often hunting for a cut through.

crl
01-30-2011, 11:38 AM
Here is an old NPR piece on cul-de-sacs.

http://www.npr.org/tablet/#story/?storyId=5455743

Catherine

momof2girls
01-30-2011, 11:55 AM
I've lived on both and MUCH prefer a cul-de-sac. We are on a corner lot now. I feel very exposed even though both streets are side streets. The cul-de-sac where I grew up was wonderful with lots of privacy and the street felt like our own private neighborhood. I wish I had that experience for my kids instead of our corner lot but those homes on cul-de-sacs tend to cost more.

MelissaTC
01-30-2011, 12:32 PM
I live on a cul-de-sac. We originally purchased for privacy but now enjoy the benefits of the quiet street with our child. We have very little traffic. We also live in the U so our lot is the biggest in the neighborhood, even though we have one of the smaller homes. Our street has 5 houses, 6 if you count the house on the other corner. It is like we have our own little community within the neighborhood.

mom2binsd
01-30-2011, 12:36 PM
We live at the end (or the circle part) of the cul de sac...it's about the greatest thing ever! All of my friends who come over who live on streets, even quiet streets, comment on how envious they are. Our lot is trapezoid shaped, very large and private, even considering we don't have a lot of trees or a fence.

Corner houses have a little less privacy as I see the traffic going by as having a clear view into your yard/windows...at least the corner houses around here.

twowhat?
01-30-2011, 02:01 PM
I would absolutely love a cul-de-sac and would HATE a corner lot.

brittone2
01-30-2011, 02:32 PM
Our last home was in a small subdivision (12 houses or so total) and we were at the very end of the cul de sac...as straight as you could go, if that makes sense. I loved, loved, loved it. All of the lots were 1+ acres give or take, and we still had a nice sized driveway and trees in the front of the house. This worked well for us as there was always someone playing in the cul de sac if our kids wanted something to do, but there was also a nice amount of privacy. Loved it.

We just bought a house that is in a subdivision that has just 2 streets that run perpendicular to one another, both ending in a cul de sac. About 20 homes total? We are not at the very end of the cul de sac, but are like one house away from where the "circle" portion starts, if that makes sense. Our friends live in one of the houses in the actual cul de sac circle.

My parents have a corner lot and it is very nice. They do get more traffic (because it comes by on two different sides). If you have sidewalks, it is also more shoveling :) They are generally desirable as well though.

In our previous neighborhood and current neighborhood the cul de sac is a gathering spot. Parents will sit outside and chat, or hang out in someone's front yard having a beer or glass of wine while the kids ride bikes in the cul de sac on a summer evening. That's what I love :)

squimp
01-30-2011, 02:52 PM
I think it depends on the exact location of the house. In our area cul de sacs are great. Some corner houses have too much traffic, others don't. I don't think it's a hard and fast rule.

Globetrotter
01-30-2011, 03:03 PM
Cul de sacs are very desirable. Personally, I don't like corner lots that face two roads, only because of increased traffic, but there are many other benefits. Now a corner lot where one road curves in towards the house would be ideal... I'm not explaining this well, but the road would face the front of the house, not the yard :)

moonsky
01-30-2011, 04:45 PM
OP, not good in what respect? Financially? Practically? Feng shui? Other? Do you know what she was referring to?


Corner lot - more property taxes and more exposed and traffic.
Cul-de-sac - may not be good for feng shui.

justlearning
01-30-2011, 05:54 PM
Corner lot - more property taxes and more exposed and traffic.
Cul-de-sac - may not be good for feng shui.

I haven't heard about cul-de-sacs being bad for feng shui. I grew up on a cul-de-sac and loved it. We don't live on one now, but I'd like to in our next house.

I wouldn't buy a corner lot because I'd never want for us to be responsible for shoveling so much sidewalk. I also wouldn't want the extra exposure to cars.

wellyes
01-30-2011, 06:03 PM
I'm on a corner and love it. Our street is not busy, and I like having open space next to me vs. more neighbors. We do not have sidewalks. I don't know if it's higher property taxes or not, we have a double lot.

Cul de sacs can feel a tinge unnatural -- they are built by developers as false traffic stops, right? But they're very nice for families if the neighbors get along well.

Pinky
01-30-2011, 06:16 PM
This is slightly off topic but I never realized houses that were not in the exact cul de sac "circle" were still considered to be "on a cul de sac". We live on a dead end street that ends in a cul de sac (12 houses maybe total). When we bought our house it was advertised as being on a cul de sac but I thought that was a little misleading since we aren't at the end in the circle. What do you guys think? Can you say you live on a cul de sac if you don't live at the end on the circle?

wellyes
01-30-2011, 07:52 PM
Sure - I think that's true - like how the first house on a dead end street is still advertised as being on a dead end street. You are part of the cul de sac neighborhood and there is no thru-traffic.

Pinky
01-30-2011, 09:38 PM
Sure - I think that's true - like how the first house on a dead end street is still advertised as being on a dead end street. You are part of the cul de sac neighborhood and there is no thru-traffic.
Thanks. That makes sense. :)