Shared Backyards: Brilliant or Bad Idea?

Robert Frost said that good fences make good neighbors. But these days a growing number of homeowners are knocking them down in order to create larger communal backyards.

Joining your backyard with your neighbor’s means there is more room for gardening and entertaining, children and pets and can run around more freely, and you may even be able to build that swimming pool or tennis court you’ve always dreamed of. But the extra space doesn’t come without added difficulties.

“Gardening expenses can be split evenly, but who pulls the weeds and who gets to pick the fruit? Post a sign-up sheet for use of the communal table? Or is there an always-room-to-share policy? What happens when one neighbor wants to sell?” asked Anne Marie Chaker of The Wall Street Journal.

Many of the individuals who have opted for shared backyards explain that they are are hammering these details out in monthly decision-making meetings and in legal documents. The potential risks are evident, but if you actually like your neighbors and are willing to give up some of your privacy, yard-sharing seems like a fantastic option. (That is if you live in a neighborhood that hasn’t prohibited the practice.)

So, what do you think SodaHeads? Is yard-sharing brilliant or a bad idea?