What do you judge the outside of a house on?

[PlayingGrownUp]

My mum and I have completely different things we judge the outside of houses in. She thinks grass should be short. I like buttercups and daisies so prefer longer grass which she thinks makes it look messy. However I'm desperate to paint our new fence and she can't understand the rush.

So what do you judge the outside of a house or garden on?

I'm with your Mum that I like short grass, I think daisies and buttercups make it look untidy, it's a bit like tidying your living room it won't look good if you don't vac the carpet.

I would assume a house was untidy inside if the front garden wasn't tidy.

First thing I look at is the structure. Does the roof look sound? Are the walls straight with no cracks? Windows - are they clear and not misted up? What are the frames made of? Are they well maintained?

Then the immediate surroundings - are driveways / paths in good repair? Trees, hedges, shrubs, are they well maintained , are there any big ones too close to the building that could cause problems as they grow?

Most of the superficial stuff like grass length is just that , superficial and easily changed if you don't like it.

Is this entire thread a euphemism for girl pubes? (just checking I'm not missing anything!)

I think Jesus said something about not worrying about keeping the outside clean, but being more worried about the inside. I'm not a Christian.

Personally what I like in a front garden is the ability to look in [nose] at the house.... Wanting decorating ideas I can steal.
As a secondary thing, doing the same with gardens.

Ha you lot would love my street. It's full on student-ville so all the grass is overgrown, most gardens have a mattress or sofa in and there's rubbish everywhere. You get blind to it after a while.

I don't like my garden completely bare but do like the grass short and also neat around the edges. I love painted wooden doors and windows. Neat hedges/fence.

Signs of damp/broken guttering. Cracks in walls. If roof looks like it needs replacing. If the house is painted on the outside, is it grubby/peeling? Does the drive need repair? I would notice weeds more than an untrimmed lawn. I like to see bushes/shrubs that aren't overgrown.

I would only notice any of these if I were househunting, though. Otherwise it would have to be a real tip to register on my radar.