So, you live in an HOA neighborhood. Well, congrats, okay, well, kinda. Like, yeah, it’s nice that your neighbor isn’t turning their front yard into a used car lot (that might be stretching it, but you know what this means), but at the same time, it can feel like you signed a deal with the neighborhood style police. You just wanted a cute home, you wanted to have some pretty nice curb appeal, you don’t want to be in constant fear that someone’s gonna fine you for painting your shutters the wrong shade of beige, or using a gas lawn mower (which some HOAs literally fine you for).
Most people just give up and go full “copy-paste” mode. Which, yeah, it’s understandable, like the beige house, beige mulch, beige personality, like that sad beige mom aesthetic, but tenfold. But honestly? You can still make your place look amazing without ticking off the HOA board.
Is it hard? Well, bluntly put it, yeah, it kind of is, but it’s technically possible, granted you’ll need some strategy here.
Just Know what You’re Dealing With
Before you start picking colors or plants, actually check your HOA’s rules. Like, yeah, it’s boring, but it’ll save you the drama later. Some neighborhoods get all weird about things like front doors or fences, while others just don’t want your house looking like a theme park or anything too attention-grabbing.
Once you know the rules, you can play around within them. If you wanted to, you could make a game out of it, like how far can you go before they notice? You’d be surprised what counts as “compliant” if you just phrase it nicely in your request. But of course, be careful, you don’t want to anger the wrong people in all of this.
Fences Don’t Have to be Boring
Okay, so technically, your HOA might tell you exactly what kind of fence you can have, but that doesn’t mean it has to look basic. There’s a big difference between “standard” and “soulless.” But of course, you’ll need to maybe ask questions and read up on the rules just to double or even triple check to make sure everything is fine
Obviously, you shouldn’t DIY the fence, and instead should look into a professional, like (hopefully your HOA allows for that). Okay, what if they’re super strict? Well, in that case, it might help to look into M&C Fence DFW because they can build fences that follow the rules but still look like someone with taste actually lives there. You just need to discuss the HOA rules first with them so they know what they can work on.
You Can Still Paint It
If you’re dreaming of a bubblegum-pink door, like what you see on Instagram, well, sorry, that’s probably not happening. Which, yeah, that’s awful to say, but no, you probably don’t need to deal with an ugly gray door either. Usually, you can pick other colors like green, charcoal, or even navy blue. Sometimes HOAs are literally too strict to where you can’t even paint the doors. In that case, well, hopefully your personality can shine through the door mat, or the planters, or just tiny little things like that (which would fall under outdoor accessories).
Your Landscaping Doesn’t Need to be Cookie-Cutter
You know that one HOA-approved landscaping plan every yard seems to have? Yeah, the “two bushes and a lonely tree” look. Granted, it’s super boring, and you might be able to mix it up a bit. For example, go for ones with different heights and textures, like you could throw in some ornamental grasses, or even do a little stone border (again, if this is allowed). It’ll look intentional, and a bit unique too.
