ArcaMax

If there’s one thing I love to read about, but love even more to avoid, it’s neighbor (and even landlord) drama. I’m always reading Reddit posts of people detailing their nightmare neighbor experiences and counting my lucky stars that my own neighbors in my building and on my street are so blessedly respectful. But still, I like to be a good neighbor — so I avoid the noisy upstairs neighbor stereotypes as much as I can.

I don’t often think about how the exterior of my home might annoy my neighbors, especially as a renter, though. But maybe I should, after reading one recent survey from Thumbtack, a platform for hiring pros for home services, that revealed what irritates homeowners most about their neighbors’ yards.

According to Thumbtack’s 2026 Curb Appeal report, which was conducted in April with a national sample of over 1,000 people, there are five exterior home features that annoy your neighbors a lot. Those five are as follows: excessive outdoor lighting, bright or unconventional paint colors, neglected landscaping, yard signs, and loud water features.

So while you might be sprucing up your home’s exterior with new potted plants, a bird fountain, or a fresh coat of paint for your front door, make sure you’re not overdoing it and getting an LED-lit six-foot fountain that blasts water 30 feet into the air — at least if you don’t want to irritate your neighbors.

But it’s your house. If your HOA doesn’t have anything to say about paint color, and all your life you’ve wanted a lime green house, then have at it. Who am I to stop you? Heck, I’ll probably think it’s fun! At least the 31% of respondents who said they’d avoid any community that limits self-expression altogether would probably like it too.

(Apartment Therapy is dedicated to helping people transform their lives by providing everything they need to create beautiful, organized and healthy homes. For more information, visit www.apartmenttherapy.com.)

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