When is "too soon" to put up Christmas yard decorations?

Correct on your second statement but on your first...it's nowhere near gated, secured communities. Lots of HOAs around the country are in non-gated communities. Like tons of them.
I realize there are non-gated, secure HOA communities, but I believe that's how HOAs got started. I was just using that comment to explain how there can be rules that mandate what you do on your own property.
 
An HOA collecting dues for neighborhood maintenance, the community pool, road conditions, etc. would be fine. 1 single rule about what I am or am not allowed to do with my money and my property, then yes, the HOA is bad. I have never heard of any HOA that didn't have rules, thus all HOAs I assume to be bad.
I can get behind some of the rules. "No long term parking on the street" is a good one. That's what driveways are for and if too many cars are parked on the street, it makes it difficult to drive. "Keeping your yard/plants in good shape" (ie: mow & trim reasonably) is another good one. If I was looking for a new house and a house I was looking at was next to or across the street from someone who doesn't keep up with the mowing (I'm talking 12" tall grass), I would be turned off.

We also have a rule that you can't have a permanent above ground pool. While I don't totally agree with that rule, it doesn't bother me. Same with the one that any outbuildings need to have the same facade as the main house.

Again, don't like the rules? Don't buy the house. Very simple.
 
I can get behind some of the rules. "No long term parking on the street" is a good one. That's what driveways are for and if too many cars are parked on the street, it makes it difficult to drive. "Keeping your yard/plants in good shape" (ie: mow & trim reasonably) is another good one. If I was looking for a new house and a house I was looking at was next to or across the street from someone who doesn't keep up with the mowing (I'm talking 12" tall grass), I would be turned off.

We also have a rule that you can't have a permanent above ground pool. While I don't totally agree with that rule, it doesn't bother me. Same with the one that any outbuildings need to have the same facade as the main house.

Again, don't like the rules? Don't buy the house. Very simple.

The no long term street parking one we have here too. It's a necessity because the streets are so narrow. I do wonder why modern communities have narrower streets? Is it simply just to save real estate to put more houses in? I live on a tiny little "offshoot" of a cul de sac, so our road (all 200' of it) is quite narrow. I had our house pushed back in the " building envelope" as far as possible so our driveway was as long as it could be and had them widen it as much as possible. We also have a walkout basement with 12'+ ceilings. Given that, I wanted to put either an 8' roll up door or double doors into the basement, so I could put a car down there with a lift. Strangely enough, the HOA said OK on the lift but no on the doors. So I'm stuck with 6' french doors, and I nixed the lift idea. A narrow car, such as a Miata, can fit but not much wider.

Cool that you're allowed to have outhouses. We have to use bathrooms in our house. :P
 


I realize there are non-gated, secure HOA communities, but I believe that's how HOAs got started. I was just using that comment to explain how there can be rules that mandate what you do on your own property.
Ah yeah sorry your comment I quoted sounded nothing like your above response but thank you for the clarification on what you meant :)
 


I decorate for Christmas starting the day after Thanksgiving. I saw a few folks this year take down their Halloween decorations and put up Christmas, so figure early November.

I might think someone was silly if they had Christmas decorations up in September, but it’s their house so their choice.

With an HOA, you have to follow the rules. If the rules aren’t specific, then the rules arent
Specific.
 
Right now is too early. Neighbor across the street already has his lights up. It's ridiculous. It's not even Thanksgiving. Get a grip.

I have spoken. :rotfl2:
There is one house on our VERY long street that went from Halloween to Christmas on November 1st. That house sticks out like a sore thumb.

I already feel like the day after Thanksgiving is soon enough. If you take down decorations on or around New Year's Day or Epiphany, that is 5+ weeks of Christmas. Do we really need 9+ weeks of it? I think that is overkill IMHO.

These days, as we watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the moment I see the finale of Santa Claus coming down the parade route in his sleigh, I start to feel those sentimental yearnings for the Christmas season.
 
So, just a question for Americans out of curiosity....
Do shopping mall Santa’s not start til after Thanksgiving?
 
So, just a question for Americans out of curiosity....
Do shopping mall Santa’s not start til after Thanksgiving?
Often before. I count retail arena as different. Christmas has been at Costco since August and now a lot of their Christmas decor is on last call (meaning they won't be getting any more shipments of it in) at least at the Costco I went to yesterday.

BUT that doesn't mean even I want Christmas decor in my house in August lol

I don't see mall Santas though before Halloween so there is that.
 
I do wonder why modern communities have narrower streets? Is it simply just to save real estate to put more houses in? I live on a tiny little "offshoot" of a cul de sac, so our road (all 200' of it) is quite narrow.

Wider streets encourage speeding, cause more storm water runoff which exacerbates flooding, and are more expensive to build.
 
So, just a question for Americans out of curiosity....
Do shopping mall Santa’s not start til after Thanksgiving?

In the last 5-10 years or so, I'd say the mall Santas have started around Nov 11/12th (veteran's day). But for a very long time, you didn't see them until Thanksgiving was done. They were usually brought out on the Friday after.
 
My neighbors across the street had LED lights installed at the eaves of the house. They turn on inside the house and can be different colors. For Halloween, they turn them on orange, for Christmas they turn them on so they change between green and red. They usually turn them on at night after Thanksgiving.

I personally like to put lights on my bushes out front. I also put a lighted garland on my front porch railings. Neither thing gets done until after Thanksgiving.

Shopping Mall Santa's started a couple of weeks ago. I just took my picture with one today for fun since no one was visiting him -haven't done that since I was a kid (and I'm in my mid-50's.) LOL
 
Rule of thumb here is after Remembrance Day out of respect. That includes lights.
They've been springing up everywhere this week. We were out tonight and coming home after dark I was really surprised at how many houses in the neighbourhood were lit up. It was a lovely afternoon so it's understandable everybody took advantage of the opportunity to get their outside stuff going. I also saw a number of trees in living room windows - for me it's just waaaaay too early for that.
 
We decorate the first weekend in November. It makes my family happy. If people don’t like it, stop driving past my house.

And we’re not rushing Christmas, we are taking the time to enjoy every moment of it.
 
Last edited:
They've been springing up everywhere this week. We were out tonight and coming home after dark I was really surprised at how many houses in the neighbourhood were lit up. It was a lovely afternoon so it's understandable everybody took advantage of the opportunity to get their outside stuff going. I also saw a number of trees in living room windows - for me it's just waaaaay too early for that.
I’ve seen some Christmas trees in windows, but I haven’t seen any Christmas lights lit on houses in my evening travels yet. I’m really suprised.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top