Buying or Building a House: Pros and Cons of a Cul-De-Sac Lot

When buying or building a new home, the location of the home will have huge impact on your satisfaction with your new home. A cul de sac lot brings many advantages with very few disadvantages. In this post, we will dig into the pros and cons of buying or building a home on a cul-de-sac lot.

Definition of a Cul De Sac

Formal Definition: a street or passage closed at one end.

I actually grew up on a cul-de-sac, but we called it a 'dead end street'. It was an amazing place to live. That circular end hosted many football, baseball games as well as rounds of tag. It had a street light and it was the gathering place for all the neighborhood kids.

Pros And Cons Of A Cul-De-Sac Lot:

The Pros of a Cul-de-sac Lot:

1. Traffic - you will typically experience much, much less traffic on a cul-de-sac. The only reason someone drives down this road is they live there or they are lost.
2. Lot Size - many times the yards or 'lot' is much larger due to the pie shape a cul-de-sac lot forces upon the developer. The home depands a certain size and the backyards tend to be huge.
3. Noise - less traffic, less noise its just that simple. Keep in mind, if you back up to a major road you will still have road noise.
4. Parking - you will typically have quite a bit of parking in the street due to the circular nature of your front curb.
5. Views - many times, cul-de-sacs are created by the developer due to a nearby green space, creek or body of water. This results in great views for the home owners.
6. Safety - with much less traffic, kids tend to play outside more with less chance of injury due to mortorists.
7. Community - neighbors tend to walk, and talk to each other more in this slower paced environment.

The Cons of a Cul-de-sac Lot:

1. Cost - the lots tend to be larger, have better views, are in limited supply and highly desired. This all results in a higher sales price on average.
2. Limitations - the unusual shape of many cul-de-sac lots will limit the size, shape and potentially style of driveways.
3. Seclusion - believe it or not, some people dislike the secluded environment a cul-de-sac lot creates. They prefer the more active and visible lots of a through street.

Summary

Our clients consistently report to us the love their cul-de-sac lots. They comment about how they now know their neighbors and tend to be outside more. The kids have made friends and it just seems more peaceful and a slower pace. We really encourage you to take advantage of an opportunity to purchase your next home on a cul-de-sac.