5 Things Your Neighbors Secretly Hate About Your Front Yard

• an curb appeal—it's a reflection of your lifestyle and personal values.

• Some design choices, like bright paint or loud water features, may irritate neighbors and feel "too much."
• Subtle updates and thoughtful landscaping can inspire "yard envy" while keeping your outdoor space welcoming and well-maintained.

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From bold front doors to cozy backyard retreats, homeowners are treating outdoor spaces less like a resale strategy and more like a reflection of their lifestyle. That's what Thumbtack discovered in its fourth annual Curb Appeal Report.

To better understand how homeowners are approaching curb appeal in 2026, Thumbtack surveyed more than 1,000 homeowners across the country about how they use, design, and think about their outdoor spaces. Combined with project and trend data, the findings reveal a clear shift in priorities, with homeowners focusing less on perfection and more on creating outdoor spaces that feel personal, restorative, and reflective of how they actually live.

But that personalization may come at a price. According to Thumbtack, homeowners are increasingly aware of how their neighbors feel about their choices—and when certain design choices toe the line of being "too much."

To that end, the home services marketplace asked homeowners what irritates them the most about their neighbors' front yards. Among the responses, there were five standout features that homeowners find most bothersome about their neighbors' yards, including:

• Excessive outdoor lighting
• Bright or unconventional paint colors
• Neglected landscaping
• Yard signs
• Loud water features

Despite these unfavorable design choices, many homeowners say they draw inspiration from the people around them. More than half admit to experiencing "yard envy" at least occasionally, especially when it comes to landscaping, thoughtful design choices, and well-maintained spaces.

According to Thumbtack, subtle updates still dominate homeowners' to-do lists, but some are getting more adventurous with their design choices. Nearly 1 in 7 are using their outdoor space to reflect their personality or values—from flags to symbolic décor—and more than 1 in 10 are making bold, visual statements with their outdoor décor through color or design.

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Thumbtack Pro Advisory Board member and operations manager at Paint LAB Painting, Juliano Da Cruz, noted that there's a strong preference for bold greens and warm, creamy neutrals among homeowners who are updating their outdoor spaces.

"Warm tones and creamy whites for the body of the house, paired with bold greens and browns for accent areas, are especially popular right now. Homeowners are moving away from cold grays, off-whites, and stark black-and-white combinations," he says.