[Tuly914]

Hi, I'm interested in moving to the villages and looking into maybe a courtyard villa. Who takes care of the landscaping for the villas, do I or the villages? I heard the designer and premier homes have to look out after their own home, so was just wondering is that the same for the villas. And if the villages look after the villas landscaping, how much extra could that cost me monthly and who pays for the watering? All answers are much appreciated.Thank you.

[LndLocked]

The home owner is responsible for ALL yard / landscaping maintenance (including watering) of their property.

[gerryann]

It is all the homeowners responsibility.

[Villager Joyce]

We have a cottage home. We pay $55 a month for mowing and edging.

[tomjbud]

We have owned a courtyard villa since 2012. There are many companies who will take care of the yard maintenance for a reasonable fee. The Villages does a pretty nice job landscaping the villas, but many people add more as a matter of personal taste. Many also remove the grass and have hardscapes (rocks and mulch) installed. This reduces your maintenance costs, as you do not have to pay for mowing. I have found the irrigation system to be pretty maintenance free. It is completely separate from your household system and uses recycled water. It is also billed separately. I just set it and forget it. The new villas have rain and seasonal sensors that will adjust your water usage automatically based on the actual weather. Good luck in your search - I hope you find a great house in The Villages!

[Tuly914]

Thank you. Also with the designer homes and premier homes, who takes care of the lawns when more than one house is sharing grass together. I saw a few homes on trulia and the back parts of the homes have no seperation such as (Shrubs/fences) between the homes. So what I am asking is do the neighbors get together and use one lawn company, or does the villages take care of that part, and is that consider the common way?

[2BNTV]

There is no sharing of lawns as each home, has it's own property line.

One could ask their neighbors who does their yardwork. If the neighbors use the same vendor, maybe there is a possibility to get a good rate, if you band together.

Don't think you will save that much but it's worth a try.

[John_W]

You're not required to keep the grass on CYV's. Our villa community has 88 homes and I would guess about a 1/3 have eliminated the grass. We removed the grass in the front and kept the grass in the back in case we get a dog. Even when we had grass, I could cut the whole thing with a push mower in 10 minutes. This is what we did to our yard by McGowan Landscaping. Our neighbors that have grass in the front and back usually pay about $40 a month to have it maintained, that's a 12 month fee.

[Tuly914]

Beautiful home. Can you please explain to me the difference between Marion and sumter county. I'm so confused.

[Villager Joyce]

Have you visited the villages? If not, that is the first thing you need to do. Contact the sales office and set up a lifestyles visit. Ride around in a golf cart. Look at the various homes for sale. Go to the squares. Eat out. See what it is like. You have to see it and touch it to get it IMHO.

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by Tuly914

Beautiful home. Can you please explain to me the difference between Marion and sumter county. I'm so confused.

In relation to the Villages:

Imagine a "T"; Marion Cty's southern border is the top of the "T"
Sumter Cty is on the left side - West
Lake Cty is on the right side - East

From today's Daily Sun front page:

Marion Cty Pop: 339,167 including 10,205 Villagers
Sumter Cty Pop: 114,350 including 84,292 Villagers
Lake Cy Pop: 315,600 including 11,142 Villagers

.

[redwitch]

Originally Posted by Tuly914

Beautiful home. Can you please explain to me the difference between Marion and sumter county. I'm so confused.

The Villages is actually in three counties -- Marion, Lake and Sumter, with the majority of homes being in Sumter. There are some differences in what is allowed re lawn decor, etc., but that is based more on when a home was built than where.

As to the boundaries between homes, have no fear, the cutters know the property lines down to the last micro inch. They will cut all of your lawn and not touch your neighbor's behind or beside you.

The developer is responsible for common areas, nothing more. You will either have to do it yourself or pay someone to maintain your yard regardless of whether you own a premiere, a designer, a cottage, a courtyard villa, a patio villa or a manufactured home. The one exception is if you purchase a townhouse such as those by Spanish Springs and, I believe, in Glenview.