[Yoda]

My wife an I were at TV on a lifestyle in Aug. We were there again last week. I have 2 questions. There is not very much privacy in most places. We are looking at Designer homes. It gives new meaning to the saying "Reach out and touch someone." How do you handle this.

During our visits, it appeared like people never use their lanais. I think that I saw 1 or 2 people in a lanai total for both trips. Is their a reason or was I looking at the homes of Snow birds?

I am sure that I have other questions but these will do for now.

Thanks

Yoda

[Mallory]

We use the screened lanai on our Lantana all the time - breakfast (not today since it was a little brisk), read in the afternoon, and entertain. You may not have seen us since we 've put in some landscaping to screen us from a rather busy street behind.

Many will enclose the lanai to make it more of an inside room but since we're new to Florida we like the fresh air.

[ijusluvit]

Lanais were invented as a place where you could escape the heat and bugs. But who chooses the lanai when you can sit in air conditioned comfort in your bvds rather than being on display in a designer home fishbowl. And, the lanai is the third or fourth priority area for the new tv - after the living room, den and bedroom. Of all of our friends in designer homes, the only ones who use their lanais are those who have created privacy with landscaping.

So, you like privacy too. Try out the more generous sized courtyard villas, especially on a corner lot. Now there's living! We love our lanai and the entire yard. The only humans who can see us are on the flight path to Orlando.

[beady]

The only time I do not use my lanai is in the heat of the summer months. Otherwise it is my favorite place. Lots of plants , a comfy couch and a cool drink make for a pleasurable place to read, eat meals or entertain.

[Becky]

I also love and use my lanai! It backs up to a CYV wall and the neighbors on both sides have their lanais situated on the opposite ends of their homes so it is quite private. Love it!

Becky

[starflyte1]

Some homes back up to a villa wall that gives privacy and others back to a golf course. Some back to, I think they call it, a preserve.

We just bought last week, and by shopping TVs resales web site, were able to find exactly what we wanted, before we drove up to see it.

As others have said, lylesellsfla.com has excellent listings with pictures, as does lindamabryinthevillages.com many with 360' video. Many listing pictures have a picture of the view from the lanai.

[johnfarr]

We back on a golf course. Our lanai is a favorite place to be. We opted not to enclose, so it is still screened in. A quiet and private place to read, eat or entertain. We have an designer model Oleander which is set back a bit from our neighbors' lanais for more privacy.

If I were close to neighbors or on a street I would plant something like bottlebrush for some privacy.

[Cassie325]

I think you can also have screens put in that people can not see into....but you can still people watch! We have a CYV though....so much privacy!!!

You can still hang around in your "bvd's" as ijustluvit stated....but you can be in your lanai!! Know one would ever know!!!

I think how much you use your lanai depends on how private your lanai is, what the temperture is, and what sort of neighbors you have. We have friends whose lanai backed up to someone else's lanai, and those people lived on the lanai. Our friends couldn't use their lanai, without listening to their neighbors all the time. We have the same setup with our lanai. Our neighbors were so noisy, yapping dogs, loud television, parties etc., we haven't been able to use ours as much as we like. They are supposed to be moving, so I hope the situation gets better. Some people back up to lanai's that are glassed in. I think that is a better situation, because you're less likely to hear noise. Or you may get lucky and have snowbirds behind you that are only there a few months/year. Or You may get lucky and have someone like ijustluvit who prefers to stay inside in the ac. I think for most people, the layout works out, but there are some exceptions. If you're wary of it, I'd buy something where the lanai is facing the side of someone's house, instead of directly facing their lanai. I have heard (don't know because we dont' live behind a villa wall) that sound can bounce back and forth against a villa wall and you end up hearing a lot, such as barking dogs. Friends have a house against a villa wall, and the next door neighbor smokes (cigarettes) and they smell the smoke all the time. Obviously, having no neighbors behind is the best, but very expensive. The patio villas, with the lanai on the front are nice for privacy, once you get some landscaping in front.

[MSNPA]

Except when it is extremely hot we spend a lot of time on our enclosed lanai. This is where we usually have our evening meal and I love the lanai to read and nap! We have a designer and our lanai faces our neighbors wall which is not a pretty view, but at least it is not their lanai. We do have landscaping on the back and side of the lanai. Funny, when we moved in we always closed the blinds (the ones on the sliding glass door). Now they are always open. I guess it is like a fishbowl, but it doesn't seem to matter.

[thegreenerside]

Landscaping around the lanai is an option if you feel that you do not have enough privacy. The landscaping can also assist in blocking the direct sunlight in the mornings, afternoons, or at sunset depending on the direction your lanai will face. We have bottlebrush on the sides of our lanai that provides a since of privacy although we can still see them as they can see us.

[chuckinca]

Our Lanai is great! We back onto a golf course and the closest neighbors in the back are about a hundred yards away. Our side neighbors' lanais are not visible from ours, a bird cage on a same side house three houses away is the closest screen area that we can barely see into and vise a versa. As far as we are concerned, paying the higher lot price for the golf frontage is worth twice the one third more we paid.



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[Yoda]

Thank you all for some great input. It doesn't completly resolve my apprehension but it does make me feel a lot better.

Thanks again,

Yoda

[carol51]

I also think it is an adjustment in lifestyle that happens to us. A lot of us came from a rural setting up North with large yards or acreage and here we are nestled cheek to jowl. I thought I would have a lot of difficulties with this but we didn't. We are seasonal residents (6 months) and our Northern home sits on 2 acres which is not huge by any means but we cannot see our neighbors. Maybe we are lucky that we have such good, caring neighbors in TV that we think are almost extended family. We live lakeside so we spend every moment we can looking at the lake and watching the birds from the lanai when the weather permits. It's a beautiful life in TV. Can you tell that I'm homesick for TV? We leave a week from today. Big Sigh...........
Carol

[MMC24]

We generally have coffee/breakfast in the morning in our Lanai or in the birdcage when the weather cooperates. This past May, put a summer kitchen in our Lanai so we cook out there on a regular basis. I would say that we use the Lanai daily in some way or another. Can't imagine living in Florida without one.