[KARENNN]

Most of the new courtyards have a lot of concrete in the backyard. I was wondering if anyone has bought one of these and had the concrete taken out and sod put in. Wondering if it is worth the trouble and the general cost.

[dkrhardy]

Hi,
We have a corner CYV and were very surprised about the amount of concrete in the very back. We have 2 small dogs and the amount of grass we have, corner lot, is just fine. But all of that concrete serves what purpose? If you want a pool, you'll need to have it all removed. Or, as in your case removing concrete to add more lawn area. Our neighbor had their landscaping redone, as most of us have done, and had some plants removed and more sod put in the area near their wall .. also a corner lot. They have a med to large dog and they do well with their area.
On the plus side, we are in the process of having our lanai bumped out and that concrete is level, no step down, with our lanai floor. Makes that part more easy! Hope this helps with some ideas for you.
Don & Kaz

[jane032657]

We had a very large concrete area on a CYV and put a bird cage over it the full size of the concrete and had the concrete texturized so it is a nice floor. It is huge (to us), 25.6 x 44 ( a lot of concrete) x 12.6 high and we have got a 20 ft x 8 ft swimspa, have an outdoor dining room table with seating for 10 made out of ipei wood for year round outdoor usage, a wicker patio furniture set, and we are installing a "Big Ass Fan" Industrial Ceiling Fans | Commercial Ceiling Fans | Residential Ceiling Fans so we can use it year round. The fan has 21 speeds and they make them for industrial warehouses and now have an attractive 8 foot fan for areas like a birdcage. You can have them painted any color as well as have it done in a wood grain look. So we were happy for the large concrete area because now it is a great space of multi purpose functions.

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by jane032657

We had a very large concrete area on a CYV and put a bird cage over it the full size of the concrete and had the concrete texturized so it is a nice floor. It is huge (to us), 25.6 x 44 ( a lot of concrete) x 12.6 high and we have got a 20 ft x 8 ft swimspa, have an outdoor dining room table with seating for 10 made out of ipei wood for year round outdoor usage, a wicker patio furniture set, and we are installing a "Big Ass Fan" Industrial Ceiling Fans | Commercial Ceiling Fans | Residential Ceiling Fans so we can use it year round. The fan has 21 speeds and they make them for industrial warehouses and now have an attractive 8 foot fan for areas like a birdcage. You can have them painted any color as well as have it done in a wood grain look. So we were happy for the large concrete area because now it is a great space of multi purpose functions.

Now that sounds delightful because I don't think you can have to much outdoor living space.

[asianthree]

the less grass the better for us

[Debfrommaine]

Originally Posted by jane032657

We had a very large concrete area on a CYV and put a bird cage over it the full size of the concrete and had the concrete texturized so it is a nice floor. It is huge (to us), 25.6 x 44 ( a lot of concrete) x 12.6 high and we have got a 20 ft x 8 ft swimspa, have an outdoor dining room table with seating for 10 made out of ipei wood for year round outdoor usage, a wicker patio furniture set, and we are installing a "Big Ass Fan" Industrial Ceiling Fans | Commercial Ceiling Fans | Residential Ceiling Fans so we can use it year round. The fan has 21 speeds and they make them for industrial warehouses and now have an attractive 8 foot fan for areas like a birdcage. You can have them painted any color as well as have it done in a wood grain look. So we were happy for the large concrete area because now it is a great space of multi purpose functions.

Was there a difference in "height" from your lanai floor to the outside concrete floor that you covered?

[jane032657]

Yes. We actually made the lanai into a lovely year round Florida room with air and heat and stackable doors on one side and a slider on the other. We have a step that goes down from Florida room to birdcage floor. There was no step before. We also raised the lanai floor to meet the kitchen floor when we made it a Florida room and put in a wood floor

[Bonnevie]

I wonder if they are putting that much in now to keep water demand low. I, too, felt there was too much concrete.

[John_W]

We have a 2 BR CYV in the middle of the block, so it's not a big backyard. I found the amount of concrete was just right for a grill, table and a couple of lounge chairs. Most of our neighbors that changed their backyard was to remove the grass and add more gravel making it maintence free. I use a push mower for our back and front. We're still considering getting a dog, so we wanted to keep our grass for now.

[tainsley]

We took out a lot of the concrete in our Lge corner CYV and added a pool! Love it!

[msendo]

We have been following the sales of Courtyard Villas (preowned and new), but still have lots of questions. Besides frame vs concrete, we are looking for input from anyone who has given serious consideration to, or has purchased any such home. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of each type, and what lead you to pick one over the other. Knowing what you know now, what do you think are some important considerations when purchasing this type of home?

When we last visited TV, from what we saw, Cabana Villas seemed to be uniform in appearance and color. Does this still stand true for the newer villages?

We would appreciate your insight.