Trees add beauty to your home, shade to reduce energy bills, and are great for the environment. No reason to cut those beautiful trees down unless they have health issues or their roots are damaging your foundation.

Your concern is aesthetic only? All trees in question are healthy?

Yes, all of the trees are healthy.

The only one that looks questionable to me is the one leaning way over near your house. The rest look beautiful. What is the reasoning for removing? I agree with others that the only reason to remove would be if they pose a danger. Or if they're silver maples, because those are the worst.

Agree with Hallett

The leaning tree should be removed. The others are well positioned to frame the view of your house. Can we talk shrubs?

All of the trees are healthy. The one in the middle does affect our sewer line. We would probably have to get our sewer roto-rooted every couple years if we keep the tree. The front of the house faces south just for more input.

Love your trees but agree the leaner could go.

If the 'leaner' is an oak the lean doesn't matter- they are known for their weird shapes and are very hurricane resistant due to the strength of the wood and the root structure...

If tree roots are getting into your sewer it is likely because the pipes have joints that have gone bad- you will eventually need to replace the sewer with PVC regardless

Have you looked into cost?? Tree (especially stump) removal is expensive, I paid $3k (5 years ago) to remove 1 tree (it was sick, limbs fell during storms). I'm cheap, I never would've done it if I didn't have to (and neighbors split the cost as it was a boundary tree). It's all about diameter, the thicker the tree, the more costly it is to remove - or so I was told. IMO - they look beautiful, I wouldn't take them down without a reason, but again, I'm cheap :-)

keep the trees!

As I understand it, you would still have to roto-rooter the lines because the roots continue to exist and grow even when the tree is cut down. It takes many years for the roots to decompose. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

Please please please don't cut them down. Aside from the fact that they are beautiful in their own right, they frame your house beautifully and create a sense of grandeur and elegance. Your home might seem out of place without the trees, or at least feel much less cohesive with its surroundings, should they be taken down. I often find that when trees are removed, the house they once stood by loses much of its appeal. I would instead add more landscaping to the front beds to provide more structure and color.

Keep the pretty trees if they're healthy. They add so much to your house and neighborhood. Our home is surrounded by trees that are mostly California Live Oaks. They do involve maintenance but are so worth it.

Hallett is right regarding oaks being strong. There are still occasional problems, such as this section of an oak tree that came down shortly after we bought our house. The result of root fungus. :-(

Get your old sewer lined before it fails

it always helps to give a big city location ... are you in hurricane or tornado area???

no tree hugging when safety is an issue ... and i cant tell anything about safety on these pix ...

one thought was ... leave the trees.. and use the 15 grand to put in a modern sewer pipe that roots can NOT invade ... its old school clay sewer pipes that are the issue.. not really the trees ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=clay+sewer+pipes+with+roots&iax=images&ia=images

if you plan on ever flipping the house.. a working waste disposal system and the trees will pay you back investment .... than no trees.. and sewage in the basement ...

spend the money to have an on site inspection by a certified arborist.. if you has provided a city.. i would have linked you direct ... add city to the search terms...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ISA+CERTIFIED+ARBORIST&t=ffsb&ia=web

peace of mind is worth a bit of an investment ...

as far as i am concerned.. this is not a DESIGN issue ...

ken

ps: and after so many root cleanings.. the pipe will probably fall apart and need replacing anyway ...

Agree with the “keep the trees except the leaning one” comments. Your South facing house needs the shade. They’re also beautiful. Focus your funds on the pipes underneath and the landscaping, which could use some colorful low, bushes.

@David Saba - is the planting bed along the sidewalk new or just newly planted? There are several comments in this string about shrubs & I’m thinking that’s the area generating the comments - it looks newly planted to me. I agree with leaving the trees & addressing sewer pipe replacement. Wonder if replacing pipes would make a casualty out of one of the trees with all the digging involved. That might appease someone in your household. ☺️

save the 10K and redo the sewer line, remove the small leaning trees near the house, and those shrubs, and spend the rest on flower beds and plantings.

the large trees in front are perfectly fine.

Keep the trees. They are beautiful. As others, above have said….it is time to replace the overgrown shrubs and bushes and smaller ornamental trees that have gotten gangly. Beautiful home and a beautiful yard!

Yard looks fine.

The concept of removing perfectly good trees is so bizarre to me. 1. Why would anyone want to look at a house rather than trees? 2. Our forests are burning, we need all the trees we can get!

I'm in the other camp and have marked the ones I would consider removing. The leaner, of course, and the small one left and under the three larger trees. Unless it is a short dogwood or other ornamental that prefers dappled shade, or unless it is there to replace one of the larger trees that is already showing signs of decay, that would go too. I'm not a fan of the big ball shrubs or the two tree-bushes that flank that window and look like they're too close to the house. Some you could probably take down yourself and then pay for stump grinding. Then focus on new, open and airy planting near the house and not too close to the foundation. Put the sewer pipe issue on your to-do list for next year.

unhealthy trees or anything that threatens your property (such as maybe the "leaner") should go. but don't cut down healthy trees just for aesthetic reasons. that's just so depressing. they're beautiful and add value to the entire neighborhood, not just your home.

whatever you do, please don't cut down any right now! it's nesting season. if you must, please please have them carefully checked for birds. :(

Of the 6 deco marked, 4 of those are just bushes. I'd still leave them if it was me, but really not as much effect as the big trees. I think they add interest. Looks like the ones flanking the window are flowering, so they are really nice.

Trees help cut down on the traffic noise. If you notice when the trees have no leaves, the car noise is louder. I hate traffic noise.

Keep the trees for now and plant a couple of new ones. It will be years before they become substantial enough, then you can remove older trees if needed.

When I bought my house it had two giant 60 year old ash tree and one cedar tree. After I cut them down, I totally regretted it. It completely changed the look and feel of the house.

Definitely keep the trees if they're healthy and not a safety hazard. Not sure why anyone would want to cut down perfectly decent trees; trees usually make a place look more attractive and they're fairly costly to remove.

So... who won?

The trees are beautiful, and add value and curb appeal to your home. Unless they threaten the home, I believe they are an asset and should stay. I would plan my landscaping around them.

Keep ALL of them! God, you have a beautiful place. Those trees make it. They really do.

Have an arborist assess the leaner before making a decision on it.

We had to remove one storm damaged tree last year which changed the whole ecosystem of our back yard. Now the sun beats down on the underplantings and I had to cover with burlap during July and August. I planted an elm and red bud in its place but they wont grow fast enough. Im trying giant sunflowers this year.

Someone may not want to deal with the leaves. We use a mulching mower with bag.

trees also help keep your house cooler in the summer.

I never can understand why people cut down trees in their yard if the trees are healthy, not too close to the house and not causing problems! Big beautiful trees are like a gift of time. Think of all those years lost when they get cut down. I'm not a tree hugger really but its hard for me to take when trees are cut for no real reason!