In a perfect world, homeowners wouldn't be allowed to build an unsightly storage shed the size of a barn in their back yard, paint their house fluorescent orange or let the lawn grow as high as two feet.

But it's been known to happen.

Fortunately, there are some layers of protection for those who want to live in a neighborhood immune to eyesores: covenants.

Residential covenants are relatively common in the United States, and range generally from benign to more restrictive and detail oriented.

Covenants mostly apply to new housing developments and work as a safety measure to keep home prices on the rise, according to Brett Tousley with NW Home Brokers, an independent brokerage firm located in Tacoma which serves buyers and sellers in King, Pierce, Thurston and Kitsap counties.

"It's good for property values in that you can always fix up your house, but not your neighbor's," Tousley said. "It protects you from that. It's about keeping the community looking as best it can."

While covenants can create regulations governing what color a home's exterior is painted, what and how many exterior decorations are allowed, what the maximum size back yard shed allowed is and how much the front lawn can grow, the rules don't always appeal to every buyer.

Some covenants don't allow a boat or recreational vehicle to be parked in the home's driveway.

"For some folks, that's terrible," Tousley said.

Overly stringent restrictions can sometimes dissuade some younger buyers from considering a house in the development, he said.

Tousley, who routinely deals with servicemembers moving into and out of the area, said the age and home buying history of the client usually plays a big role when it comes those who choose to live in developments with covenants.

"Some of the military folks who are more experienced home owners gravitate to places with covenants," he said. "They realize the gravity of the situation and they're more in tune with the amount of time they're going to be in the area. They're going to want to make sure the neighborhood is going to be in the same condition - if not better - when it comes time to sell the house."

Communities with covenants are spread all around Joint Base Lewis-McChord in areas such as Spanaway, Lacey and Fredrickson.

"There are lots of good deals in new construction in those areas," Tousley said.

For more information about covenants in certain developments, just ask a local real estate broker.

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