Install a cache on your property

[+maxime81]

Hi, I'm new to this hobby, already thinking of making a few caches, spotted real nice place.... I was wondering if any one had install a cache on their property, ex: in a tree close to the road, is it safe? Just curious. Thanks

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

GC14B0Z Irondale Pit Stop TB Hotel is the fourth cache I've had on my front porch, one or the other has been active since 2003 with no problems and lots of fun.

 

Go for it!

[+Chokecherry]

Some people here have put caches on their property and they seem to be reasonably safe.

 

The ones that are in residential neighborhoods are not as well received here. There's one in a newer part of a town and it's an upper middle class neighborhood and you literally have to walk through someone's yard to get to it. They are aware of this but they didn't place the cache there. Not very popular.

 

The one exception to that here is one well known cacher put one in their yard but it's obvious it's their yard and they welcome visitors.

 

The other problem in residential areas is bounce with the GPS... people ending up in the wrong yard is not unheard of it and not everyone wants people in their yards.

 

Now more rurally if it's clearly marked that it's safe to essentially trespass on the property then people seem to be more ok with it. To a degree. Again depending on how close to the property line you're getting GPS bounce could be an issue here as well.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

The other problem in residential areas is bounce with the GPS... people ending up in the wrong yard is not unheard of it and not everyone wants people in their yards.

True.

 

Fortunately my neighbors are friends who know about the cache and don't have a problem with strangers... at least in the front yard. Strangers in the alley behind our houses will get visited by Irondale's finest in short order.

 

The Baptist preacher next door, for example...

 

I get a call one day and a cacher I know says "I'm on your front porch, the kids and I have been looking for 15 minutes, give us a hint, is it behind the flowerpot shelf?" When I got through laughing I explained that the flower shelf is on my neighbor's porch!

 

So if you do this be prepared for such events!

 

Note that in my listing I give clear contact info for those who want to make sure that they are in the right place.

Edited July 25, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+maxime81]

Hello, I live in the country, my house is 200ft from the road but I have a few trees along the road, near the entrance, thought it would be fun watch from our living room people searching, as long they don`t come and know at my door at 6 am asking me where`s the cache....thanks

[Bolivar Bill]

Hello, I live in the country, my house is 200ft from the road but I have a few trees along the road, near the entrance, thought it would be fun watch from our living room people searching, as long they don`t come and know at my door at 6 am asking me where`s the cache....thanks

 

That's why I don't do front yard caches, watchers creep me out. Plenty of people don't mind- each/own ya know.

[+Chokecherry]

That's kind of generally why I avoid them until I'm completely out of options and give them all of about 2 minutes of effort. I don't particularly like to cache for an audience.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Hello, I live in the country, my house is 200ft from the road but I have a few trees along the road, near the entrance, thought it would be fun watch from our living room people searching, as long they don`t come and know at my door at 6 am asking me where`s the cache....thanks

So don't make them hunt for it.

 

Mine is right out in plain sight, you can see it from the street, and I tell them explicitly where to look.

 

Sometimes folks will call or knock on the door if they want to meet me, if they don't I don't bother them.

 

Actually I am quite surprised how many times it gets visited when I am at home and never knew they were there! At night when things are quiet sometimes I will hear the lid on the double-size ammo can pop, but I get Found It logs all the time from cachers who got it and I never saw them.

[knowschad]

If I may offer some advice based on both personal experience, conversations with other cachers, and previous forum threads.. keep that idea in mind, but don't do it yet. Wait until you have a few more caches under your belt, and you may well change your mind. Or not. But at least you will have a little more experience to use in arriving at your own conclusion. If you are thinking about a cache that you can see from your house, and not a cache on your own back forty... lots of people are uncomfortable about those (personally, I don't mind, but that's just me).

 

Give it some time. OK?

[+Walts Hunting]

When I see that kind of write up in the description they go straight to the ignore list, but that is just me.

[+dneuwir]

One of our local "plugged-in" cachers set up a puzzle cache, with the final being in his front yard.

 

It seems to be working out quite well for him, because he did several things properly:

 

1. Premium Members only listing--presumably to limit this to a higher caliber of cacher than your typical "found my first 8 caches" newbie.

2. Made them work a bit for it---puzzle cache, not just a Traditional

3. Included additional clues as to which house was his (he specifically gave a checksum on the address, easily answering the question of "Which house is it?").

 

The intent was not only to provide a nice cache (between a small and regular size, can hold trackables, small swag items, etc.) but to also meet some of the local cachers as well.

[cachesearcher17]

I planted a cache across the road. I can check on it through my bedroom, computer room and kitchen windows. It's DEFINITELY easier to replace.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I have 5 on my property. 4 are on land in the country and 1 is on an oak tree if front of my house.

Its a large ornate mailbox with a combination lock. It was intended that you would not have to leave your car but the tree has grown a bit. The neighbors all know about it and the only trouble I've had is after hurricane Katrina the postal service broke it trying to stuff in mail ( there are no mailboxes on my block....door delivery)

The 4 in the country range in size from an ammo can to a small.

Another nice thing is you can include " hidden on private property with owners permission "

 

I say, Go For It !

[Skippermark]

We've probably done a dozen at homes. Most have been easy, but a couple were placed in their back yards right on the property line, so we were kind of unsure of which yard to go into. I'm not a big fan of ones that are on porches.

 

I think if you do it, make sure the other neighbors know and maybe include a not 24/7 attribute, though some may show up anytime regardless. And if there's a question of where it is, maybe include your house number in the hint so people don't go the wrong spot.

[+SeekerOfTheWay]

i hid my first cache today, and it's in the corner of my yard. i missed the FTFer, which i wanted to see. i don't plan on staring out my window stalking cachers though. i just like my cache close so o can maintain it easily. It's pretty much a PNG HIPS, so i don't think cachers will get frustrated and freaked out! It's about 140 feet from my house.

[+redtech]

There is one in my area called ICU. Its in a cul-de-sac. I drove by it one day. There is a fire hydrant right in the middle of the cul-de-sac. My GPS was pointing to it. This was a saturday morning and literally EVERYONE in the neighborhood was outside in their yards. *sigh* I drove away.

[+MR57]

Hi, I'm new to this hobby, already thinking of making a few caches, spotted real nice place.... I was wondering if any one had install a cache on their property, ex: in a tree close to the road, is it safe? Just curious. Thanks

I did hide a cache on my property. At first it was in eyeshot of my garage. I thought that wasn't a great idea for people to see me your my wife coming and going. Who knows who is coming around. so I moved it to back side of property. I also made it only available for premium members just to limit the traffic coming close to my property. Its nice having it close for maintanence. I have 5 now all very close to my property.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

There is a cache a couple of miles from me that was placed a week ago. The page listing indicates that one must walk down the COs driveway and behind their house to access a trail which leads to the cache. They've identified their house pretty clearly but so far nobody has tried to find it.

[PriceFamily67]

I have a pretty good hiding spot in my front yard and was really thinking of hiding one there. Maybe I'll do as was suggested and wait until I have a few more finds under my belt.

[+lachupa]

I've been thinking about putting one outside of my mom's office. She owns the business and the building and wouldn't mind. I'm concerned about it being perceived as "commercial" but the point is not to drum up business. Truth is, my mom is a CPA who has been trying to retire for years so she’s not even trying to get new clients. If you walk in and want your taxes done she won’t kick you out but if you’re routing around in the flower beds looking for a geocache she’s not going to ask you if you need your taxes done.

 

If I do this though I’ll have to warn people about NOT letting her lure them inside and giving them coffee. My mom makes horrible horrible coffee and I don’t want to be responsible for the poisoning of the caching public.

 

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I have a pretty good hiding spot in my front yard and was really thinking of hiding one there. Maybe I'll do as was suggested and wait until I have a few more finds under my belt.

Go for it!

 

The folks crying 'don't hide till you've found xx many' are a minuscule (but loud!) minority.

 

Bring your creativity to bear, don't just copy what others have done!

[AZcachemeister]

Do it.

Just make the 'hint' explicit enough to eliminate any mistakes.

A cache on your own property allows you to make it as big as you like, and thus it will become a TB hotel of it's own accord.