'Tis the season for mulch, weed control, cutting the grass and trimming the hedges. So fire-up the engines on your outdoor power equipment if you want to be a good neighbor, because in a recent survey conducted for Briggs & Stratton Corporation by Harris Interactive, 93 percent of homeowners agree that maintaining a good looking yard is common courtesy to their neighbors. And, 85 percent of homeowners think that neighbors who don't maintain a good looking yard can bring down property values for those around them.

"When we purchase a home, we are essentially signing a 'social contract' with our neighbors to maintain a certain standard when it comes to the way the exterior of our home looks," says Carissa Gingras , Director of Marketing at Briggs & Stratton. "Newer homeowners especially may need some support in knowing how to keep up."

"We've Got the Power"

To help maintain their yard, 84 percent of the homeowners responding to the survey say that they own outdoor power equipment. Lawnmowers are by far the most popular piece of outdoor power equipment owned with more than 70 percent of homeowners having a gasoline powered lawnmower. Hedge trimmers (46 percent), chain saws (44 percent) and pressure/power washers (33 percent) round out the top four.

Engines Matter

When it comes to lawnmowers, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of homeowners say it is the one piece of outdoor power equipment they can't do without. And maintaining a healthy engine means your outdoor power equipment will run longer. Forty-three percent of lawnmower owners say that the engine is the most important part of their lawnmower, more important than blades (11 percent), the next most popular part mentioned.

"Survey respondents expect their mowers to last an average of 9.8 years but the reality is they can last much longer," says Gingras. "With proper and routine maintenance, many lawnmower owners with Briggs & Stratton engines tell us that their engines are still going strong after thirty years or more."

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Briggs & Stratton from March 8–12, 2013 among 2,116 U.S. adults between ages 18 and older of whom 1,321 are homeowners. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.