I have a question for y’all: what is so wonderful about grass? Why must you have grass when it doesn’t want to grow? Nature is trying to tell you something! And since you aren’t listening to its feedback, here is some of mine.
Grass can be impractical in our Lowcountry lawns. We waste tons of time and energy on the right kind of grass to grow in the sun and in the shade and in the wet Earth, only to be disappointed with the result. People sod, then re-sod, then decide to purchase an irrigation system. There is shade grass, grass for full sun, grass for sandy soil, GMO grass, non-GMO grass, gluten-free grass, grass for err’body! If you are wealthy, have your grass and skip the rest of this post. If you are trying to be practical, hear me out.
I recently had a client ask me if she should purchase a $3k irrigation system. My response was, hell no! That isn’t something any buyer will reimburse a seller for. It’s a bonus for a buyer but sellers won’t recoup that investment. Plus, they frequently malfunction or break, becoming more of a hassle than the expense is often worth. We see problems with them in inspection reports more often than we’d care to.
I like to see homeowners invest their money vs. spend it, and the way to invest in your yard is to make a fabulous outdoor space with landscaping and hardscaping. In Charleston, we have the benefit of being able to enjoy the outdoors nearly year round. While we can’t technically count decks, patios, pergolas, and porches as usable square footage, I can assure you, that’s how a buyer sees those spaces. A buyer never looks at grass and says, that’s some nice grass, I have to have this house! People love a porch or a patio, y’all! Buyers will pay a premium for properties where they can picture friends and family enjoying spending time together. My best advice is to invest your money where you can get it back when it is time to sell and create a space you can enjoy in the meantime!
