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- Aug 15, 2020
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Recently the property manager for the house we are renting did a drive by and reminded (informed?) us the lease we signed says we need to water the lawn and clearly we haven’t been. (I do mow it though!) We’re not going to fight it but I will vent about here.
1. CA has been known for a severe drought until recently and that was only this past season of getting heavy rain. It has been suggested or even mandated in some areas that people need to stop watering their lawns.
2. The lawn was patchy to begin with when we moved in, probably ¼ dirt. When we moved in the next door neighbor had a semi healthy looking lawn but now about a year and half later it’s pretty much all dirt. Most of the houses around us have dead lawns or are landscaped to not have any lawn. I’d say maybe 1 in 10 houses has a healthy looking lawn. It’s not like our house is singlehandedly bringing the property value down.
3. I take great pride in maintaining the backyard and early on considered getting grass seed for the patches in the front, but refer to point 1.
4. It would have been nice if this was brought to our attention a few months into our lease instead of after a year and a half as the lawn has gotten in worse condition.
5. Water is stupid expensive. I lived in an apartment for many years and water wasn’t a separate charge. Now in the house with 3 people between showers, dishes, laundry, and backyard watering I control with a drip system to keep water usage under control we are still paying about $300 a month for water. Now add to that having sprinklers on for 20-30 minutes a couple times a week. I don’t even want to know what that waste is going to cost but I guess we’ll find out.
On the general discussion, I’ve concluded that a lot of front yards are too big and a complete waste of space. At least where I live nobody hangs out in their front yard. Our front yard is the average size for the area and probably any house that has been built between 70 – 20 years ago, front curb or sidewalk to house the length of a driveway and garage, about 3 - 4 car lengths. That’s a massive waste of space. Newer houses have a shorter driveway and the front of the house is aligned with the front of the garage. This not only means a smaller front yard you have to maintain but also the possibility of a much larger backyard to enjoy.
What’s your front lawn opinion/experience?
1. CA has been known for a severe drought until recently and that was only this past season of getting heavy rain. It has been suggested or even mandated in some areas that people need to stop watering their lawns.
2. The lawn was patchy to begin with when we moved in, probably ¼ dirt. When we moved in the next door neighbor had a semi healthy looking lawn but now about a year and half later it’s pretty much all dirt. Most of the houses around us have dead lawns or are landscaped to not have any lawn. I’d say maybe 1 in 10 houses has a healthy looking lawn. It’s not like our house is singlehandedly bringing the property value down.
3. I take great pride in maintaining the backyard and early on considered getting grass seed for the patches in the front, but refer to point 1.
4. It would have been nice if this was brought to our attention a few months into our lease instead of after a year and a half as the lawn has gotten in worse condition.
5. Water is stupid expensive. I lived in an apartment for many years and water wasn’t a separate charge. Now in the house with 3 people between showers, dishes, laundry, and backyard watering I control with a drip system to keep water usage under control we are still paying about $300 a month for water. Now add to that having sprinklers on for 20-30 minutes a couple times a week. I don’t even want to know what that waste is going to cost but I guess we’ll find out.
On the general discussion, I’ve concluded that a lot of front yards are too big and a complete waste of space. At least where I live nobody hangs out in their front yard. Our front yard is the average size for the area and probably any house that has been built between 70 – 20 years ago, front curb or sidewalk to house the length of a driveway and garage, about 3 - 4 car lengths. That’s a massive waste of space. Newer houses have a shorter driveway and the front of the house is aligned with the front of the garage. This not only means a smaller front yard you have to maintain but also the possibility of a much larger backyard to enjoy.
What’s your front lawn opinion/experience?
