Low maintenance, or maintenance free yard

[z24_wheels]

What are your guys' thoughts about low maintenance, or maintenance free yards? Does it hammer down property value? Would you hate to live next to someone who doesn't have grass?

[killramos]

Why would your neighbor not having grass lower your property value?

Assuming its not just paved with cement I would say yards with full front rock garden's etc look way better than shitty unkempt grass any day of the week.

I would rip out my lawn in a heartbeat it's such a waste of space.

[z24_wheels]

Sorry, I meant my property value if I went with a low maintenance yard (not that I plan to sell any time soon). Mostly curious. I love some of the designs ive seen lately and am pretty tempted to do this in the front yard. It's such a small space..

[roopi]

Good quality artificial lawn. If you get the right stuff you can't even tell (unless it is winter).

[Swank]

It changes who you'll sell to down the road, and I would expect most people would want a natural lawn so you'd have fewer people to sell to - just my guess. Everyone has different ideas of what a nice yard looks like. My ideal situation would be to have a well maintained lawn and neighbors on both sides to have the same.

[bjstare]

Depends what you replace the grass with. I'd be ok with high end artificial grass ($$), but if the house was dryscaped or whatever (rocks and shit) that would be a big turn off for me. I have yet to see a nice dryscaped yard in Calgary, not to mention it looks very out of place - not like we live in Scottsdale where it actually matches the natural surroundings.

Also, it's not going to be no-maintenance. Most of the dryscaped yards I come across have grass/weeds growing up in them and it makes it look even worse than an unkempt lawn IMO.

[TYMSMNY]

Low maintenance yard with real grass. I think that would appeal to MOST people should you decide to sell down the road.

zero maintenance = zero greens. would look too dull imo.

[ExtraSlow]

Rocks are for sure not zero maintenance especially of you have trees anywhere nearby. Mine is full of twigs and leaves and the occasional weed. It's hellish to pick that shit out by hand. Sometimes I burn it all with a weed torch. Guess I better wait till it's wetter or cooler for that this year.

[403ep3]

For me it depends.. I am on a pie lot and have very low sq ft in the front so I went with grass. If I had a normal lot then I would definitely have grass.

I would never have a zero/low maintenance backyard though.

[z24_wheels]

Also, it's not going to be no-maintenance. Most of the dryscaped yards I come across have grass/weeds growing up in them and it makes it look even worse than an unkempt lawn IMO.

Great point. Imagine lots of leaves in your rocks or mulch.

[Sentry]

Also, it's not going to be no-maintenance. Most of the dryscaped yards I come across have grass/weeds growing up in them and it makes it look even worse than an unkempt lawn IMO.
Just cover the yard in lye, rocks don't give a shit.

[bjstare]

Just cover the yard in lye, rocks don't give a shit.

True, but like extraslow said, that doesn't stop shit from blowing/falling in. Same result, looks bad.

[J-hop]

Good quality artificial lawn. If you get the right stuff you can't even tell (unless it is winter).

I wanted to do this. But so expensive!

[gogreen]

One thing we liked about our new place was that the neighbour on one side has a lot of mature trees, shrubs, flagstones, and a water feature in their front yard rather than a grass lawn. I wouldn't say it was low maintenance though as they do a lot of upkeep on it. I don't particularly care for large expanses of turf so we intend to pull out a bunch of the existing lawn in favour of beds with native plants, so for us the fact that the neighbour already had something similar was appealing.

[ExtraSlow]

I actually think a lawn is the lowest maintenance yard option possible. Just be careful not to water or fertilize, because then you have to mow too much.

[Tik-Tok]

I actually think a lawn is the lowest maintenance yard option possible. Just be careful not to water or fertilize, because then you have to mow too much.

Just put down sheep fescue, don't plant any shrubs or trees, and you'll never have to water. Maybe mow twice a year.

[phreezee]

I wanted to do this. But so expensive!

It's only expensive if you don't DIY as it should come out to $5-7/sq-ft. Otherwise $14-16/sq-ft.
I'm doing mine next year.