Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Nov 14, 2008 12:00 pm Ok so looks like we are now most likely selling the townhouse we are currently in so we are trying to get it a bit "nicer" if we do go through with selling it.
My main area of concern is our courtyard. It consists of half paving which is very neat - just a BBQ and paving with some pots and plants. The other half WAS real grass, my dad (before he passed away) laid some grass for us, which unfortunatly due to water restrictions/laziness/bad position for sunlight etc did not last very long. It is basically now just dirt - as you can see from the pic. There are some pavers to the washing line and also a hot water system and an a/c unit in the corner which you can't really see. This area is about 15sqm as a guesstimate I want to make it look nice but not spend a huge amount of money as we will be moving. I was thinking of laying some artifical grass to green it up a bit, I wouldn't buy top quality stuff, but I have seen some on Ebay and a friend could lay it for us. What other ideas would you suggest for the area if I wasnt to do the fake grass? In the area between the dirt and the paved area (2ND PIC) I was thinking of putting those white garden pebbles as a border and also to get rid of the dirt look Comments/suggestions My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 2Nov 14, 2008 12:02 pm Excuse the pots and dog toys - my pup has been on a rampage!!
Oh and those stupid tree things come off the trees in the park behind us, they are so annoying and we clean them up every 2nd day!! My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 3Nov 14, 2008 12:38 pm Hi Bel, in our last place we sold, we had pretty much the same arrangement - never got around to doing the back yard up so it was all dirt without even your pavers! Anyway we ended up getting a truckload of white stones delivered for a couple hundred dollars and it looked fine. If you could have them in between your paver step things, it would look nice I think.
Edited to add pic. Couldn't fiond any without DS in it The plants in the background are rosemary I think, we planted a whole row of them against the fence to pretty it up. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: What would you do with this area? 4Nov 14, 2008 2:41 pm Thanks Donuts
Funny you should mention the white stones - that is what DH is suggesting too! He thinks its a cheaper option and that it still looks good! I might look into this option too My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 7Nov 14, 2008 3:09 pm Hmm ok so people think the pebbles will be ok?
I was just worried that outside might look to 'dry' for lack of a better word as it will all be paved/pebbled and there will be hardly any green. Was also worried the pebble area would be wasted space as I thought the grass would be better for kids to play on?? But again we are not going to be living there so it is just to tidy it up a bit and if people think the pebbles look good then I guess thats good enough Fwiw the grass would have cost us about $400 installed My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 8Nov 14, 2008 3:34 pm my 2 cents.... If you use pebbles, do it at the last possible moment, theres nothing like pebbles being everywhere they aren't meant to be....In shoes, in the house, in pockets, mouths
Maybe introduce colour with potted trees and/or shrubs. Re: What would you do with this area? 9Nov 14, 2008 3:38 pm That's what I was thinking monkey - I was worried about my kids and pup - eating the stones/bringing them into the house. I really want to do something with the area now, as it is at the moment the kids can't really play because it is filthy out there with all the dirt. My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 10Nov 14, 2008 5:54 pm Yeah I personally wouldn't want to live with the pebbles, but I think it looks great! $400 is pretty good for the grass, if you're going to be there for another six months then that's a pretty good investment, over summer etc, be nicer to have the grass. Re: What would you do with this area? 12Nov 14, 2008 8:29 pm Yes $400 is a good price for the synthetic turf, and pebbles are a bit hard on your feet if you don't have shoes on. You'll still be there for a few months yet so maybe it's worth the extra few hundred $ ? Re: What would you do with this area? 13Nov 14, 2008 8:33 pm I did mean fake grass Matt
Yeah $400 is for supply of the grass only, a mate will supply then we will have to pay for the rubber granules and stuff. We will be here til atleast April so it will probably be worth it. My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 14Nov 14, 2008 10:56 pm Get DH to get a new sponsorship from a grass company Re: What would you do with this area? 15Nov 15, 2008 5:52 am I vote for the fake grass. You now have to consider what will appeal to buyers the most and as it is a family home, not a rental, you will want your home to look the best it can when on the market. It will also appeal to the family market as they can see their own small children out in the backyard, rolling around and having fun on the grass.
We live in a rental at the moment and the land lord put down chip bark for the whole back yard. Looks awful, feels awful, mess every where but cheap As you said, you still have months to live in your own home, for the sake of $400, it is worth it, I wish I had it where I live Mrs B Re: What would you do with this area? 16Nov 15, 2008 9:12 am How sure of your potential buying market are you?
Professionals?- pebbles Young family? - grass Family with older kids? either If you did the grass now you could enjoy it yourself until April. Makes the grass a tempting option. I'm with you Mrs B. If it is highly likely that the buyers would be family types , especially if they would be more likely to have young children than older children then go the fake lawn. I know that the pebbles might seem like something that someone could easily remove but as a buyer I think it would put me off. Also it isn't very kid friendly. like Mrs B we are living in a rental with no lawn just wood chips. Luckily there is a park directly behind us and a see through half fence so the park looks like its our yard. Unfortunately it's mowed rarely and is full of prickles so DS2 doesn't play there. You said there is a park behind the house but someone with younger kids would want some where within house boundaries. Re: What would you do with this area? 17Nov 15, 2008 7:42 pm mattwalker Get DH to get a new sponsorship from a grass company I had visions of a footy jumper covered in dorf, gainsborough, dulux, hardies, selkirk, caroma, boral, bluescope, and everything else. mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: What would you do with this area? 18Nov 15, 2008 8:10 pm Imagine if he could get sponsored for our entire home - we would be rich!!!
Thank you for all your help guys - I am getting some samples from various synthetic grass companies sent out to me so hopefully that will help with the decision process Will keep H1 updated My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 19Dec 30, 2008 4:55 pm Well, well, well, my DH is actually not as lazy/bad as I first thought
Remember this old space.... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Well some fake grass from ebay later and he managed to do this.... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This isn't the top of the range fake grass - it was only $25sqm, the top stuff is usually around $55sqm and he didn't do the best prep work, but it still looks and feels great. We just wanted it to look good for when we eventually sell. The only mistake he made is not laying the second roll in the same direction as the first so there is a variation in colour due to the piles facing the wrong way, but again not really noticeable. The dog loves it, so do the kids! My karma ran over your dogma Re: What would you do with this area? 20Dec 30, 2008 9:12 pm Looks great Bel. Well done to Mark! Must be so much nicer for the kids to play on now. Happy at Home CDC Housing Code 3 When to apply Floor Area external face of wall vs Gross Floor Area internal face of wall. Reading thru CDC Housing Code 3, lets take a lot 915sqm.… 0 16562 Bought in Nov 21 at the height of the market (classic). Good area, atrocious floor plan. BUT has land out to the left-hand side that we can extend out on (see second… 0 8775 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39719 |