My right-side next door neighbor is having an irrigation system installed. Their lawn looks like crap (its almost the same color as when the Bermuda is in Winter dormancy), but its not because of lack of rain. Now, I know this neighbor is getting ready to sell their house (fat chance, their slobs) and I am doubting they are going to recoup the +$2500 they are spending today on that irrigation system being installed this morning.
Conversely, my yard looks great compared to their lawn and I a) do not have an irrigation system, and b) have not watered my lawn more than 1-2 a year for the past three years. So, I wonder exactly what they are thinking when they spend that kind of money.
The subdivision we are in is still under development (just started phase 3, they are 80-90% done with phase 1, and about 50% in phase 2) and the original standard feature list did not include sprinkler systems–wasn’t even an option. The builder just took a note on several new homeowners having them installed and only upon the later phase 1 development did they start including sprinklers.
But the past three Summers the amount of rain in my area has been more than sufficient for allowing for a good growth rate for the Bermuda lawns. In fact, I would have to do nothing to get it to grow enough to mow twice a month. And when I fertile it in the Spring I have to mow it at least weekly. My neighbors do nothing, and mow their lawn once every 6-weeks or so and scalp it to a yellow-death.
Ok, so maybe they think that a sprinkler system is a must-have feature, but I find it amusing that potential homebuyers are only going to go asking if the lawn looks dead–and they’ve done a good job there, but not because lack of rainwater. Somehow, I doubt they are going to recoup their money, but maybe they feel they wouldn’t get the house sold otherwise.
Replies
You mentioned infrequent mowing and scalping. That sounds like the problem for the neighbors. Sounds like a big waste of money, but on the plus side, maybe you'll end up with better neighbors!
New neighbors? I've been dreaming about that for years.
Me too! Even if we move, there is no guarantee we'll end up with good neighbors, so lets hope the bad ones move on and better ones move in!
ditto-
here's hoping the new neighbors are not a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
why care if he even puts in a gold plated driveway ,you can only gain
every time a home changes hand in my developement the new people seem to improve the home and property which is to my advantage
Homes here have gone up 100 m since 97 so god bless the new guy
foxfireridge.com
What new guy?
the next buyer "duh"
Dude is right - these people are making a permanent change that improves the value of their home. So what if they don't know how to keep the grass alive - the sprinklers make the house more saleable and you will have new neighbors sooner rather than later.
Around here, all homes within a certain price bracket are expected to have sprinklers.
I am missing the point here. Why are you concerned that he installs a sprinkler system? Is it hurting your water system? If you are happy with your grass and the way you operate why are you bothered by what he does. Aside from not knowing how to mow I think you deed to worry about something else.
I am not concerned. I'm pondering something about my neighbor. Can't I do that?
If I were looking at buying a home and someone showed me that resale I would say that the present owners were not very good at the upkeeping of their home because of the water-starved, weed-invested yard on the five year old construction. Of course, as a buyer with an eye for questioning, I would have to ask myself what the heck that up-turned soils track that runs all over the yard, around the house, and into the backyard was there for.
"They installed an irrigation system" Why? I'd have to ask (as a buyer) since they already showed a lack of wanting to do anything positive for their lawn. Look at how its crying for water, weed control, and its first fertilization. lol
BTW, their lawn does directly affect my lawn. Remember, their lawn is adjacent to mine. Because of the predominence of the wind weed germination is drawn from their lawn onto my lawn. I work hard every year to control weeds, especially during the germination which is a nice gradient when you look at their lawn, then mine, and my other adjacent neighbor's lawn.
So, aside from the fact that the general condition and welfare of their lawn has consequences on my lawn, I also found it amusing to what a typical homebuyer might question into the sanity of having such a system installed that was never intended to be used by the present owners. I would then wonder how this behavior would carry over into the home itself.
No wonder that house has been up forsale for several months.
A guy in my neighborhood was always watering his lawn (even had a sprinkler system) and going pretty much overboard (to my way of thinking) with caring for it--even told a neighbor he was mowing his lawn too short (had to admit he had a point there). Anyway, the neighbor disappeared from September through May. Turns out he up and got a job playing in a band on a cruise ship. The fall leaves killed most of the lawn. The new owner has replanted, but it's still in sad shape. The new neighbor in my type of person--she said if the lawn doesn't take hold she's planting more ground cover and other plants. I think turf lawns are the stupidest thing--high maintenance, waste of gasoline mowing them, etc.