Lawn-free courtyard on a 4x2 rear duplex?

[theperthurbanist]

Hi SSers,
So I'm at the point of pre-start meetings on my 4x2 rear duplex build on 375sqm in Bayswater WA. I have gone for a lawn-free (small) courtyard but got nervous when the builder seemed surprised and told me 'that will never rent to a family with no grass'. I beg to differ, but it got me thinking anyway, so I thought I'd get your opinions.

What I'm proposing is to scrap the lawn and have the (roughly 8x6m) courtyard as a small covered alfresco, paving (with a couple of small trees) and water wise low maintenance garden strip along the fence. My rational is that it will otherwise be too small a lawn area to be of much use and won't be maintained (too small to justify buying a lawn mower).

The target marker is a mix of families, double-couples and professional's sharehouse.

What are your thought? Put back the grass or keep the paving+garden?

 

[impala67]

You can use electric mowers for little to no fuss on small straight grass patches.

IMO I would not make a decision on the courtyard without speaking to around 3 good letting agents for the suburb or locality, no matter what anyone told me.

 

[westminster]

My vote is for grass - be it fake or real

Gwelup: I have a smaller size area of around 30sqm (4 x 7.5). In that I have the alfresco/patio then a square of fake lawn and 3 raised planter boxes - one 1m x 1m in corner than 500mm x 1m at right angles to it.

That gives a softness to the landscape, somewhere for kids/pets to play and still be low maintenance.

Westminster - 2 have a 3 x 3m square of real grass and that is major tenant drawcard. They love the feel of something green - it could have been fake - but they had easy access for a lawnmower which Gwelup doesn't.

 

[theperthurbanist]

IMO I would not make a decision on the courtyard without speaking to around 3 good letting agents for the suburb or locality, no matter what anyone told me.

Wise words impala, that's actually on my to do list for tomorrow, I'll be sure to post the outcome also.

 

[theperthurbanist]

So having spoken to three property managers, the opinions are pretty strongly towards no-grass. Upkeep (both by tenant and landlord) being the main reason.

 

[impala67]

So having spoken to three property managers, the opinions are pretty strongly towards no-grass. Upkeep (both by tenant and landlord) being the main reason.

Seasoned advice, very good.

 

[Nemo30]

I vote grass too.

My backyard is roughly 6 X 10 (plus some odd shaped bits)

I've been landscaping the yard for a while now (read years).

This is the before and after - (still a work in progress).


My lawn area is now about 3.5m x 5m and I love it.

 

[DaveM]

+1 grass

If a tenant cant be bothered keeping 10sqm of lawn trimmed then they arent the kind of tenant you want

My current ppor was on the market 2 months with key sales holdup being the smallish stepped rear grass area, as its a 5br and families want larger yards with kids. If it had a larger flat yard would have sold in days.

 

[INVSTOR]

I prefer groundcover. Here is a pic of my garden with groundcover that is frequently used by dogs and me as a path. It's never watered. The grass in the background is constantly watered and always high maintenance.

 

[INVSTOR]

Groundcover without frequent traffic

 

[sanj]

I think a 4 bedder with very little soft landscaping is a bad idea personally

 

[westminster]

So having spoken to three property managers, the opinions are pretty strongly towards no-grass. Upkeep (both by tenant and landlord) being the main reason.

I totally agree that paving is less upkeep but I don't agree with it if you want a family demographic to rent it or to make it more appealing to your tenants.

Stand out from the crowd, offer something unique, make your villa more like a house.

 

[letiha]

I have fake grass at my place and its amazing...