Steep downward sloping backyard

[DanielS]

Hello,

First of all, apologies that I can't put any pictures because
a) It's someone else's house, and
b) I forgot to take pictures

Anyway, I came across this house that I really like for our PPOR, but the backyard has a very steep downward slope, heck, I think it's a cliff!

There are steps made out of concrete/stone that you can take to go all the way down, and it's not that scary (I survived), but they do look a bit old and uneven here and there. There's actually a disused BBQ area at the bottom.

So ... my options so far:

A) Install hand railing etc, but I have absolutely no idea how much this will cost, or if it's even feasible. How do you even check the strength of the retaining walls (which is probably 40 years old)?

B) build a massively tall retaining wall, but the council probably won't allow this, and the cost would be insane anyway.

C) pretend like it's the bush ... not part of my property, let it rot

D) walk away, if it scares me, it'll scare people when it's time to sell as well.

Who should you consult about these things anyway? I probably need an engineer

I'd appreciate any ideas you can give me.

 

[Aaron_C]

Yes you need an engineer to tell you about the retaining wall structure's integrity and how much it would cost to replace it. But why bother? As you've mentioned retaining walls are very expensive

 

[pennyk]

Our new PPOR has a sloping backyard as well.. will terraced garden and somewhat dodgy steps. I also grew up in a house with similar situation.

Assuming they are safe, and dont move when you step on them, you will probably find you become very confident walking up and down. A hand rail will obviously help those who are not familiar with the house/garden.

If they are concrete/ brick/stone, cleaning regularly with chlorine will help to stop them getting slippery/mossy/mouldy.

I definitely wouldnt just "let it rot", because, from experience of our childhood home, it will be next to impossible to win back control over the weeds at a later date.

In our case, the steps down to the open backyard are part of the appeal of the block...but also a physical challenge. I'm not sure what we'll end up doing. I have a bit of a dodgy hip, so if I'm ever going to get down the stairs, we'll have to do something.. probably a hand rail is the cheapest, simplest option. We havent looked into pricing yet. Have to get the renos inside done first!

 

[DanielS]

But why bother? As you've mentioned retaining walls are very expensive

I like the idea that if someone slips and fall, it'll be a metre drop, instead of the whole way down. But yeah, prohibitively expensive!

I'll go ask around for a landscape engineer.

If they are concrete/ brick/stone, cleaning regularly with chlorine will help to stop them getting slippery/mossy/mouldy.

Thanks, that's one idea.

I definitely wouldnt just "let it rot", because, from experience of our childhood home, it will be next to impossible to win back control over the weeds at a later date.

Unfortunately, I think the previous owner has somewhat lost this battle ... my biggest worry is if the plant roots start introducing some soil movement, which will cause a collapse in the future.

I agree with you though, if we can landscape it properly, it'll look really great.

 

[Jaggannath]

Get an engineer in to do the assessment, and someone in to price how much to fix it. Factor it in to the price to purchase, and bid accordingly. If they don't accept, it wasn't meant to be, but you can justify the price reduction on the basis of work required.

 

[BMan]

imo a very steep sloping backyard wouldnt interest me, it wastes too much good backyard space
as said bid accordingly

 

[Belbo]

Uneven, non-compliant steps are a public liability insurance risk: If a visitor (such as an uninvited neighborhood kid) falls, you could be hung out to dry. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying that's the risk. (NB: Our company happily turned down a fairly major renovation project 3 months ago precisely because the owner and builder were intentionally disregarding dangerously steep and uneven outdoor steps and structurally unconnected indoor flooring substrates - The insurance risk simply wasn't worth the work in our judgement.)

 

[DanielS]

Uneven, non-compliant steps are a public liability insurance risk

Never thought about this. I assume a normal house insurance will cover it ... but historically I tend to assume a lot of things which are not true.

After this thread, my enthusiasm dimmed a little, and I think we're moving away from this property for now. There's just too many other option at the moment.

 

[depreciator]

I've got friends with a backyard like this. The dodgy steps are not an issue because after the first month or so of ownership nobody even thinks of going down there. It's sort of wasted land. Kind of a good buffer between them and the rear neighbours, though.

 

[lizzie]

I like the idea of terraced decking, almost like a series of large outdoor rooms connected by wide steps, with the bush and trees growing up around it ... be a bit of work but cheaper than a thumping big retainer wall and the different layers could be used for different things - spa/plunge pool, bbq and dining, outdoor lounge etc

 

[pennyk]

I like the idea of terraced decking, almost like a series of large outdoor rooms connected by wide steps, with the bush and trees growing up around it ... be a bit of work but cheaper than a thumping big retainer wall and the different layers could be used for different things - spa/plunge pool, bbq and dining, outdoor lounge etc

Hi Lizzie,
I was thinking of doing a similar thing in our new PPOR. We have a lot of unusuable space in the backyard. But it will be a very big job! It will be interesting as well to see whether we could get council approval, as it would probably mean we come close to the limit of building envelope.
Its still a few years down the track, I suspect.... have to get some good bonuses!

 

[DanielS]

I like the idea of terraced decking, almost like a series of large outdoor rooms connected by wide steps, with the bush and trees growing up around it ... be a bit of work but cheaper than a thumping big retainer wall and the different layers could be used for different things - spa/plunge pool, bbq and dining, outdoor lounge etc

This is the vision in my head as well, a gazebo here, a bbq area there, a small garden everywhere ... unfortunately I can't shake the $10,000s label attached to each of these areas either