Hi my name is... and I need landscaping advice

Investor · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2013 · 13 posts · 4 votes

Hey I'm Bekah. I Airbnb my house and purchased my first rental last year. I'm currently pursuing my second rental and I wanted some advice on what to do with front yard in this pic. Simple easy and inexpensive is what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!

As you can see, the edge of the yard is surrounded by timbers. the actual yard is about a 1-2 feet high from the curb. The city will take the timbers away, but what do I do with the yard after that. (No making fun of the mailbox. lol)

1 Reply

23 views

Most Popular Reply

Mindy JensenPro Member

BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes

10y

First off, that is a SWEET mailbox. Too bad you're so far away - I'd take that off your hands in a heartbeat!

Second off, how are you going to use this new property? Straight rental or AirBnB rental?

I would keep the timber as long as it's in decent shape. It's a retaining wall that doesn't look bad in the mailbox picture.

What is your weather like? Does grass grow easily, or do you have to water frequently?

I like a nice fat border of mulch or rock, with drought-resistant plants. My favorites are Purple Fountain Grass, which grows huge and looks nice, and Salvia, which also grows big.

Snapdragons require little water and will reseed themselves. Lavender can grow really big and smells like heaven.

The grass needs to be filled in or removed altogether. I would like to see larger images to get a better feel of the whole yard.

[email protected]Podcast Guest on Show #261

2 Reply

See this reply in the discussion

4 Replies

Jump to latestLatest

Sort by

Mindy JensenPro Member
BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes
10y
First off, that is a SWEET mailbox. Too bad you're so far away - I'd take that off your hands in a heartbeat!
Second off, how are you going to use this new property? Straight rental or AirBnB rental?
I would keep the timber as long as it's in decent shape. It's a retaining wall that doesn't look bad in the mailbox picture.
What is your weather like? Does grass grow easily, or do you have to water frequently?
I like a nice fat border of mulch or rock, with drought-resistant plants. My favorites are Purple Fountain Grass, which grows huge and looks nice, and Salvia, which also grows big.
Snapdragons require little water and will reseed themselves. Lavender can grow really big and smells like heaven.
The grass needs to be filled in or removed altogether. I would like to see larger images to get a better feel of the whole yard.
[email protected]Podcast Guest on Show #261
2 Reply
Jay Ohbee
Real Estate Agent · Audubon, NJ · Member since 2016 · 4 posts · 0 votes
10y
My iPhone has been my go-to for years and the camera keeps getting better! In addition, the filters allow you to enhance images, crop, or even brighten/darken images. They are high quality and look great on HD computers. Always spend some time on the yard before listing. A small investment really makes a big difference! Good Luck
0 Reply
JD MartinBusiness Member
Moderator
Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
10y
There's an old saying that you hear in the car repair business: You can have it done cheaply, have it done well, and have it done fast - pick any two. Landscaping runs about the same way.
Is there a reason for taking away the soldier logs? If so, you have essentially two options: grade the hill back gradually into the lawn and plant something on top of it (grass, groundcover, whatever) or put a new wall back in its place. If you want to do the latter, I would probably go with the same block as the middle of the lawn, as landscaping looks best that is repeated. Grading off and planting grass would be cheapest if you are doing it yourself.
Podcast Guest on Show #243
Skyline Properties
View Page
0 Reply
Bekah Jean
OP
Investor · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2013 · 13 posts · 4 votes
10y
It's going to be a straight rental. where do i find replacement timbers
0 Reply

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.