How Much to Invest in Landscaping for Rental Property?

Question

We bought a short sale back in Oct 2019 and have been doing the renovation on it since.  Unfortunately, we had our first terrible contractor experience and have to hire a new one to both redo and finish the work.  Meanwhile, the front and backyard are a mess!

The front yard is on a pretty steep hill and is covered in weeds.  There are some trees that need trimming and smaller ones that need removing.  The backyard is an unleveled pile of dirt.  The construction crew had to dig it up for egress windows.  There is more of course (drainage and concrete issues) but for now we really just want to get it cleaned up and presentable.

This is in an area of D.C./MD that does not demand the best of the best. I would say a B- neighborhood boarding an A neighborhood. The landscaper we had come out today was horrified by the state of our yard and quoted $50-60K.  This would totally be understandable if this was our forever home but it's a rental property.  I'm not really sure what I should be searching for.

How do we hire someone just to come out and clean up (post-renovation) on an almost foreclosed home that was neglected for a long time and needs a lot of work and debris removal?  Is that a landscaper or something else?  We want to do some basic work on the yard of course but it doesn't have to look like an A+ property.  The demand for rent in that area will only go so high (about $1200). What we need is someone who is used to doing work on foreclosed homes.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this. Thank you.

Kristine

Matthew Paul · Answer

@Kristine Groemping well with those pictures you are giong to spend the big bucks . If this is a rental and its going for $1200 a month , grade and plant grass , thats it . Tenants wont maintain an "outdoor living area" . You will NEVER recover your money in landscaping .

Matthew Paul · Answer

@Kristine Groemping 3 units , Ok . Get rid of the wooden fence , get a new one . Now its 3 units , so 6 cars . is there enough off street parking for 6 ? If not widen and extend the drive way partially into the back yard . Stone should do and later it can be paved once you start cash flowing .  If the units are small , in the back yard get 3 sheds , one for each unit for storage . Landscaping , some foundation plants , mulch and the rest grass . Clean simple and neat . Easy to maintain .

Dont watch HGTV . Take emotion out of the decision process . Its business . Paint ? everything off white with white trim inside .  Kitchen counters , basic builder grade laminate .  If its a gut remodel , insulation in interior walls or floors between units .( odds are someone will have kids and they are noisy)  Double up the drywall for sound and a fire break . Hopefully its separate meters and furnaces if not and its a gut spend your money there .

Remember its a business , an investment , not a forever home .

John Collins · Answer

LMAO at $50k! Girl, I'll keep it real, landscapers see clean cut white people and shoot for the stars. Here's a secret - for landscaping, calculate on a work per day basis and assume the rate for labor only is $200. For the guys operating heavy machinery - and this shouldn't be more than two days, it's going to be $300-400. Then add materials (which they get at contractor rating). I can get this yard cleaned up, graded for adequate drainage (don't bother with french drains), have pavers laid, a fireplace, mulch with plants etc for 4 figures easily and it looks a hell of a lot better than the bare minimum. Even in pricier areas.

Don't think of it as bare minimum, think of getting the right guy (based on reviews or pictures) and a team of 2 or 3, calculate the rate, then offer it to them. You are the boss here because you pay the money, end of.

John Collins · Answer

With drainage - order maybe 3-5 yards of 2" bullrock or river rock to put around the house or in areas  where water accumulates. I would try to get there right after a very heavy or long rain and make a note with flags of all the areas water accumulates. Have gutters on the house leading away from it. And with the yard, you're going to have to grade it (slope it away from the house) anyways, so make sure it's discussed with whoever you contract, all water should eventually or immediately trickle away. These steps are more than enough. French drains are expensive and ineffective unless in the most extreme circumstances, and alot of times they accumulate flies and pests. They're also better left for fixes to existing situations instead of starting out from scratch like you are.

David Groemping · Answer

Lol, I'm her husband. I was talking about a swale in the backyard closer to the structure. It would slant to the side of the property, which also happens to be in the direction of the neighbors yard. I'm sure we could direct the water into a drain or the street.

Eric Mcginn · Answer

Exactly, backyard landscape features will not really effect what you can ask for rent. I see you already have a porch, so there's your outdoor living space. Beyond that, grass is good, although looking at all the sand, grass won't be especially cheap either.

I mean, you'll be there for a year so if you want a pergola and picnic table for yourself that's one thing, but doesn't add much value for a rental unless it's a vacation rental.

I would literally just rake it and think of it as a Japanese garden

Eric Mcginn · Answer

Mr. Paul is right. This past fall I installed a a patio per the recommendation of one of my tenants in my triplex. I installed it with the tenants and my brothers help for about $1200 or so in materials over a couple days. I thought, I'm such a good landlord, they're gonna love their little patio. Saw it a few months later and I don't think anyone had stepped foot on it, all the sudden they all became too busy to even use the space that they wanted.

Not a big loss, looks a bit better than before but literally no one has used it, they all already have porches!!

So yea, grade and grass for the rental, especially if you're digging it up later for sewer you said?

Marc Winter · Answer

Contact local grass cutters and landscapers.  Be specific on what you want--if you leave it up to them, you'll have a more expensive yard than the home on it.  Keep in mind who will be doing the yard work when there is a tenant in the home.  Think about some areas of gravel or rubber mulch or areas of ground cover plants.  You want it as tenant-proof as possible.

Good luck.

Sandy Gabin · Answer

I read your story and by looking at the picture,  girl, that is a Huge yard! I think that the estimate is very expensive.  Have you thought about asking other companies to give you an estimate? Maybe they are other companies that would do it cheaper. If not,  maybe you can find out what equipment you need to have someone else or maybe you can use or rent it thru Home depot?

Eric Mcginn · Answer

Lol very true, there are a few hard workers left out there though. I have a 14 year old girl who shovels my driveway lol, she came to me with the offer.

How Much to Invest in Landscaping for Rental Property?

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