Rehabbing In Winter - What do you do about landscaping if you're done/ready to sell like in mid-winter?

[Steven M.]

I am going to be doing rehab flips starting in a few weeks in the New England. What do you do you if you're project is all done say in February, ready to sell and market HOWEVER the landscaping still needs to be done? Obviously you're not laying sod, redoing shrubs etc in the dead of winter, yet maybe you have a sale in hand in Feb,? Do you give the buyer a landscaping a certain credit amount in the sale and let them do it later in the Spring?

I don't think you want to make a deal that you'll come back in May in for the landscape while they own the place. You want to move on. You then have to answer to the new owner's as to what they want until they are happy etc (rather than had you done it on your own before a sale without the interference, or say from others).

So what do you do in this case?

Thanks,
Steven

[Account Closed]

I wouldn't offer a landscaping credit unless they ask for one.

Remove all weeds, mow whatever grass is there so it looks trim. Prune the bushes and trees just enough to make them look neat. If your area is really cold and you prune them all the way before spring, there will be some die-back.

I'd remove any plants that are simply horrible and located in the wrong location. Professional landscaping is rare and plants are often in the wrong location, just plopped in higgledy pigglety. Even professional landscapers occasionally do really dumb plantings.

Bark or mulch the flower beds only if they are in a good location and likely to stay there.

Unlike many flippers, I start the landscaping as soon as I buy. Often water on the lawns while you are rehabbing will be enough to salvage the lawns. Depending upon the time of year, gardens can be laid out, bulbs or shrubs planted, and it can get established while someone is there every day to water it.

I prefer not to finish rehab and then have to go back to the house once (or even twice) a day to water the new plantings.