This is more of a cleaning list, but has a few items that may be helpful to think about:All: Clean window wells with bleachAll: Clean baseboards, window sills, and closet shelves with degreaserAll: Clean doors (inside and out, as needed) with degreaserDrains: snake out between tenantsBathroom: Clean bathtub/shower stall with bleach cleanerBathroom: Clean toilet (all surfaces) with bleachBathroom: Clean toilet bowl with AjaxLaundry/Bathroom/Kitchen: Clean baseboards and where floor meets wall with bleachLaundry/ Bathroom/Kitchen: Sweep floorLaundry/ Bathroom/Kitchen: Mop floorWater heater: check temperatureBathroom/Kitchen: Clean counters with bleach cleanerBathroom: Clean mirrors with WindexBathroom/Kitchen: wipe drawers and medicine cabinet shelves with bleachKitchen: Wash cabinet doors with degreaserAll: Wash walls as needed with bleach or degreaserKitchen: Wipe/scrub fridge inside and out with bleachKitchen: Wipe/scrub stove inside and out with bleachKitchen: If garbage disposal, add vegetable oil to keep it greasedKitchen: Wipe/scrub dishwasher inside and out with bleachLandry: Wash shelves with degreaser or bleachAll carpet: vacuumAll carpet: steam clean carpetOutside: Clean doors if neededOutside: Clean walls near entrance and steps, if neededOutside: Prune shrubsAll: clean all vents and cadet vents

The owners before us were big gardeners, and there are a ton of bulbs that come up at certain times of the year, and a huge raspberry patch,  I'm thinking about adding a clause that new plantings should be restricted to the large raised beds I currently use for vegetable gardening, as to not disturb the current plants.  

Sierra,As Joel says, different animal but still an animal (e.g. not vegetable ;).

I would shoot for something biodegradable otherwise they will repackage aircraft paint stripper and it will kill any grass or vegetation it touches.

I have wondered if converting a pool into an elaborate water feature such as a pond with a waterfall and some surrounding vegetation and rock features would be an alternative to the cost of complete dismantle/removal.

wetlands maps are inherently unreliable. if you want to be sure, engage a biologist to perform a jurisdictional wetlands determination (this is based on three specific factors-hydrology, soils and vegetation). it is also possible the wetlands may not be federally-regulated but subject to state regulatory jurisdiction. your state may also have buffer areas that cannot be developed to protect wetlands.  

So if you decide to chemically kill all of your unwanted vegetation, then I would recommend buying offbrand concentrated glycophosphate for use in a pump sprayer and go crazy with it (while following manufacturers mixing instructions) but leave an unsprayed border of about 2 feet around your trees and use it on a calm day without wind or rain.  

While there are some great projects underway, most are very small scale - just a few city lots at a time.I've worked with one on the East Side and in addition to growign vegetables in the summer, they have a hoop house for year-round cool-weather produce, a lot with fruit trees, a lot with chickens and goats and they purchased the old, abandoned corner store and turned it into a community center with a library, computers and meeting area.

I throw all vegetable scraps, banana peels, eggshells, etc. into a plastic composter all summer long.

BUT they have no use for the huge vegetable garden area we have provided, but our old Italian tenant does grow a LOT of produce, God Bless him.