Landscaping for a granny flat

What do you think is a reasonable amount to spend on landscaping a granny flat, and what would you recommend to have done? It will be rented out so would like something low maintenance and low cost to install.

I'm currently budgeting about $2000 for really basic landscaping - for example laying buffalo turf for a 200sqm backyard. Is this a reasonable (and achievable?)

We are interstate so DIY is not really a consideration at this stage.

 

Less lawn the better. Treated pine boarder with weed matting and wood-chips ontop

 

^^^ too complicated and pretty. The tenants wont maintain it and those treated pine edges will warp and look like crap in a few years. I just level and turf it, a few pavers to the front door if im feeling generous. People dont pay premium rent for a nice yard so why bother?

 

Thanks guys.

@Biz you mentioned just putting down turf and maybe pavers... in your experience would tenants maintain the lawn?

I'm torn between utility and cheap - paving the entire place will cost a lot, but are probably tenant proof... whereas putting down buffalo turf might be cheaper at the start but I'm not sure how well tenants would maintain it.

Please keep the ideas and comments coming!

 

I wouldn't waste money paving it. Just throw down the cheapest turf possible and leave it at that. I can get Ki for $6 per m2 laid. If the granny flat needs 100m2 that is $600. Job done.

Forget about them looking after it, most won't care. Even a crap lawn full of weeds looks ok when it is mowed, that's all you need to worry about. You can't really tenant proof anything, realistically how can they wreck turf? As long as it is watered daily for the first few weeks it is down after that it is ok.

 

If you already have a deck for tenant to sit on then grass is cheap, if not then I would consider pavers as many people really like somewhere to put a table and chairs, even if its not covered.

 

Cannot go wrong with turf.

 

I'm not a fan of ki. Rather pay a bit more and get buffalo. More tenant proof in my opinion.

 

I've done the wood chips with weed matts on an IP. Looked awesome. Back breaking work.

After 6 months - tenants left it and weeds all over the place!!! >_<
Had to get the PM to do get them to weed it and all they did was cut it. >_<

With gardening and weeds - needs to be specific in your PM agreement to tenants. That way you can take their bond to have a landscaper come back and fix that after they leave.

 

I recently saw the state of the lawn of my IP.
I take my earlier comment back.

I had two places side by side with the turf laid at the same time.
On one property the turf looks great.
On the other property, its practically dead with weeds springing up everywhere.

 

Thats the problem with laying 200 sq of turf. Someone has to be there ,to water in every day(for a month or so), especially this time of year.

I would look at turfing 100 sq and then around the perimeter ( say 2 m from the fence) a mulch bed with a few plants.

A spaded egde can be ok ,and cheap . Of course a paver edge looks better (and defines a landscape ) if you can afford it.
Pic would help.

 

I have a 4m x 5m courtyard at the back of my granny flat and was considering putting down turf, however after reading through this thread i think i am just going to lay down some recycled aggregate 1.5tonne @ $43/tonne on top of weedmatt.

Hard work but this will definitely be low maintenance!!!

 

Personally i wouldnt do that. After a couple of years you will get weeds growing in it all over the place and tenants will be under the impression they dont need to maintain it because "its just rocks". Area dependant but it will likely limit your tenant pool too. Anyone with a child will want at least some grass or even concrete. You can pretty much do nothing on agg.

Cheap turf is the way to go.