Now that summer is upon us, the grass and other outdoor plants in a home’s lawn needs to be maintained. Some plants grow quite fast in the summertime, and everything but the most established plants needs regular watering.
Maintaining the home’s lawn while you fix it up or wait for it to sell is an important step in not only keeping up the curb appeal but making sure you help prevent the spread of any fires. Here are some tips for how to fix and flip in areas of drought.
Budget extra for lawn care. If you aren’t at the home or don’t want to be, add a cushion into your overall budget to hire someone to maintain it for you. As the homeowner, it is your responsibility to maintain the lawn or hire that job out. If you hire someone to do lawn maintenance, make sure that extra expense is factored into your overall budget.
Don’t let the grass get too high. If that happens, the person you hire may need special equipment which can add considerable time and expense.
Use sprinklers on a timer. Easy-to-use mechanical or digital timers can automatically turn sprinklers on or off, taking your time off that task. Remember though, that plants and grass getting regular water will grow faster and will need to be mowed or trimmed.
Don’t let the grass totally die. Your potential new buyer can request a discount if the landscaping and grass has to be replaced because everything dies from lack of water.
Watch weeds. Out of control weeds will create a headache for both you and the new homeowner. Keep them in check while your house is on the market. Complete eradication is probably not likely, so focus on proper identification of the weeds that are there and implement the recommended control strategy for each one.
Keep reading Gorilla Capital’s Fix & Flip Blog for other tips on how to maximize your time and energy as a fix and flip operator. We have resources, including a loan program, to help you. Get in touch with us to find out more!