First time home owner.

7 years ago

Side yard needs a lot of work. I am located and the Boston Metro area...and I have no idea what i am doing...any advise will be helpful

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

dchall_san_antonio
7 years ago
If you have the resources then you can sod it right now. If you are on a tighter budget then I would suggest trying to hang on until fall to seed it. Fall is the best time to renovate a lawn with seed. If you try seeding now you end up with crabgrass. If you want to reseed then August would be the time for you in your location.

Once you have an established lawn, about the only thing you need to do before April is to drop an application of preemergent weed control. That is done when the forsythia is blooming in your neighborhood. Then in April is the time to spot spray existing weeds left over from fall and winter. Memorial Day is the time for the first fertilizer of the year (nevermind what the TV commercials say). Labor Day is the second application of fertilizer. Thanksgiving or there abouts is the last fertilizer of the year.

Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering. This is for all turf grass all over the place. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Put some cat food or tuna cans around the yard, and time how long it takes your sprinkler(s) to fill all the cans. Memorize that time. That will be the time you water from now on. My hose, sprinkler and water pressure takes 8 full hours to fill the cans. Your time will likely be less. I like gentle watering. As for watering frequency, that depends on the daytime air temperature. With temps in the 90s, deep water once per week. With temps in the 80s, deep water once every 2 weeks. With temps in the 70s, deep water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 70, deep water once a month. Note that you have to keep up with quickly changing temps in the spring and fall. This deep and infrequent schedule works in Phoenix and in Vermont, so it should work for you. The reason for deep and infrequent is to grow deeper, more drought resistant roots and to allow the soil to dry completely at the surface for several days before watering again. If it rains, reset your calendar to account for the rainfall.

When it starts to grow, mulch mow at the mower's highest setting. That will help develop deeper roots.
Related Discussions
First Time Home Owner - Paint Colors
Q
Comments (2)
Congrats. Nice place for a first home. Indeed all the colors have to go. I would do just one color throughout for now. What exact color? Strangers on the internet cant say. But for a more modern(if not more masculine) treatment I would look to grays and greiges. Lots of good Houzz story books on selecting the right shades. Good luck! https://www.houzz.com/magazine/choosing-paint-how-to-pick-the-right-gray-stsetivw-vs~454963
...See More
First Time HomeOwners
Q
Comments (33)
Elizabeth, it will be okay. I'm a Realtor and have sold many foreclosures. It is more difficult when you are the buyer purchasing a property that hasn't been well maintained. Most foreclosures are the opposite of well maintained IME. But you can do this. Even if you make a misstep or two, it is easy to correct. The main thing is to have a plan. Are the systems of the house in working order? I mean things like roof, HVAC, electrical and plumbing? Is the floor serviceable for now? These are the important things on Day 1 of move in. The design part takes time and planning. Don't rush. That's where mistakes are made. When you are looking at a (presumably) vacant house, it shows smaller than when you actually begin to furnish it. It is best to live in the house first so you can see what works and what doesn't work from a planning perspective. I know it is more convenient to change things before you move in, but again, that is when errors are prone to happen. The best thing you can do as step one is to make any necessary repairs to the house, clean to the bone every surface and then move in and begin the planning stages to make this home your own.
...See More
Curb appeal help/First time home owners!
Q
Comments (3)
So sorry, don’t know why it didn’t upload with the post!
...See More
terrified first time home owners
Q
Comments (28)
This is such an interesting question. We are also DIYers and bought property to build our own house on. We even talked about doing it a decade ago and it didn’t work out. Can I say I’m SO GLAD it didn’t work out when we were younger and less experienced homeowners? We did what @cpartist said - bought a fixer upper (two, actually) and lived in them for the last decade, fixing them as we go and learning technical skills, space planning, where to splurge and where to cut costs, etc. If we had built right away a decade ago we would have had a MUCH INFERIOR house over what we can build now. From a living standpoint and fit and finish, both. Currently we are in the second fixer upper as our temporary/investment property that we are fixing and living in during the build we will start next year. This gives us a staging ground so he time pressure is off us to get it done faster than we can afford. It’s also let us test out everything from cabinetry join methods to drywall finish, tile setting, pulling new wire and redoing an electrical panel, multiple types of plumbing and HVAC repairs and installs, even furniture building and cut/install of molding and trim. This is our low stakes test house. And we can rent or sell it once we move, so sweat equity will pay dividends that will help cover our mortgage costs for the new place. I highly recommend doing it this way. Life and priorities change over the years, as do skills and finances. There is a reason even most of us diehard DIYers don’t start out with the ‘dream house build’ :)
...See More

Related Stories

By Christine Tusher

Take care of these tasks to avoid major home hassles, inefficiencies or unsightliness down the road

Full Story

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Eclectic Repurposing Fits First-Time Homeowners in Utah

By Lucy Call

DIY projects using reclaimed materials add rustic style to an open-layout Salt Lake City home

Full Story

ARCHITECTURE Get a Perfectly Built Home the First Time Around

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Yes, you can have a new build you’ll love right off the bat. Consider learning about yourself a bonus

Full Story

112

LIFE World of Design: Discoveries of 10 First-Time Homeowners

By Houzz

See how people around the globe have shaped their starter houses and made them their own

Full Story

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A House as Individual as Its Owner

By Mary Jo Bowling

Architects create a home like no other for a collector who’s passionate about books, art, literature, science and design

Full Story

VACATION HOMES Patience Pays Off for Owners Renovating Their Beach Condo

By Becky Harris

A Jersey Shore unit gets a bright new look, a more functional layout and increased space for extended family

Full Story

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: An Eclectic, Cozy First-Time Home in Montreal

By Emily Campbell

A Canadian flat rediscovers its original character with a revamped layout and a few polished touches

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners

By Marianne Lipanovich

Focus on these beginner-friendly vegetables, herbs, beans and salad greens to start a home farm with little fuss

Full Story

By Alison Hodgson

What to do when you’re contemplating home improvements after a move and you don't know where to begin

Full Story

LIFE Time Travel to Houzzers' Childhood Homes, Part 2

By Becky Harris

Catch a glimpse of kit houses, bungalows, Tudors and more just as they were way back when — and listen in on the intriguing personal stories

Full Story

First time home owner.

Comment (1)

dchall_san_antonio

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US