Artificial Grass?

[Sbnative]

How would an artificial grass lawn affect the value of my home? Up, down or nothing? I have 3 bd. 2 bath with a 1000sq foot lawn that is adequate, some brown patches and dead spots and I am looking into installing a real looking and feeling artificial lawn. But mostly I just want it looking good all the time and am trying to figure out if the cost is justifiable with any equity gained.

 

[TC]

Ixnay on the ake fay lawn ay.

 

[Michigan CG]

TC.............Hawaii may have a different value reaction to this.


OP: A Hawaii appraiser regularly posts on here. You should get a local response or two on Monday.

 

[Mountain Man]

Reminds me of an old joke about Ga Tech when they had Astroturf on their foosball field.


Do ya' know why the engineers at GA Tech installed Astro-turf?
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to keep their cheerleaders from grazing!

 

[Tom Woolford]

The simple way of looking at your question is to drive around your area. How many lawns do you see with fake grass? If there are none, you probably have your answer. If it is not a popular feature, you would more than likely lose money. But, if you are going to be there for a while and get enough satisfaction from it, go for it.

 

[Lobo Fan]

I have no idea what kind of market reaction you would get in Hawaii. I know that here the value added is only a percentage of the cost. Landscaping adjustments are highly subjective anyway. Here a fortune in landscaping can dry up and blow away in a few days or weeks.

I did a house where they spent over $40,000 on astro turf. The value it added was much less than that. Artifical turf is an acquired taste. Greenies like it because of the water savings, yet pure greenies hate it because it is petroleum based. I drove past a house today that had the whole front yard covered in that stuff. It was shocking to see that much green. Everything turns brown here in the winter.

I would equate it to painting your house a bright color. Some people will like it and some will not. It is about a wash in my book.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I appraised a house for a very rich guy - estate, he died of AIDS and his significant other...was complaining that in the Koi Garden, all the Japanese shrubs were especially tasty to the local deer population and they had ate about $20,000 worth of very expensive shrubs and bansai trees. Ez come, Ez go....I doubt astroturf would add much value in my area. What I like is a gravel /rock lawn with native plantings or a xeriscaped lawn.

 

[TC]

TC.............Hawaii may have a different value reaction to this.


OP: A Hawaii appraiser regularly posts on here. You should get a local response or two on Monday.

You're right, I'm geo-incompetent to make that call. I was just using common sense.

 

[Atlanta CG]

I grew up near a home on a very small lot that had its front yard enclosed with a decorative fence and the yard was entirely asphalt, painted green. As far as I can remember, the next owner did not change it.
You never know.

 

[Lobo Fan]

LOL, 6 tons of gravel is considered landscaping around here. The city offers rebates if you tear out a lawn and replace it with rock or astro turf. They want you to plant a lawn on the roof.