The Ultimate Guide to Attracting a Tenant with a Beautiful Lawn

The Ultimate Guide to Attracting a Tenant with a Beautiful Lawn

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18:28 PM, 16th May 2012, About 12 years ago

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As the sun begins to show its face, we’re all taking our first tentative steps around the garden and the majority of us will all be thinking the same thing; what a mess! If it makes you feel any better, you should know that we’re all in the same boat and, even though it will take some hard work and dedication, you can get your garden looking fresh and healthy in no time!

This helpful little article is going to focus on getting your lawns looking green, fresh and healthy, perfect for attracting a prospective tenant. A gorgeous lawn will not only complement the rest of the garden, but it will also provide them with a practical living space to enjoy the summer with their friends and family. It might just make the difference for that tenant too.

The 4 Basic Principles of Successful Lawn Maintenance

  • Pruning – Regular and correct mowing
  • Food – Feeding with a spring and summer lawn fertiliser
  • Attention – Treating weeds and moss
  • Affection – Dealing with bare patches

Keeping Things Even: Lawn Mowing

Regular mowing is very important for a healthy lawn. The grass should be cut for as long as it is growing, this is normally a weekly basis during the warmer months of spring and summer. For most lawns, a length of about 3-4cm should be perfect, although, it may be worth letting it grow to about 5cm if the lawn takes a bit of a battering from kids, or big dogs if you let your tenants keep pets. Lawns that are frequently in the shade should be kept a little longer; 7-8cm should do it.

NOTE – Be careful not to cut the grass too short as the grass will become weak, and will also give pesky weeds a chance to thrive.

Keeping Things Even: Dealing with Bare Patches

Our first steps into the garden will reveal the damage caused by the bitter winter months. Often, the biggest issues are the bare areas, which not only look hideous, but also act as sanctuaries for weeds and moss. To treat bare patches, make sure you use a speciality feed which incorporates grass seed and slow release lawn feed. Apply it once a day until the grass grows thick and covers the bare patch entirely.

Provide TLC: Lawn feeding

You don’t have to feed the lawn, unless you want a lawn that will wow tenants looking round the property, in which case, you absolutely have to feed your lawn. A great fertiliser will give the lawn that vibrant green glow, and will also make it grow stronger and thicker – think of it like a good hair shampoo! Stronger grass will be more resilient to weeds and other elements that can drag the lawn down.

You should feed the lawn during the first months of spring, and spread the feed evenly over the whole lawn, being careful not to neglect the edges – the key is to get the lawn to grow evenly. If you are feeling flush, and don’t mind spending a few pennies, you could buy a feed spreader which you can set on a timer. This means you don’t have to worry about missing a feeding session.

Every Gardner’s Worst Enemy: Treating Weeds

Weeds are every gardener’s biggest nightmare, but never forget that a beautiful lawn, free of weeds, is worth the extra effort. After all, what might the tenant think? A well maintained lawn will be able to defend itself from weeds better than an un-loved lawn, prevention is better than cure.

However, when you have problems with weeds you will have to tackle them with a quality solution that will feed the lawn, fight the weeds, making it stronger and more resilient in the process. For big weeds, you can use de-weeding tools which are specially designed to make it easy to quickly remove stubborn weeds, without damaging the healthy parts of your lawn. You shouldn’t view weeding as a one off chore at the beginning of spring, but instead, as an ongoing task that must be carried out during all of the spring and summer months.

Quick an Easy Wins for Better Lawns

  • Don’t neglect the edges of the lawn when mowing. For solid borders and an overall healthy looking lawn, you need to pay attention to all areas.
  • Use a half-moon edging iron to keep the borders of your lawn looking sharp and well loved.
  • Don’t forget to rake your lawn on a regular basis, especially of mowing. This will get rid of the dead grass and other unwanted fibres that prevent your lawn from soaking in natural nutrients.
  • Avoid over/under watering your lawn, and make sure your lawn is well equipped to avoid water-logging. Lawns on thick or heavy soils should be aerated with a garden fork, making holes that enable easy drainage.

Following these tips might just put your property ahead of all of the other properties they might have looked around.


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