Quote:
Originally Posted by glennQNYC
Ive been thinking about the economics of this as I see these lawn care equipment purchases. Is maintaining the lawn a labor of love, or a cost saving measure? Seems like the former when time is considered. Is a landscaper that much more expensive?
Disclaimer: city boy living in a condo here.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lsturbointeg
I think it's the love of owning a home and being a DIY'er. I could pay a lawn maintenance or I could fo it myself. To me it's the enjoyment. Until I physically can't do it, then I'll pay. But for now I do it cause of the enjoyment
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No worries, glenn. IMHO, it can be a cost savings and/or a labor of love depending on the situation. It just depends on how far down the rabbit hole you go.
For reference, it costs me $45 to have my lawn mowed/trimmed. If I wasn't using a company that already did 3 other nearby lawns, that'd cost would go up. If I got a mid-ish range riding mower for 2k, it'd pay for itself in less than 2 mowing seasons and I have better control over when/how my lawn is mowed.
Double pass core aerating & split seeding the back & sides + single pass aerating in front was something like around $700 after some 'discounts'. I could rent a manual core aerator for a couple hundred bucks a day (but have to transport it). A towed spike aerator is about the same cost to own. Not quite apples/apples, but still. One could split the cost of a rental w/ neighbors but my neighborhood is acre lots so I'd need more neighbors to buy-in to make it worthwhile.
It is arguable how often one aerates and really needs to overseed but landscaping isn't necessarily cheap. For reference, my cost #'s are for approx 32k sq ft of yard.
Note, too, that I haven't even gotten to fertilizing and weed control.
Buying equipment for it all definitely costs more upfront, but if it is used regularly over time it will pay itself off. Plus, not taking care of your lawn can lead to other expenses. Again, how far down the rabbit hole you go also makes a difference, too.