Most homeowners love having a nice lawn.
In fact, it’s become a tradition in many regions of the United States. Many people mow, water, trim, and rake our lawns religiously. Some more than others!
But there is another reason for maintaining a lush, green, and well-manicured lawn. It adds a significant amount of value to your home.
According to The Lawn Institute,
“Unlike other home improvement projects, landscaping can provide a 100%-200% return on your investment and has been known to increase a home’s overall value by as much as 15 percent.”
If you’re considering selling your home, one of the most important elements is the curbside appeal of your house. Is your existing lawn composed of patchy, rough grass, or bare areas mixed with assorted grasses? Are there plants you haven’t identified yet?
No One Likes Ugly Grass
This kind of lawn can easily dissuade prospective buyers, despite the beauty and impeccable staging of the rest of your home. One relatively quick and easy solution is to replace your sod entirely. Yet, you might be asking, “Is it worth the cost?”
That’s a fair question and there is no standardized or “one-size-fits-all” answer. However, with a little math, you may find that it is indeed a worthwhile investment.
One turf supplier noted that,
“When selling your home, you need to do a cost-benefit analysis regarding any improvements. If a $2,000 sod replacement can improve the value of your property by $5,000, then it’s a smart investment with solid returns.”
In Sonoma County the typical home is currently selling for close to $650,000 (as of October 2020). Of course, depending on where you live, the average home price may be a bit higher or lower. However, if a new lawn adds even five percent to your home’s overall value, that’s an additional $30,000 or more.
There are problems for so many people, especially in drought-ravaged areas like Sonoma County. Many lawns have suffered from lack of watering, inconsistent upkeep and maintenance, and even some damage from excessive wildfire ash.
Benefits of Sod Replacement for Homes in Sonoma County
There are several good reasons to opt for sod replacement for your Sonoma County home.
- Prospective buyers overwhelmingly prefer lawns over hardscaped yards. A survey from the National Association of Landscape Professionals found that almost 80 percent of homebuyers in the U.S. say that a spacious and manicured lawn is an important feature in a home.
- Many potential buyers look for functionality and usability in buying a home. If your home is being considered by home buyers such as young families with young children or future children, having an inviting lawn in the front yard (and back!) becomes a huge selling point.
- Healthy, well-kept lawns appeal to prospective buyers not only because they are aesthetically pleasing, but because they offer additional living areas to a home. In addition, they provide an ideal setting for outdoor activities, entertaining friends, and just relaxing on weekends or after work.
- The good news is that by using sod replacement, you can quickly establish a natural and self-repairing lawn that also increases the overall curb appeal of your property, whether you plan to sell your home, or simply want to reestablish your lawn.
Sod Replacement vs Grass Seed
If you bought your home with a beautiful lawn greeting you at the front of the property – and maybe one in the back – you likely don’t think of your yards as anything more than grass. And that is accurate as far that goes. But the truth is that when your home was first built, what became your “lawn” most likely began as strips of sod.
In other words, your lawn is simply sod.
And what is sod, exactly? Sod is simply lawn or turf grass, along with the small part of the soil beneath it, all held together by the root system, or in some cases by a thin, biodegradable layer of material.
All of this to say that, sod replacement is a viable alternative to reseeding, watering, and waiting for a new lawn. Time is another factor to consider.
Grass Seed Growth
Depending on the seed variety, grass takes approximately 7 to 14 days to germinate, and then another 2 to 3 weeks to be sturdy enough for mowing.
Grass Seed Maturity
With a reseeded lawn, you must avoid walking or playing on it until you’ve mowed the grass three or four times, which could be as long as five weeks or more.
Sod Replacement Growth
Typically, sod replacement will take root within 10 to 14 days after it’s installed. But this is also how soon you should mow your new lawn for the first time after laying the sod.
Sod Replacement Maturity
Unlike grass seed, when you make use of sod replacement you can walk on your new sod – or lawn – after about two weeks.
While you can install replacement sod yourself, this is really a job that’s best done by a team of professionals. At Northview Landscaping, for example, we fоllоw a рrоvеn, step-by-step process for sod іnѕtаllаtіоn thаt ensures thе sod іѕ рlаntеd correctly. In addition, our process gіvеѕ the sod the аbѕоlutе bеѕt сhаnсе оf ѕtrоng rооtѕ and healthy growth.
Your Partners in Sonoma County for Sod Installation
Don’t hesitate to contact us for your sod replacement and installation needs.
We know that creating the most value with your outdoor space is important to you and we’re here to answer any questions you might have about improving your lawn or getting started on sod replacement and new landscaping design.
Get ready to spend more time enjoying your outdoor space with family and friends!
If you have questions, or you’d like to schedule a consultation about your sod, garden, or landscaping project, contact the professional landscape designers and plant installers at Northview Landscaping today.
