Artificial grass - pro or con when buying a property?

It’s a no from me.

One AC has a large garden and the GC’s section has artificial grass so that they can use it all year round. It will be removed and proper grass laud when they no longer need swings, slides, playhouses etc.

I hate the stuff however if you are letting a property and the tenants are unlikely to manage a lawn or pay a gardener then at least it looks tidy.

It still needs to be looked after but I agree not to the same extent.

In sunshine, the grass can become very hot and burn an animal's paws. The Cat Protection League told me that.

Nasty stuff.

Awful stuff don't even think about it.

Terrible. Bad for the soil.and for wildlife.

It's a no from me.

I can’t say I like it, and certainly want it myself, but I can well understand people with children who want to play out in most weathers installing it. Otherwise you just end up with a sea of mud - TBH dd and SiL’s ‘lawn’ (3 young dcs) is much like this by the end of winter.

A friend of a dd installed it in one of those very narrow urban gardens which just didn’t get much sun - and she had two very little ones wanting to play outside. Real grass would never have flourished and paving would have been much too hard a surface.

We have a rental flat with a tiddly little garden which I’d had beautifully renovated (from a jungle) with beds and a very small but ‘proper’ lawn.
Alas after 9 years the otherwise excellent tenants just hadn’t looked after it - it was past saving - so we very reluctantly replaced it with top grade artificial. They wanted something done, and it was the wrong time of year for turf or seed.

Current tenants really appreciate the garden.

This was also discussed on a Radio 4..(no idea what program it was)
They got a spoke person /Estate agent from some organisation in and they said they would not be listing it sperate item, or no one has ever asked for it to be removed prior to putting in an offer.
They also doubt anyone would reduce the house price.

Depends how big the area covered is. It works very well on balconies, a few square yards in a pocket hankerchief garden is fine.

Anything larger is an abomination.

My thoughts exactly M0nica. In certain circumstances it might be appropriate but it isn't environmentally friendly.

No. I wouldn't want it.

What a great idea to ask for a reduction! 🤣

Looks horrible!, not good from an eco system point of view I imagine.

I love my artificial grass. When my husband died a few years ago, I just could not be bothered with mowing the large back lawn so I decided on artificial grass. I think it is the best thing I have ever bought. I was speaking to my new next door but one neighbour this morning, he has three children under 12 and he was mowing his front lawn. I asked him if he liked the artificial grass in his back garden and he told me that was one of the things that sold the property as his children could play out all the year round. When I had the grass installed I had a German Shepherd dog and he would lay for hours on the grass, he loved it and also I have cats coming in and just sunbathing and the birds also sunbathe with their wings outstretched on the hottest of days.

I would not change my artificial grass for anyone.

M0nica

Depends how big the area covered is. It works very well on balconies, a few square yards in a pocket hankerchief garden is fine.

Anything larger is an abomination.

This. It wouldn't put me off buying but I'd rip it up asap. Wouldn't have occurred to me to ask for a reduction though.

I have artificial grass at the front of my house. My husband died 18 months ago and I struggled to mow the grass at the front so had it replaced.
The reason is my house is built on a hill, outside my back door I have a long wide balcony and a flight of steps down to the back garden. So to mow the front lawn I was having to carry the lawnmower up a flight of steps. I really couldn’t do it. Also in my neighbourhood it’s almost impossible to get a reliable gardener.
I understand lots of people don’t like artificial grass but it was the most practical solution for me.

@TerriBull. It is not an abomination at all. My large artificial lawn is surrounded by flowering hedges, borders full of flowers, All I hear all day long are the birds singing in my hedges.

See photos attached.

It’s not for me - at least not here at my current property.
DD1 has inherited it in the rear garden of her new house and loves it. It’s flat and always looks good.
Meanwhile, DD2 is about to replace a very small lawn with it, to aid her DH who has severe hay fever.
In Cheshire my Sis-in-law had her small lawn replaced with it a few years ago, as she no longer felt able to use a mower - the installation company visit annually to ‘service’ it.

So, while it’s not an option now, I’d never say never, but wouldn’t dream of making a reduced offer on a property because of it.

photos

Would not let me attach photos.

Our garden is still as it was when we bought this house -half artificial grass and half pebbles, about 30 square metres of each.

Neither surface is particularly low maintenance. Both need continuous weeding. The artificial grass needs raking with a special rake to prevent a build up of detritus from nearby trees throughout the year. The pebbles need raking with a different rake to keep them looking clean.

I wouldn't install artificial grass but, as it is here, I appreciate being able to use the whole of the garden all year round especially as Gcn are frequent visitors. Our 'grass' doesn't get excessively hot - I think it depends on what kind of surface is beneath it. The pebbles are great for tiring out toddlers' legs! Not so great for visitors with mobility or balance issues though.

Would I ask for a reduction on the house price? Not if it was good quality 'grass' properly installed. Nor would I ask for a reduction if the garden had a bowling green standard lawn that I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain!

I didn't call it an abomination. Having read some if the explanations, I can appreciate why some would have ir.

When next door had it done we asked them when they were going to put out the fruit and veg. 😂

I really don't like artificial grass and would never use it instead of the real thing but I have laid a small patch to cover the dipped and cracked concrete outside my back door where water gathers, so it's like a big doormat really. There are small plants growing in it, washed down from the patio above!