We chose to hard scape our multi-family property to add outdoor living space and reduce maintenance

It wasn't too much of a discussion - especially when most of the front and back yard were already in shambles or covered in concrete - that we were going to hard scape our multi-family property. Some initial considerations we had:

1. We didn't want to spend our weekends mowing a lawn or have an ongoing expense - honestly, we didn't want to store a lawn mower, either

2. There were parts of the project we could do ourselves, although admittedly we ended up outsourcing part of those due to time, energy, and skill

3. We're into the environmental benefits

4. We thought we could make it look pretty nice and add some BONUS outdoor living space

Here are some notes from the experience:

1. Some routine maintenance is still needed. Weeds are hard to thwart and they can grow fast - but ultimately, we feel this is less maintenance than a traditional yard

2. Don't be afraid to incorporate mulch

3. Plants will take a while (read: several years) to completely develop (more on our azalea bushes soon) so design and place with their final state in mind

Overall, we love the updates to the yards - we and our tenants have additional living space and it has increased the property value. There's definitely still changes we want to make (aren't there always!) but we're excited to take those opportunities to continue to create spaces that make us smile.