New Home Collection - Landscaping

mogul

New member
Carmel can do your landscaping for $25,000 - $50,000. The price depends on what type of trees you want (size & age), built-ins, type of material, etc.

Looking at $345 psf, add 10% for upgrades and $25,000 for landscaping and you pay about $400 psf. Doesn't exactly look like 2010 prices.
 
[quote author="mogul"]Carmel can do your landscaping for $25,000 - $50,000. The price depends on what type of trees you want (size & age), built-ins, type of material, etc.

Looking at $345 psf, add 10% for upgrades and $25,000 for landscaping and you pay about $400 psf. Doesn't exactly look like 2010 prices.[/quote]
You just summarized the one downside of buying of a new home. There are costs that many of the new homeowners did not think about beyond the list price. I'm gonna bet that several of the backyards will just remain as dirt.
 
Don't worry. TIC is sensitive to all the additional cost so downsizing the yard to nothing should keep your landscape budget low.
 
[quote author="graceomalley"]Don't worry. TIC is sensitive to all the additional cost so downsizing the yard to nothing should keep your landscape budget low.[/quote]
EXALTED!

When I was at Sonoma and looking at the Plan 1, excluding the Cali Room, you probably had a 8'x10' area left you had to "landscape". Lay the pavers yourself, put some sod and flowers on the edges... DONE.
 
There was a time when new homes included basic front yard landscaping but I think builders found it to be unnecessary cost. I don't remember backyard being included but rather an option. Nowadays, many new homes don't do any landscaping.

Although recently, that one Lennar neighborhood in Columbus Grove did to front yard landscaping for its final phases to move those homes.
 
[quote author="irvinehomeowner"]
[quote author="graceomalley"]Don't worry. TIC is sensitive to all the additional cost so downsizing the yard to nothing should keep your landscape budget low.[/quote]
EXALTED!

When I was at Sonoma and looking at the Plan 1, excluding the Cali Room, you probably had a 8'x10' area left you had to "landscape". Lay the pavers yourself, put some sod and flowers on the edges... DONE.[/quote]

The entire project should not cost more than $300: Pavers at $1.50 per sf, 1 gallon shrubs at $3 and don't even bother to install sprinklers. Connect a rotary sprayer at the end of a hose.
 
So in the 90's, you also paid for landscaping on your yard? For example, Northwood Pointe or Westpark, or you can even use you a more recent development like Northpark or West Irvine if that you can.

I guess my question is when is this "A time" you are referring to? I will admit, I never even thought of this cost!

And another question, so say you buy one of these for 450k +25k landscaping + 10k upgrades. Is the finals sale prices 485k or just the 450k? What about tax basis?

Thanks
 
[quote author="25inIrvine"]So in the 90's, you also paid for landscaping on your yard? For example, Northwood Pointe or Westpark, or you can even use you a more recent development like Northpark or West Irvine if that you can.

I guess my question is when is this "A time" you are referring to? I will admit, I never even thought of this cost!

And another question, so say you buy one of these for 450k +25k landscaping + 10k upgrades. Is the finals sale prices 485k or just the 450k? What about tax basis?

Thanks[/quote]
Your tax basis is the home sales price + cost of upgrades (interior and exterior). The benefit is that you finance the majority of those upgrades, but pay a higher property tax.
 
[quote author="USCTrojanCPA"]I'm gonna bet that several of the backyards will just remain as dirt.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure there is a timetable to have landscaping installed, so remaining dirt is not an option. A friend of mine who bought new in Crystal Cove last year confirmed he had 6 months to get the yard done. I doubt TIC rules would be any different in Irvine. Anyone buy new SFR in Irvine lately that can confirm?
 
[quote author="25inIrvine"]So in the 90's, you also paid for landscaping on your yard? For example, Northwood Pointe or Westpark, or you can even use you a more recent development like Northpark or West Irvine if that you can.[/quote]

The 2001 built Cal Pac SFR I live in (Ivywood/West Irvine) came with all front landscaping included, the backyard was owner responsibility. From a maintenance standpoint, however, HOA only cares for the grass/trees on the street side of the sidewalk, owner is responsible for everything on the house side of sidewalk.

Of course, front yard maintenance (and installation) may not be much of an issue in the 2010 collection. <!-- s:eek: -->:eek:<!-- s:eek: -->
 
[quote author="ck"]
[quote author="USCTrojanCPA"]I'm gonna bet that several of the backyards will just remain as dirt.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure there is a timetable to have landscaping installed, so remaining dirt is not an option. A friend of mine who bought new in Crystal Cove last year confirmed he had 6 months to get the yard done. I doubt TIC rules would be any different in Irvine. Anyone buy new SFR in Irvine lately that can confirm?[/quote]

Well Coronado's front yard is done by the builder (i guess its not really a yard) and according to the contract I signed, I have 1 year to get the backyard done...
 
[quote author="scubasteve"]
[quote author="ck"]

I'm pretty sure there is a timetable to have landscaping installed, so remaining dirt is not an option. A friend of mine who bought new in Crystal Cove last year confirmed he had 6 months to get the yard done. I doubt TIC rules would be any different in Irvine. Anyone buy new SFR in Irvine lately that can confirm?[/quote]

Well Coronado's front yard is done by the builder (i guess its not really a yard) and according to the contract I signed, I have 1 year to get the backyard done...[/quote]
And what happens if you dont get it done in a year? Will the HOA come after you until it's done?
 
[quote author="USCTrojanCPA"]
[quote author="scubasteve"]

Well Coronado's front yard is done by the builder (i guess its not really a yard) and according to the contract I signed, I have 1 year to get the backyard done...[/quote]
And what happens if you dont get it done in a year? Will the HOA come after you until it's done?[/quote]

i have no idea! It really will be one of the last things on my priority list when I move in..
 
[quote author="jumpcut"]
[quote author="ck"]

I'm pretty sure there is a timetable to have landscaping installed, so remaining dirt is not an option. A friend of mine who bought new in Crystal Cove last year confirmed he had 6 months to get the yard done. I doubt TIC rules would be any different in Irvine. Anyone buy new SFR in Irvine lately that can confirm?[/quote]
This is true. You have a strict timetable after closing for landscaping which must be approved per specifications in advance by the Woodbury HOA Landscape Design Committee. Make sure you don't plant a bush 3 feet from the sidewalk if the specifications say 4 feet.[/quote]

Will someone actually be going into your backyard to check?!
 
[quote author="scubasteve"]
Will someone actually be going into your backyard to check?![/quote]

HOA investigators = Your neighbors. The HOA does not need to check on it, you can trust your neigbors will be reporting any non-compliance.
 
[quote author="25inIrvine"]So in the 90's, you also paid for landscaping on your yard? For example, Northwood Pointe or Westpark, or you can even use you a more recent development like Northpark or West Irvine if that you can.
[/quote]
It was dependent on builder. Those older developments may have had basic front yard landscaping as part of the home but I am pretty sure the backyards were not landscaped. If you drive around any of these neighborhoods, you can tell if there was basic landscaping included as many people (FCBs) won't upgrade ANYTHING.

I guess my question is when is this "A time" you are referring to? I will admit, I never even thought of this cost!
I can tell you that when my relatives bought new in Orange County in the early 90s, landscaping was NOT included. Many of the Irvine projects in the late 90s did have some basic landscaping (Oak Creek and Harvard Square) but 2000 on it became more optional. I remember asking a sales office in mid 2000s about landscaping and they didn't even offer it as an option from their design center any more. As far as I know... most of the Woodbury SFRs (Juliet, Rossmoor, Mille Fleurs, Villa Rosa) don't include front yard landscaping.

The plus is like BK says... most of the new homes have very small front and back yards so the cost is a lot less than it used to be.

And another question, so say you buy one of these for 450k +25k landscaping + 10k upgrades. Is the finals sale prices 485k or just the 450k? What about tax basis?
This has been answered but if this is included in the final sales price from the builder, it would be $485k. If you did this afterwards, it would not be included unless for some reason you contacted the tax overlords and asked them to.

My advice... in this economy, I think you can get a bargain on landscaping service that will probably be 50% or more off the builder's service. It won't get financed into your loan... but it may only cost you $300 (BK's Landscape Company) vs $10,000.

And the cost to cement an 8x10 backyard is nothing. Low maintenance, save on water and pet/kid friendly.
 
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