Mike Pettit: Dig This!

Landscaping upgrades sell your house

mike_pettit — 2007-08-27T13:42:22-05:00

New or upgraded landscaping is one of the quickest ways to make your house sell faster. While the news media is reporting that the housing market is "soft" for sellers, what can be done to make sure a house gets noticed? We've heard it a million times, but upgrading the home's front landscaping does make a difference.

Is the drought affecting your business this year?

mike_pettit — 2007-07-16T22:33:25-05:00

With so many areas of the country experiencing drought conditions, what parts of your business have been affected? In my area in the Southeast, we are seeing many mature trees and plants dying from the lack of water. I even saw an Autumn Blaze Maple walking down the side of the interstate with a sign that said "Brazilian Rain Forest". Lack of water can have positive and negative consequences for a landscaping company, not to mention getting poked in the head by a branch while driving.

"Undesirable" yards now sought out for water features?

mike_pettit — 2007-07-06T05:40:20-05:00

Are people's desires for water features making them look for homes that have big slopes in the back yard? Years ago, those types of yards were not high on a home buyer's list. However, as society's priorities are changing, I believe these yards are becoming more popular. More people are looking for less yard and more "wow". Water features can provide that pop plus create a peaceful environment for the homeowner to "get away".

Retaining Walls: Are they saving our sloped yards?

mike_pettit — 2007-06-13T05:46:30-05:00

Retaining walls can turn a mowing nightmare into a lower maintenance masterpiece if performed correctly. Especially in parts of the country with rolling hills and shrinking areas to build homes, new houses are popping up on pieces of land that make even mountain goats cringe.

What's the landscaping solution for these properties? I think retaining walls, especially constructed of man-made materials, can bring some sanity back to the homeowners.

Irrigation: Install your own, or subcontract?

mike_pettit — 2007-05-05T22:48:49-05:00

Every time I subcontract the irrigation portion of a landscaping project, I almost convince myself that we should be doing that part ourselves. Am I deceiving myself about the simplicity of irrigation projects? Or is it my secret desire to go home each day with hands covered in purple primer? Not a good look if your second job is a massage therapist.

How well do you know your landscaper?

mike_pettit — 2007-05-02T05:15:55-05:00

I wonder sometimes how well homeowners know the landscaper they just hired. I guess it depends on the type of work being completed, but I see some pretty unlikely characters working at some pretty big homes each week as I drive around.

The market for cutting-edge landscaping

mike_pettit — 2007-04-30T23:08:32-05:00

I have been contemplating how big of a niche exists in our current market for "contemporary" ideas in the area of landscape installation.

What's the growth potential for pondless water features?

mike_pettit — 2007-04-30T22:12:52-05:00

I've developed a real affinity for pondless/disappearing water features. I wonder, are landscaping contractors doing the same thing? I believe this market niche has phenomenal growth potential for years to come.