We bought this three bedroom/two bath house near ASU as a rental. The question was how much was too much to spend fixing it up?
We weren’t going to live there but I’m convinced that curb appeal gets ‘em rented and so far, even with lots of rentals on the market, we’ve been right.
The gabion-looking debris cage is made of ¼ inch woven wire fabric with two inch openings as opposed to nine gauge wire at three inches on center typical of regular gabion cages.
The work in the back yard was less ambitious and the inside was mostly patching and paint. We spent $32,000. Call us if you'd like to do a curb appeal consultation for your own rental.
Owner-Contractor: Tonnesen Inc.
Tonnesen is a family owned company that works with owners, general contractors, and other landscape architects to get the landscaping right; meaning it’s not just professionally installed, it also ties into a larger architectural vision.
Thinking about landscaping? Shade, privacy, planting a lawn/taking out a lawn? Let us help you make a plan. We know how much everything costs and can help you strategize early on how to stretch your dollars. We just paid $63 each for 24” box, thornless hybrid mesquite trees that would have cost $110 a year ago. Not only are costs lower now than they’ve been in the last 10 years, we’re happy to share tried and true ways to spend smart regardless of the economy’s condition.
CONTACT
Bill Tonnesen
Tonnesen Inc.
bill@billtonnesen.com
105 E. 15th Street
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Office phone (480) 968-7895
Office fax (480) 968-1987
• Size trees and shrubs smaller and be patient while they grow. The savings can be dramatic.
• Instead of spending say $6 per square foot for a concrete driveway use stabilized, decomposed, granite at $2 per square foot.
• Got a concrete patio or walk that’s cracked, chipped, or heaving? Try embellishing the damage with creative cutting, coring, pattern chipping, or staining instead of replacing it.
• Tearing out masonry or concrete? Bury it on site. It’s landfill friendly and saves a bundle.
•Plan out everything up front then do the work in phases.
• Try unpainted steel fences instead of masonry walls. Equipment access is less of a problem and when you factor in footings, paint, and/or stucco, it’s cheaper and, with a spritz of ferric nitrate instantly gorgeous.
• At about $8 per cubic foot (not square foot) rock gabions are relatively inexpensive.
• Need shade? Try fabric at about $10 per square foot instead of a full blown roof at $30 per square foot.
