What are you paying for your East Valley landscapers? (Chandler: fit in, home)

[john3232]

Originally Posted by AZ Manager

This won't be apples to apples because I have a large more rural lot way out NW near Lake Pleasant but I pay $350 every other month on a no grass 1 acreish portion of my lot, they maintain the space near the driveway and around the house and workshop. Normally minor trimming to keep the trées up out of the way and the bushes looking good where appropriate. It's all desert landscaping without irrigation and they don't do weeds. We pay $400 twice a year for weeds on the same section of the lot.



Notice to enter requirements vanish when a request to repair has been made. Sure it's nice to schedule with tenants but when you are put on a timer that goes out the window.. Also, in AZ it is 2 days normally but not a strict 48 hours. You can notify at 5pm on a Tuesday and enter at 8am on a Thursday (Tuesday is day 1 and Wednesday is day 2).

Thanks!!!

[desert88]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I'm not retired. Rather, I work part-time. You would be hard-pressed to find a traditional "retiree" in our neighborhood (70-year-old DIY cheapskate).

Well, I wouldn't assume someone who is retired/acts like one is a "cheapskate" who does their own "landscaping" or looks for a better price for the work they are seeking. Some people just would rather deploy their capital in different ways that have more value to them. Heavy work like cutting down trees, putting new granite rock down on a landscape, trimming high palm fronds.....sure, I get it, the danger and/or work involved often is something where the cost/value equation looks better.

Just a question, don't take it personally.....why not just do it yourself if you only work part-time and if you're able to physically? It's good exercise and many people enjoy the satisfaction of doing such simple work themselves. It's easy and really doesn't take much time. Especially if you have the typical "Desert landscaping", rocks for your "lawn", low maintenance plants, in the typical cookie cutter subdivisions that make up the vast majority of housing here no matter if it's a 300k or 1mil home, what's there really to do on a monthly basis, hoa or not? If an hoa is looking at 2 leaves on my property and going to write me up, or neighbors flip out over it, I'm probably in the wrong neighborhood I'd figure.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by desert88

Well, I wouldn't assume someone who is retired/acts like one is a "cheapskate" who does their own "landscaping" or looks for a better price for the work they are seeking. Some people just would rather deploy their capital in different ways that have more value to them. Heavy work like cutting down trees, putting new granite rock down on a landscape, trimming high palm fronds.....sure, I get it, the danger and/or work involved often is something where the cost/value equation looks better.

Just a question, don't take it personally.....why not just do it yourself if you only work part-time and if you're able to physically? It's good exercise and many people enjoy the satisfaction of doing such simple work themselves. It's easy and really doesn't take much time. Especially if you have the typical "Desert landscaping", rocks for your "lawn", low maintenance plants, in the typical cookie cutter subdivisions that make up the vast majority of housing here no matter if it's a 300k or 1mil home, what's there really to do on a monthly basis, hoa or not? If an hoa is looking at 2 leaves on my property and going to write me up, or neighbors flip out over it, I'm probably in the wrong neighborhood I'd figure.

I don't think doing yardwork is "good exercise". He'd be better off paying someone to do the work and get the exercise at the gym or home gym. There's a reason a lot of those landscapers wear back braces.

[desert88]

Originally Posted by asufan

I don't think doing yardwork is "good exercise". He'd be better off paying someone to do the work and get the exercise at the gym or home gym. There's a reason a lot of those landscapers wear back braces.

Yes, that leaf blower, those trimming shears are sure hard on the back.

And those who use gyms, home or not, of course never injure themselves with weights and such.

You funny!

[asufan]

Originally Posted by desert88

Yes, that leaf blower, those trimming shears are sure hard on the back.

And those who use gyms, home or not, of course never injure themselves with weights and such.

You funny!

I have a home gym and I've worked out fairly religiously since I was 13, never an injury. Workout equipment is designed to be safe. Holding heavy equipment and reaching areas that are a bit out of reach, bending over picking up stuff continually in every type of terrain that's a different story. I've tweeked my back doing yardwork before because you get in awkward positions sometimes. Save the yardwork for those that need the work

[cjs123]

OP, since 2018 I've noticed substantial increases each time (same company, same small property, same plants).

Finding yard maintenance companies to stick with--which I like to do--has become increasingly challenging (IME) over the 17+ years I've lived "out here" in the far east valley.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by desert88

Just a question, don't take it personally.....why not just do it yourself if you only work part-time and if you're able to physically? It's good exercise and many people enjoy the satisfaction of doing such simple work themselves. It's easy and really doesn't take much time. Especially if you have the typical "Desert landscaping", rocks for your "lawn", low maintenance plants, in the typical cookie cutter subdivisions that make up the vast majority of housing here no matter if it's a 300k or 1mil home, what's there really to do on a monthly basis, hoa or not? If an hoa is looking at 2 leaves on my property and going to write me up, or neighbors flip out over it, I'm probably in the wrong neighborhood I'd figure.

I don't mind answering at all. I would do my own pest control as well as my own lawn care. But I spend my summers in MN. Therefore, I need someone to take care of the pests and plants when I am out. Those summer months are when the bugs are moving the most. And it's also when the shrubs, grow the fastest. Last year, a tree limb fell twice during some storms. My landscaper charged extra of course to take care of it.

Because of that, I have to find someone for the entire year. I cannot cherry-pick the months. But, I have no intentions of hiring a new landscaper until March or April. It barely grows during the coldest months and I can do it myself.

Still, I prefer to stroke a check to make those hassles go away. I'd rather go hiking and biking overlooking the stunning desert landscape.

[desert88]

Originally Posted by asufan

I have a home gym and I've worked out fairly religiously since I was 13, never an injury. Workout equipment is designed to be safe. Holding heavy equipment and reaching areas that are a bit out of reach, bending over picking up stuff continually in every type of terrain that's a different story. I've tweeked my back doing yardwork before because you get in awkward positions sometimes. Save the yardwork for those that need the work

I hear you on that. We all have to be careful doing things that we know might cause us injury. I can dig a large hole and put in a 15 gallon plant with no issues/it's kind of fun for me, but I realize for others, that's injury area so certainly understand we all have to be aware of our limits and such, we all have them. If I tried to tile a roof? No way, no how. I'd be a mess I'm sure.

In regards to workout equipment designed to be safe, it's not the equipment that concerns me. It's the user. Cars are designed to be safe. As are knives, forks, electricity, hot burners on cooktops, etc ....but in the right hands of course. You are responsible with weights and obviously know what you're doing but I've known a few people over the years who are not responsible as I've known more than a few who have destroyed their backs, tendons/ligaments and such overdoing it or doing whatever it was that caused issues.

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

I don't mind answering at all. I would do my own pest control as well as my own lawn care. But I spend my summers in MN. Therefore, I need someone to take care of the pests and plants when I am out. Those summer months are when the bugs are moving the most. And it's also when the shrubs, grow the fastest. Last year, a tree limb fell twice during some storms. My landscaper charged extra of course to take care of it.

Because of that, I have to find someone for the entire year. I cannot cherry-pick the months. But, I have no intentions of hiring a new landscaper until March or April. It barely grows during the coldest months and I can do it myself.

Still, I prefer to stroke a check to make those hassles go away. I'd rather go hiking and biking overlooking the stunning desert landscape.

ah, got ya, makes total sense.

And I hear you on the better things to do. I'm the same way. Landscaping for whatever reason is fun to me. Other things, not so much. If there's something that just doesn't appeal to me to want to learn to do, or a ton of work and not done very often(ie redoing the roof) and have zero desire to want to learn to do it, I'll hire it out also. The older I get, the more that list seems to grow.

[john3232]

Originally Posted by desert88

I hear you on that. We all have to be careful doing things that we know might cause us injury. I can dig a large hole and put in a 15 gallon plant with no issues/it's kind of fun for me, but I realize for others, that's injury area so certainly understand we all have to be aware of our limits and such, we all have them. If I tried to tile a roof? No way, no how. I'd be a mess I'm sure.

In regards to workout equipment designed to be safe, it's not the equipment that concerns me. It's the user. Cars are designed to be safe. As are knives, forks, electricity, hot burners on cooktops, etc ....but in the right hands of course. You are responsible with weights and obviously know what you're doing but I've known a few people over the years who are not responsible as I've known more than a few who have destroyed their backs, tendons/ligaments and such overdoing it or doing whatever it was that caused issues.




ah, got ya, makes total sense.

And I hear you on the better things to do. I'm the same way. Landscaping for whatever reason is fun to me. Other things, not so much. If there's something that just doesn't appeal to me to want to learn to do, or a ton of work and not done very often(ie redoing the roof) and have zero desire to want to learn to do it, I'll hire it out also. The older I get, the more that list seems to grow.

I have four properties with lawns. I go by every few weeks to check and make sure they look good. Three of the properties are under HOA guidelines so there's that too.

My house has nice green grass in the backyard. This time last year it was dirt. My wife says I'm obsessed with landscaping but I like to keep it looking nice.

As far as lifting...I was moving 25 lb. cases of tile last year and hurt my back. I've always been in o.k shape but I'm getting any younger so I've got to be careful.

Roofs: Unless it's a ranch style home I won't go up on the roof.

[desert88]

Originally Posted by john3232

I have three properties with lawns. I go by every few weeks to check and make sure the lawn looks good. All the properties are under HOA guidelines so there's that too.

My house has nice green grass in the backyard. This time last year it was dirt. My wife says I'm obsessed with landscaping but I like to keep it looking nice.

As far as lifting...I was moving 25 lb. cases of tile last year and hurt my back. I've always been in o.k shape but I'm getting any younger so I've got to be careful.

Roofs: Unless it's a ranch style home I won't go up on the roof.

I'm the same, hoa or not, I like to keep things looking nice.

But yes, on backs, for myself, it's usually not a lifting thing but instead just a seemingly simple twist or turn and that often gets my back a time or 2 a year in an ache phase for a few days. The mysteries of the body.

I've popped up on the roof a time or 2, single story to check some tiles, but as for lifting/bringing heavier things up, no thanks.