Making sure the lawn is lush is but an indispensable part of doing rehab homes. After all, the turf can send the wrong message to the buyers. This is especially true in the case of some bank foreclosed homes, which the lenders were not able to maintain. For a buyer, an ugly lawn is a sign of neglect. Your buyer thinks that is something as open as the lawn is in bad shape, what more about hidden parts of the property like electrical wiring and the HVAC duct? So to prevent that from happening, study these common lawn problems and take action to remedy them.

In houses that are not well maintained, bank foreclosed home included, grass is thinner in shady areas. If you’ll hold the property for a few weeks, you can solve this problem just be pruning branches that block sunlight from reaching that part of the yard. If worst come to worst, you can replace the grass in shady area with fine fescue and other grass that survive with little sunlight. You can also try pachysandra and groundcovers.

When you rehab homes, you might also meet lawns with dry or brown spots. The usual cause of this is too much foot traffic or lack of water. Make sure you water that portion well and add fertilizer if necessary. Check sprinklers as well to make sure they reach the brown spot. Some bank foreclosed homes may have broken sprinklers so be wary of that. Use the same solution for parts damaged by dogs. And of course, keep the pets out of the grass.

As for lawn problems that seem more complex to the human eye, you will need more intensive solutions as well. If in the course of doing repairs on bank foreclosed homes, or any other type of property for that matter, you notice some dead spots that seem to be spreading like a disease, it might be caused by fungi. Experiment with the time and amount of watering, fertilizing, and aerating that you do. It it’s not solved, consult a green thumb or call a local lawn care specialist.

The lawn problem of rehab homes could be more complicated when bugs come into the picture. One common bug problem in bank foreclosed homes or other types of properties is the presence of Chinch bugs. You’ll know they’re there when you see some dry spots that seem to dry up for no reason. These bugs usually affect St. Augustine grass. For this problem, you can ask gardening stores for appropriate insecticides.

When the dry turf pulls up easily, it could be caused by White Grubs. These beetle larvae feed on grass roots and are rampant in the fall. Chemical Imidacloprid is best applied in early summer but if that’s not possible, you should consult an expert. As for sod webworms, aerating is the key. You can also use insecticides. A good indication of their presence is moths at night, so watch out for that. With these common lawn problems revealed, you can now start making that yard greener.