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Original poster

Does astroturf put you off?

392 replies

GingerBeverage · 12/10/2021 10:04

If you're looking at family houses, would astroturf (fake grass) put you off viewing/buying?

I'm seeing it a lot in city terraces and semis these days. There seems to be a resurgence from being out of fashion decades ago.

OP posts:
Classica · 12/10/2021 23:07

Seems strange not to view a house purely because it's got plastic grass. It can be removed. It would be like writing a property off because it had a colour scheme you hated.

Alekto · 12/10/2021 23:11

Yes.

FurierTransform · 12/10/2021 23:17

My house has a fully landscaped garden with AstroTurf 'patch'. I initially hated it but having lived with it for a while now, can't decide whether I can be bothered to replace with a patch of lawn or not. It sort of suits a fully landscaped plot with patio, raised sleeper beds, raised decking etc, and is nicer to play/lie down on.

FurierTransform · 12/10/2021 23:20

Oh and yes, the previous owners were 'chavs' and hit pretty much every stereotype bang on (loud, selfish, hot tub, fake grass, smoked etc) :D

BasiliskStare · 12/10/2021 23:24

@Classica Flowers - not my preference but I certainly would not not view a house because of it & @FurierTransform - I can imagine at times it is too practical to be bothered to do anything about it in the short term.

There are reasons I have judged people ( shame on me ) but having artificial grass has never been one .

JacquelineCarlyle · 12/10/2021 23:25

@cloudtree

Yes. Its awful stuff, cheap and tacky looking and horrendous for the environment. I judge I'm afraid.
Me too!
RockinHorseShit · 12/10/2021 23:31

Yes

Pollypett · 12/10/2021 23:37

We were potentially looking at buying a house (terraced, small garden) with astro and so investigated the costs of removal - were quoted figures in the region of £5,000-10,000 to remove, dig out what was underneath and replace with soild and proper grass (variation was due to not really knowing what was underneath the astro)

However when we talked to the owner on second viewing they explained that it was astro as it was a very shady garden with little scope for the grass to grow so it was a choice of astroturf or paving stones. In the end our wish for proper grass (or potential for proper grass) meant we didnt buy, instead we went for a house with paving but in the sun so that we could plant a lawn

PeriChristmas · 13/10/2021 05:29

@GingerBeverage

If you're looking at family houses, would astroturf (fake grass) put you off viewing/buying?

I'm seeing it a lot in city terraces and semis these days. There seems to be a resurgence from being out of fashion decades ago.

It's a bit like not buying a house because you don't like the carpet. Just change it 🤷🏽‍♀️
HelpMeWithMyHip · 13/10/2021 07:39

@Suzi888

Would put me off if the previous owners had a dog, (or I did!) It’s like outside carpet, you have to vacuum it and wash itConfused otherwise it looks awful.
It doesn't need vacuuming at all. Or even hosing down very often if I am honest. Only when it's not rained for a while. And that's it! Gardening complete.
TheGrumpyGoat · 13/10/2021 09:19

It's a bit like not buying a house because you don't like the carpet. Just change it

Sometimes (often) when people are buying houses, they don’t have £1000’s left over to do remedial works (see above, quotes for removal can be up to £10k). So if the financials didn’t stack up, it would put me off offering on a house.

De88 · 13/10/2021 09:48

I'd always been put off by cheap nasty AstroTurf as it looks awful but it took two long viewings of our current house to actually question whether the grass is real- it isnt- its obviously v expensive but honestly looks fab! Lots of trees and shrubs surrounding, it doesn't look out of place or fake in the slightest. After spending so long battling with trying to keep grass alive and weed/moss free and it looking bloody awful, fake grass definitely has its pros.

Suzi888 · 13/10/2021 10:15

The guys up the road vacuum theirs all the time, it gets covered in leaves otherwise. Admittedly we live on the edge of a wood!Grin
However my Mil has it and a bichon and I can confirm it stinks on a hot day! She does hose it but your never going to get right under it to hose urine away. Envy- not envy lol

Classica · 13/10/2021 10:19

Hoovering your lawn is all kinds of bonkers. Reminds me of a garden I once saw that was all plastic flowers. None of that pesky nature stuff that grows and drops leaves.

SeptemberSongs · 13/10/2021 10:43

Nearly all the houses here that come on the market have artificial grass. We’re in central-ish London so the gardens are small. It looks fine, we didn’t realise our was artificial until we moved in! So no it didn’t put us off nor any of our friends who have all bought houses with artificial lawn.

SeptemberSongs · 13/10/2021 11:29

And are people really still using the word chavs now?

NashvilleQueen · 13/10/2021 15:26

I don't want to remove it and send it all to landfill. I want an established lawn with wildlife and insects. It's environmentally dreadful and burns dogs' paws in very hot weather.

There's lots of houses about. Many things I would be happy to take on and change or live with. But my personal choice is to avoid homes with a fake lawn.

freshcarnation · 13/10/2021 15:26

Yes, it's awful

Bluntness100 · 13/10/2021 16:11

@De88

I'd always been put off by cheap nasty AstroTurf as it looks awful but it took two long viewings of our current house to actually question whether the grass is real- it isnt- its obviously v expensive but honestly looks fab! Lots of trees and shrubs surrounding, it doesn't look out of place or fake in the slightest. After spending so long battling with trying to keep grass alive and weed/moss free and it looking bloody awful, fake grass definitely has its pros.
Seriously? You stood on it and couldn’t tell it was plastic? I’ve never seen such a plastic grass. Every single one looks fine from a distance but soon as you get close you know it’s fake shit.
De88 · 13/10/2021 16:54

@Bluntness100 seriously! It's that good

megletthesecond · 13/10/2021 17:24

Yes. I would expect them to remove it if I purchased it so I could turf it. It's bad for the environment.
Should be banned in most domestic gardens. (Except for mobility reasons).

HelpMeWithMyHip · 13/10/2021 17:28

@megletthesecond

Yes. I would expect them to remove it if I purchased it so I could turf it. It's bad for the environment. Should be banned in most domestic gardens. (Except for mobility reasons).
But getting rid is just as wasteful surely.
megletthesecond · 13/10/2021 17:31

Kind off. But hopefully it would send a message the stuff isn't acceptable. I'd like a garden, not a plastic rug.

HelpMeWithMyHip · 13/10/2021 19:09

@megletthesecond

Kind off. But hopefully it would send a message the stuff isn't acceptable. I'd like a garden, not a plastic rug.
Meh mine was already down and it's changed my life for the better so I'm happy with my plastic rug. No waste so win win.
notacooldad · 13/10/2021 19:15

It wouldn't put me off.
I view it the same as a kitchen that is outdated or a bathroom that need modernising. I can just take it out and put what I want in to make it my own.