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DIY Lawn Care vs Professional Services: What to Consider in New England

There is no question that we live in a DIY world these days. With so much video and info out there, many homeowners try to tackle projects around the house on their own.

But when it comes to investing in a lawn care service vs. doing it yourself, there can be some really important considerations to keep in mind.

In this article, we’ll compare whether you should DIY lawn care or hire a professional.

Lawn Care Service vs Doing it Yourself

We understand that people may be reluctant to pay for professional lawn care services if it feels like tasks they can do on their own. However, there are some factors to consider before you go that route. 

homeowner looks at lawn

The last thing we like to see is unhappy homeowners who wish they hadn’t gotten in over their heads.

Here’s what to think about.

Lawn Care is More Complex Than You May Realize

While it’s by no means rocket science, lawn care is a bit more complex than people tend to realize. People often assume that buying some lawn care products at the store and tossing them down is all it takes. But it’s actually a bit more complex than that.

For one, there are optimal times of the year to apply different products. You also have to have some sense of what’s going on in the yard so that you can troubleshoot when there are problems.

This can be tricky as many problems tend to mimic one another. And the last thing you want to do is make the problem worse. For instance, turf diseases can mimic drought damage. But if you were to water a turf disease, you could spread it and make it worse.

Rather than having to try and figure this all out on your own, it might make more sense to just work with a pro who will know exactly what your lawn needs (and when). They’ll also be able to properly troubleshoot problems.

Lawn Care Mistakes Can be Costly

As you weigh lawn care service vs doing it yourself, also consider the fact that making a mistake can actually be costly. 

For instance, if you put down the wrong amount of product and burn your lawn, you’ve now got dead spots that are going to have to be filled in. Sometimes, DIY lawn care can be a setback to making progress.

lawn care technician and homeowner inspect lawn

We know that people usually consider DIY lawn care as a means of saving money, but if you make mistakes, you could end up costing yourself more money in the long run. 

Plus, you have to remember that the DIY path still isn’t free. Even store-bought lawn care products can be expensive and you might need to invest in equipment to apply them.

And it’s not uncommon for people to buy the wrong products and end up wasting money on them.

The bottom line is you might not actually end up saving that much money or you could risk making mistakes.

DIY Lawn Care Typically Yields Subpar Results

Another important consideration is that DIY lawn care is likely to yield subpar results. You’re investing in lawn care (whether it’s DIY products or hiring a professional) to try and get a better lawn. But one path will definitely lead to better results over another.

You simply are not going to get the same results as a professional lawn care service with store-bought products. A lawn care pro will be using high-quality, commercial-grade products that deliver better results.

patchy brown lawn

But it’s also the know-how. As we mentioned, lawn care can be a complex science of knowing what to apply and when to apply it. If you make mistakes, it can really impact your success.

A lawn care pro will also have an arsenal of a wide variety of products for all different purposes. They will use a rotation of great products that meet your lawn’s needs at different times of the year. This customized approach is the best way to get a great lawn.

DIY Lawn Care is a Burden

Finally, as you weigh lawn care service vs doing it yourself, don’t forget that lawn care is a LOT of work. 

People sometimes underestimate how much time and effort can be involved in caring for their lawns. But it can be time-consuming and also grueling, tiresome work!

lawn care technician spreads granular fertilizer

The truth is, you probably have better ways to spend your free time than working on your lawn. 

One of the greatest benefits of hiring professional lawn care services is that you can hand those worries and burdens off to someone else. That means you don’t have to spend your free weekend doing back-breaking work in the yard. 

Instead, you can simply spend time actually enjoying your yard.

Hiring Lawn Care Services in Southern NH, ME, and MA

Our point in writing this article was to provide some important considerations as you considered whether you should tackle DIY lawn care or hire a professional. 

As lawn care pros, we often come into situations where a homeowner had been attempting DIY lawn care and it either became too much time and burden…or they made mistakes they wanted us to fix.

It’s important to know what you’re getting into before starting so that you don’t have regrets later. 

Of course, we know that many homeowners do enjoy working in their yards. Often DIY tasks like planting and caring for flowers in the landscape are popular pastimes. But when it comes to maintaining your turf, that might be something you’d rather just leave up to the pros.

At Seacoast Turf Care, we’d love to take the burdens off of your plate and help you get a great-looking lawn that you’ll love. 

Want to learn more about what makes us a great choice for your lawn care needs? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get lawn care pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property. 

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