Kan1ck
New member
My first post to this forum, some members could possibly remember me from another forum, if so how ya been doing?
Here is my dilemma. My wife and I are thinking of putting a bid on a nice house on a 1 acre lot that is mostly lawn.
The property has some issues in that there is a nice sized (15' X 24') oval shaped, in ground swimming pool that is basically just the derelict remains of what may have once been an asset. But it appears that the pool has not been maintained in who knows how long. And the property has not been occupied in nearly a year, so I'm thinking that the critical plumbing is likely shot from freeze damage, along with the filter and pump. Bottom line on the pool is, my wife and I have no interest in owning a pool, and would just as soon demolish the structure as a pool and use the concrete deck surrounding the pool as a patio of sorts with a vegetable garden where the pool was.
Right now I don't even know if the pool is of Gunite or other concrete construction, or if it is a vinyl drop in liner type pool because the water in the pool is forest green and full of debris, and when we first looked at the house one day last week, we only had a short amount of time to spend because of other appointments. So, that is the part about the pool.
There is also what was once a Koi pond. Now it is completely full of Cattails and water lilies and all sorts of debris. We are also not interested in a Koi pond.
And then there is the issue of some big Cedar trees and a Hemlock tree on the property. The Cedar trees are all damaged from a storm splitting the trunks and twisting limbs to the breaking point. The Hemlock tree is dead. All of the trees will have to be taken down. There is a Cedar stump still in the ground that appears to be many years old that would need to come out too.
There is also what might possibly have once been someone's idea of a "rock garden" that is now completely overgrown with brush and small trees.
Another eyesore (to me) is that the owners seem to have cultivated a "cane break" to somewhat shield (I suppose) the swimming pool on one side. That cane has demonstrated its invasive character and spread out of control far beyond any original planting site.
Now to get to the meat of this thread, having set the scenery in place.
I told me wife that if we buy this property, the pool, the Koi pond, the damaged and dead trees, the rock garden, and the cane break.............will all have to go.
And I explained to her that we would need to buy a backhoe/FEL to do the work.
Well, it seemed like I had started World War III or something. Until I showed her what I meant by backhoe/FEL on the John Deere website. After showing her the Deere 2025R with mid mount mower deck and going over the amenities, she was like "Yowsa, that would be nice" (whew!)
What I have in mind is something on the order of a compact utility tractor like a John Deere 2025R, or a Kubota BX 25D, decked out with quick attach hoe and front loader and a 60" mid mount mower.
Do you folks think that I have lost my mind or are these machines (or other suggestions welcome) capable of doing the projects for me? I am very open to suggestions aimed at the used market as I am a quite capable mechanic of 45 years + experience and still work it every day. I'm just getting old and will retire from the job in a couple years (I hope) and I want to be able to do some heavy duty "piddling around the property" if everything works out for us.
Here is my dilemma. My wife and I are thinking of putting a bid on a nice house on a 1 acre lot that is mostly lawn.
The property has some issues in that there is a nice sized (15' X 24') oval shaped, in ground swimming pool that is basically just the derelict remains of what may have once been an asset. But it appears that the pool has not been maintained in who knows how long. And the property has not been occupied in nearly a year, so I'm thinking that the critical plumbing is likely shot from freeze damage, along with the filter and pump. Bottom line on the pool is, my wife and I have no interest in owning a pool, and would just as soon demolish the structure as a pool and use the concrete deck surrounding the pool as a patio of sorts with a vegetable garden where the pool was.
Right now I don't even know if the pool is of Gunite or other concrete construction, or if it is a vinyl drop in liner type pool because the water in the pool is forest green and full of debris, and when we first looked at the house one day last week, we only had a short amount of time to spend because of other appointments. So, that is the part about the pool.
There is also what was once a Koi pond. Now it is completely full of Cattails and water lilies and all sorts of debris. We are also not interested in a Koi pond.
And then there is the issue of some big Cedar trees and a Hemlock tree on the property. The Cedar trees are all damaged from a storm splitting the trunks and twisting limbs to the breaking point. The Hemlock tree is dead. All of the trees will have to be taken down. There is a Cedar stump still in the ground that appears to be many years old that would need to come out too.
There is also what might possibly have once been someone's idea of a "rock garden" that is now completely overgrown with brush and small trees.
Another eyesore (to me) is that the owners seem to have cultivated a "cane break" to somewhat shield (I suppose) the swimming pool on one side. That cane has demonstrated its invasive character and spread out of control far beyond any original planting site.
Now to get to the meat of this thread, having set the scenery in place.
I told me wife that if we buy this property, the pool, the Koi pond, the damaged and dead trees, the rock garden, and the cane break.............will all have to go.
And I explained to her that we would need to buy a backhoe/FEL to do the work.
Well, it seemed like I had started World War III or something. Until I showed her what I meant by backhoe/FEL on the John Deere website. After showing her the Deere 2025R with mid mount mower deck and going over the amenities, she was like "Yowsa, that would be nice" (whew!)
What I have in mind is something on the order of a compact utility tractor like a John Deere 2025R, or a Kubota BX 25D, decked out with quick attach hoe and front loader and a 60" mid mount mower.
Do you folks think that I have lost my mind or are these machines (or other suggestions welcome) capable of doing the projects for me? I am very open to suggestions aimed at the used market as I am a quite capable mechanic of 45 years + experience and still work it every day. I'm just getting old and will retire from the job in a couple years (I hope) and I want to be able to do some heavy duty "piddling around the property" if everything works out for us.
