I've just moved to the Knoxville area from Southern California into a newly constructed home. I have a lawn that was seeded sometime in the spring on "mulched" ground. I believe the grass is similar to "bluegrass."

My questions:

How often is lawn cutting needed?

Is it advisable to have an "irrigation system"?

I'm trying to decide whether it is more cost effective to maintain the lawn myself or contract with a service. I've received a few estimates of between $35 and $45 each visit. In Southern California I had lawn service every week at $55/month. Perhaps it works out to be about the same at a yearly cost since maintenance is not needed year around here, right?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks.