I would look beyond your street to your general neighborhood/area. Are sprinkler systems common in other areas? Are sprinkler systems common in houses at your price point in the area?

Pixie asks good questions. The answer really depends on your local area, so this forum might not be ideal for advice unless you provide more information. For instance, I live in the desert and UGS are very common for grassy yards. (They are standard in all new construction.) There are years we do not get rain for months with very hot weather.

It sounds like your climate is quite different. If most (newer) homes don't have sprinklers and you really don't plan on using them, I wouldn't install them just for the reason of starting seed. However, if home buyers expect them and/or you will be out in your yard pulling a sprinkler around on a hose, I would install them.

How big is your yard?

Choose a grass (and landscape plants) with low watering requirements instead of water hogs and you will be fine. Talk with your local Agricultural Extension choice about native plants and xeriscaping that is appropriate for your locale. It also helps if you don't have unrealistic expectations about maintaining an artificial monoculture golf course appearance to your yard.

Good input, everybody. Thank you.

The lawn is about 1/3 to 1/2 acre. We live in NE Ohio, so we get plenty of rain in spring and fall. Summer months are the main issue. But I don't think sprinklers are common enough in our neighborhood to make it a major issue at resale (and we plan to be here a really long time anyway).

Thanks again!

We have sprinkler system @ NE Indianapolis mainly because builder installed Kentucky blue grass. Sprinkler system greatly helps to avoid severe drought when not only grass turns yellow but dies. We have a zone is also responsible for drip irrigation to avoid the need to water flowers and plants.

My $.02: I only water front lawn, backyard low water grass. Sprinkler system is very helpful.

We had a sprinkler system at our old house - LOVED IT!!! We didn't water our lawn to death either, the grass has to be self sufficient - grow deep roots and not be dependent on you watering it every day or every other day.

Water here (ND) is OUT of control expensive, but when we landscape our yard we will be putting a system in. We own 2.3 acres, but will only setup the front yard and main area right around the house. And also a run out to the garden. We have Kentucky Blue planted since our dogs would have been filthy had we planted the country mix (greens up quick, goes dormant quick, very thin) and the grass would have been ground to dirt during the summer when it went dormant. We have super hot summers and I hate 'crunchy' grass, and with the lawn already in, without a lot of extra watering so far the root system is very established so it will need to be watered very seldom. (I mostly want to water in the garden and the flower beds/landscaping) I am not interested in a $400 monthly water bill like some people pay cuz they water ALL the time.

If you plan on living there a while, and you do not need to drag hoses to water the grass or to flower beds or a garden, I don't see a need to put one in!

I would not install a sprinkler system only for starting a new lawn. If you want convenience, buy extra garden hose and sprinklers and hook them up to a central point so it's easy to control. Once your lawn is established, you can toss the unneeded hose/sprinklers if you don't want to hold on to them. Much cheaper than a sprinkler system.

That said, I had a system installed over 20 years ago and have been very happy with it. The house is in suburban Chicago-area and most people here maintain the lush look even during summer dry spells.

Zones that are manually controlled are cheaper; throw in an electronic control box with electric valves and the price goes up, but the system can be set to turn on at 2AM or in periods reserved for sprinkling by city water systems.

Note the added maintenance expense. Systems need to be winterized in cold climates. If you don't want to do it yourself, you'll have to hire/get a maintenance contract. There's also the backflow racket which Illinois recently instituted a few years ago - requiring an RPZ setup along with yearly testing/certification.

I can see why you would be hesitant to install the system. However, you shouldn't forget the benefits that come with having a sprinkler system. You can set timers on them to deal with the water use issue you mentioned. While shade is important, watering the grass is just as important. Having a sprinkler system would help not only start up your lawn, but maintain it as well. It's up to you to decide whether or not it's worth it, though. Good luck to you! http://www.turfbuildersirrigation.com