Please consider the cost of starting a lawn in sand. Most respectable grasses don't do well in sand and need water, lots of it. I'm talking Sand, not talking Sandy Soil, it appears there is no soil in your picture. Best 0ptions are good Sod or Zosia Grass which is brown a good portion of the year. You may want to bring in a few truck loads of topsoil. Next thought is a timed, automatic sprinkler system. Since I presume you will not be there full time, a sprinkler system would be a wise choice. Then consider your water bill increasing unless you have a well. I would strongly consider a nice sampling of native plants and ornamental grasses along with some bordering, possibly with river rock. Definitely some vegetation along the foundation. Unless you trust your "Landscaper" you may want to talk to Shannon Brooks at the NC Extension Service in Manteo or possibly Kath Mitchell, the Aquarium's Horticulturist who gives very good advice. There are locals who are classified as Master Gardners who should be able to give you some advice. Good Luck

As someone here with a lawn (2 of them at both houses) it takes so doing to do well unless you go the sod and watering method. That is going to need cutting often though and using county water will add to the cost so many put in shallow wells that only go down 10-20 feet to hit water. But it is water full of iron and that is why you often see the iron stained fences because they use a shallow well. It is mot expensive to dig a deeper well to go below the iron rich water near the surface.

Be careful with love grass if you want a nice lawn like you are used to. Love grass grows tall and can take over an area pretty quickly and is used more to take over a lawn that does not get much use from people or pets.

Crab Grass grows well in our sandy soil, but you can't buy the seed anywhere - I have tried. Bluegrass will grow but it needs lots of water and fertilizer. One option is to spread top soil over your sandy yard and plant a beach blend that Ace and others here sell. It will need lots of water to get started and the farther you are from salt air the better.

Many here let the lawns go natural to avoid the maintenance of watering and cutting.
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Can you find my house??

I've been told Bermuda grass is the way to go if you have more sun than shade.

We had a back yard full of love grass for about 10 years. Loved it for the first 7 years or so. Our next door neighbor began feeding feral cats that began building dens in all the neighbors shrubs and also in our love grass. We were unhappy about this. Then our septic field failed and we needed a new system. The excavation of this new system leveled our back yard down to sand. What came in naturally was Bermuda. We don't pay any one to take are of it, but we do mow it when we come down. It's very manageable, and we don't do anything to it, as far as upkeep, other than mowing. And no more wild cats living in it. Win Win.

Love grass over a septic field is like death to it when those roots get in there and clog it all up and it will in time. Avoid Love Grass.

Love grass over a septic field is like death to it when those roots get in there and clog it all up and it will in time. Avoid Love Grass.

I did not know that! Tnx, Tim.

What about artificial turf?

Love grass over a septic field is like death to it when those roots get in there and clog it all up and it will in time. Avoid Love Grass.

I did not know that! Tnx, Tim.

Can't tell you how many systems I have seen with the roots in the pipes. I looks like heart worm in a dog. It can look just like this.

If you put in an automatic sprinkler, you need to maintain it, and it needs to be monitored regularly to some degree. Get a break in the line just past the control valve, and it will flow huge amounts of water when it comes on. (Think of a $1000 water bill in one quarter.) So if you are a remote owner, this can be very problematic.