With the spring selling season
just around the corner, many homeowners are looking to prep their
home for a smooth real estate sale. According to experts, one of the
best places to start could be the backyard. A recent Gallup survey of
home buyers revealed that a well-tuned and professional outdoors can
add nearly 15% to a home’s selling price. What’s more, according
to the Society of Real Estate Appraisers, 95% of Realtors concur that
landscaping adds to the dollar value of real estate.
According
to Chris Cipriano, a nationally-known luxury landscaping expert,
investing just 5% of the value your home on landscaping can return
150% or more of the money invested. First, however, homeowners must
know which enhancements can ensure maximum return, he says.
“It
starts with cleaning,” says Cipriano. “After a simple cleanup,
you can move on to more extravagant planting and repairs so that you
create the feeling that someone belongs and the perspective homeowner
can envision moving in without having to do anything to the outside
of the home.”
Real
estate professionals agree that getting people in the door is
critical to a home visit. “If they don’t like what they see
outside, they won’t want to go inside,” says Cipriano. “So
you’ll need to showcase your yard for the times in which home
buyers will view the home.”
For
daytime prospective home buyers, Cipriano suggests showcasing color
throughout the yard, while during the evening, he suggests lighting
up the property.
“This
way,” he says. “People can still stop by and look to see the
features of the home, regardless of the time of day.”
Next,
Cipriano suggests taking a good look at the hardscapes within your
landscaping. Hardscapes, or the solid, non-plant fixtures within the
yard, include walkways, gates and fences, patios, decks, etc. A
common cost-effective material for hardscapes is concrete, however,
Cipriano recommends natural stone, especially when it comes to
walkways.
In
addition to keeping your walkways tidy at all times, Cipriano says
that, “Natural stone has great return on investment (ROI) for
walkways. It’s made for longevity and it gives a clean look—far
greater than any other paver.”
Once
you’ve taken a good look at your hardscapes, the next place to
increase your ROI is the tree and shrub choices within your
yard.
“These,
too, are a great investment because as they grow, they increase in
value,” says Cipriano.
The
best and easiest fix for homeowners looking to sell this season is
annuals. With a minimum investment, Cipriano says, you can have
show-stopping color throughout the entire spring and summer seasons.
If
your yard includes full sun, Cipriano recommends using simple, large
masses of color from annuals such as petunias. On the other hand, if
you have more shade, impatients and other tropical looking plants are
a great option.
“I
would also suggest mixing in perennials,” says Cipriano. “They’ll
help fill in any open areas. You will want to pick summer flowering
perennials such as black-eye Susans or salvias so that at the end of
summer you get a big push of color.
While
adding color is a great way to attract potential home buyers,
Cipriano cautions homeowners from going overboard. “Depending on
your landscape theme, you don’t want to add too many colors, so
stick to larger masses,” he says.
What’s
more, if you’re looking to spruce up your front yard specifically,
Cipriano says that there are ways to make the most of this smaller
space.
“In
this case you would just use smaller groups but still add the color,”
he says. “You can do this by including flower pots in your
landscaping to highlight the front door and keep it interesting. If
you’re adding color to your walkways, also light them up in the
evenings.”
Homeowners
who take the time and effort to make their landscaping more appealing
to home buyers are helping to get their home sold in a more
reasonable time frame.
“The
ROI can be anywhere from not having to make double mortgage payments
over the next few months, saving time, or even getting the asking
price in a more competitive market,” says Ciprianio. “Ultimately,
keeping a great garden will keep your home fresh and help get the
home off the market as fast as possible.”
Copyright©
2009 RISMedia’s Top 5 in Real Estate Network, All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished without permission from
RISMedia.
RISMedia’s
Top 5 in Real Estate Network.® Copyright © 2009. All Rights
Reserved.
(more…)