Landscaping Can Impact House Prices

CHICAGO (May 15, 2013) – The Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers, today advised homeowners to properly maintain their landscaping, which can significantly affect property values.

“If a landscaping change is positive, it can often enhance price and reduce a home’s time on the market,” said Appraisal Institute President Richard L. Borges II, MAI, SRA. “But if the change is negative, it can lower the price and lengthen the time a home remains for sale.”

Curb appeal is essential when selling a home, Borges said, noting it’s the homeowner’s opportunity to make a great first impression. A home with lackluster landscaping or an exterior in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint will likely be unappealing to prospective buyers and ultimately could affect the home’s potential resale value, he said.

Landscaping is typically associated with lawns, trees, bushes and flowers. But other items also can be considered part of landscaping, such as fire pits, decks, patios, waterfalls, swimming pools and outdoor lighting … all of which could add to the value of the home.

Borges added that homeowners should trim growth regularly, replant approximately every 5 to 10 years depending on growth and not “overwhelm” the house. He also advised that homeowners check out what their neighbors have done and keep landscaping maintenance and improvements on par with neighborhood norms.

According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, trees that are too close to buildings may be fire hazards. Additionally, larger tree root systems that extend underneath a house can cause foundation uplift and can leech water from the soil beneath foundations, causing the structures to settle and sink unevenly.

According to a recent study conducted by Lawn & Landscape magazine, about two-thirds of homeowners say they’ll get less than 60 percent of their landscaping investment back when they sell the home.

“Landscaping improvements could make an impact on resale value, and homeowners need to consider how long they’ll be in the home and whether to make short-term updates or plan for the long haul,” Borges said.

Borges said homeowners should ask themselves the following questions when it comes to the quality of their home’s green space:

• Is the landscaping attractive enough to make the prospective buyer walk through the front door? Keep the design contemporary and in line with comparable properties in the area.
• Could the landscaping provide cost savings? Landscaping that requires little or no water to maintain could be desirable depending on the geographic area.
• Is the landscaping energy-efficient for the home overall? For example, it’s a good idea to plant trees in a place where they block the sun in locations with year-round hot climates.
• Are the trees planted at a safe distance from the home and are they healthy and well maintained? Weak, old or damaged trees planted too close to a home or building could pose dangers to the home’s structure and will need to be removed. Consumers should also be sure that mulching or beds don’t get too close to wood around foundations to avoid wood-destroying organisms.

Ready to get that project going and sell your house? If so call me and let's now add to best marketing plan to get your house the exposure it needs to show off and attract that buyer!

Noemi Cardoso

William Raveis Real Estate

Cell: 508-558-1945

www.DistinctiveHomes-Ne.com

Fluent in Portuguese and English

Licensed in MA & RI

Landscaping for Curb Appeal

Spring is here, and with it comes so does the opportunity to overhaul your front yard — not only for simple aesthetics, but also because an attractive and well-cared-for front yard acts like a gigantic welcome mat for homebuyers. If you are in the market to sell your home, your yard can contribute greatly to your home's curb appeal for these buyers.

You don't need to start with a major overhaul of your front yard. In fact, there are a lot of ways you can revise your lawn to spruce things up, and create a neat, inviting look that will turn buyer's heads and encourage them to knock on the door. If you are preparing to sell your home over the next few months, here are some things you'll want to do:

Start with some spring-cleaning. Start off by mowing, trimming, weeding, raking up leaves and generally giving your yard a solid overhaul to get it looking its best. Makes sure to edge the lawn and trim the perimeters of flower beds and borders around the trees and shrubs to give your yard a professional, manicured look.

Start planting. To further that professional look, take some time to add small plants and even larger items such as bushes and small trees from the home store to areas of your front that might seem a little sparse and in need of some coverage.

Refresh your flowerbeds. Plant brightly colored flowers in your newly cleaned flowerbeds to add some serious visual flash and generate interest in your home. Make sure the flowers you pick complement your home's color.

Make the most of limited space. If you don't have a lot of room in your front yard, you can still make an impact with a little creativity. Use window boxes, hanging planters, and pots to increase your opportunities to use flowers and eye-catching plants that will get buyers to look twice.

Create a tasteful focal point. You might have a sentimental attachment to your garden gnome or plastic flamingo, but if you're trying to sell your home, put your lawn decorations into storage and replace them with a single focal point for the lawn. This could be a sculpture, fountain or similar item that gives your yard a memorable signature look.

Create a dramatic entry with plants. Use plants to draw attention to your front door. An easy way to accomplish this is with flowerpots on either side of the front door. Consider some small trees that you can closely trim, or perhaps small trellises on either side that are covered in flowering vines. Like the flowers you might select for flowerbeds, make sure the colors compliment your home's exterior.

Clean up your concrete. While technically not landscaping, your driveway, walkways, stepping stones and similar features also need a little spring cleaning if you want to maximize your curb appeal. Make sure to clean up weeds poking between paving stones or sections of concrete, remove all dirt and grime, trim growth around paving stones, and clean up any oil stains or similar spots from the driveway or curb. Together with your cleaned up yard and other landscaping, your hard work will dramatically increase your home's curb appeal and keep it looking great all through spring.

Noemi Cardoso
RE/MAX Welcome Home
Serving Westport, Dartmouth, Fall River, MA
Little Compton, Tiverton, RI and surrounding towns.
www.DistinctiveHomes-NE.com