When the time comes to sell a home, first impressions are more important than anything. "Buyers will decide whether they are interested in a home in just moments of arriving out front" says Kurtis Forster of viewhomes.ca. Sure, they might change their mind about wanting to buy your home after doing a tour of the inside if it isn’t maintained and decorated with care, but that’s better than buyers leaving before ever touring your home because the lawn looks poor. If you plan on selling your home, taking the time to care for your lawn, and employ some basic landscaping really does make a difference in your overall property value, and there are studies to prove it.
How Much of a Difference Does Landscaping and Lawn Care Make?
A survey at Virginia Tech involving people from 7 different states showed a perceived increase in home value of between 7% and 12%, which might not seem like much, but consider that it could add between $28,000 and $48,000 in value to a $400,000 home, and more expensive homes could see an even larger increase in value overall.
With those sort of value increases, it’s simple to see how much it pays off to take care of your lawn and to implement some landscaping features. Why does proper lawn maintenance and landscaping result in such big value increases though, and what can you do to make sure you sell your home for as much as possible?
Why Excellent Lawn Care and Landscaping Results in Higher Sale Prices
"Potential homeowners are interested in getting houses that have been well taken care of" says Greg Covell an agent who sells Maple Ridge homes for sale. They want to purchase a space that needs very little work, so they can move in and live comfortably without spending thousands on improvements and repairs. For this reason, they are actively looking for signs that a house was cared for properly. When a homeowner has a lush green lawn that’s landscaped nicely, it’s clear that they take pride in their home and want it to be the best that it can. This is a sign that the rest of the house is maintained carefully as well, and it makes buyers feel confident to spend money on the property. This means that buyers will be willing to offer more money for a home if it has a nicely landscaped lawn that’s cared for well than they would for a property that has a poorly maintained lawn. Not only that, but you’ll enjoy more buyer interest, more offers and often a quicker sale when you care for your lawn and landscape it well.
How to Make your Lawn Stand Out
There are a few simple steps you can take to make you’re a lawn stand out. Take the time to irrigate it properly so that it is lush and green and looks higher quality than the lawns of your neighbors. Spend time edging around your property so everything appears neat and trimmed and cared for. Also, consider hiring landscapers, or applying modern-day landscaping techniques yourself to add some basic landscaped features to your property to help it looks higher quality.
By spending a bit more time and money caring for your lawn and adding some basic features to your landscape, you’ll enjoy higher offers when it comes time to sell your home, and you’ll likely sell your house faster as well.
Kurtis Forster is a real estate agent for Team Forster in London, Ontario. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise about buying and selling real estate. Are you looking for a home to buy or sell in London, St. Thomas, Dorchester, get in touch with us today!
