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Like decor, do you think most buyers can look past an owner's landscaping or lack of landscaping?
When I was younger and looking for my first home, I couldn't get past bad landscaping. If the yard was a mess, I didn't bother looking inside the home. I do expect really bad landscaping when looking at a foreclosure or short sale though but then I expect the inside will be a mess too.
My home now has professional landscaping. One Realtor I interviewed when trying to decide on who to go with said that my landscaping added 2,000 to the value of my home. I thought that was kind of low especially when a lot of homes in my neighborhood lacked much card to their yards.
I was just curious from a Realtors take on it, how important landscaping was to their clients when showing homes. Was it ever a reason to not go inside and that type thing.
I think I'm just such a yard person and love working in the yard that it's more important to me....probably not so important to most people though.
Also I live in a neighborhood with an HOA. Unfortunately the guy across the street has a very messy yard...kind of trashy looking. One Realtor told me that potential buyers don't really pay attention to the neighbors homes. He said they look at your yard and are impressed with that so don't care about neighbors. I find that hard to believe. Probably it would bother some and not bother others.
Last edited by diddlydudette; 08-05-2013 at 08:01 AM..
Well. This topic is dear to my heart and here's why.
A good builder built our house - but he was trying to sell it when the market crashed, so his money was tight. We got the house for a good price, but it sure was a good thing we did, or we'd be upside down in it now, because it didn't have hardly a thing done to the yard. The front yard had grass laid just around the front, and had some minimal landscaping done in the front flower beds, because it was a Parade Home, but that was it.
We had to put in a fence ($6000). Our side yard and back yard was a pile of red clay, so we had to lay sod ($5000 - we have nearly an acre of lawn). Sprinkler system - $4000. Extended flagstone patio and pergola - $6000. Flower beds in the back and side yard, including shrubbery - $3500. Retaining wall - $1500. Then we added a nice storage building - $2500. Hot tub which will probably stay with the property - $4000.
We are in direct competition with two new construction homes right across the street from us. They are priced at about $5 a foot less than ours. But they don't have these amenities and our house is only three years old. So...this should be interesting!
Well. This topic is dear to my heart and here's why.
A good builder built our house - but he was trying to sell it when the market crashed, so his money was tight. We got the house for a good price, but it sure was a good thing we did, or we'd be upside down in it now, because it didn't have hardly a thing done to the yard. The front yard had grass laid just around the front, and had some minimal landscaping done in the front flower beds, because it was a Parade Home, but that was it.
We had to put in a fence ($6000). Our side yard and back yard was a pile of red clay, so we had to lay sod ($5000 - we have nearly an acre of lawn). Sprinkler system - $4000. Extended flagstone patio and pergola - $6000. Flower beds in the back and side yard, including shrubbery - $3500. Retaining wall - $1500. Then we added a nice storage building - $2500. Hot tub which will probably stay with the property - $4000.
We are in direct competition with two new construction homes right across the street from us. They are priced at about $5 a foot less than ours. But they don't have these amenities and our house is only three years old. So...this should be interesting!
Sounds interesting, please keep us updated.
I think people generally underestimate the cost of landscaping and therefore that value is not reflected in a sale. I'm not sure if appraisals even have landscaping as a bump in comps, which doesn't help either.
I think that landscaping in the front yard is very important. Your curb appeal matters because it is the first impression people get of the house which will bias their opinion of the rest of the house. Does that mean you need to put in elaborate landscaping to sell - NO! But you should have it green, clean, weeded, mowed, edged, fresh mulch, a little color. Too much landscaping screams "high maintenance".
I think people generally underestimate the cost of landscaping and therefore that value is not reflected in a sale. I'm not sure if appraisals even have landscaping as a bump in comps, which doesn't help either.
I know that sometimes things like expanded patios, outdoor kitchens or fireplaces, nice storage buildings or shops, sprinkler systems, etc have to be pointed out to some appraisers - and that most will adjust their appraisal if the other comps don't have those items. But sometimes they do have to be specifically pointed out.
My realtor has highlighted those things in the MLS with the caption "Better than brand new" which I think is a good selling point. For instance, my house also has a security system, with cameras, that cost about $4000 but the cameras can be accessed in real time from anywhere in the world online. So that's pretty cool, especially in this area of oil and gas consultants who travel a lot. That sort of buyer is very common in this area.
As a buyer, a nice front yard is important to me. It sets the tone for the rest of the house in most cases. I want to see grass and some simple landscaping - I don't raeally care about fancy stuff, but nice grass, some boxwoods around the house, etc. makes it look nice for cheap.
When you pull up to a listing the 'curb' appeal is what hits you first. If it (the landscaping/paint/driveway) is pleasing you likely will take the next step: Go Inside. If it looks unkempt and poorly maintained, you conclude (rightly or wrongly) that the house is not well maintained and you don't even get out of the car.
That might be superficial, but true, unless you are looking to buy flip homes where you bid the buyer down, paint it, put in a few cheap bushes, and flip it for 20 grand.
My last home had extraordinary landscaping. We worked with a certified landscape architect and went from there. When it came time to sell, there were those who loved it, and those who understood that high end landscaping can be a LOT of work. The ultimate buyer loved it, and said it was a prime reason in her buying the house. Then she proceeded to NEVER touch a thing, mow the lawn once a month whether it needed it or not, and incur an 'intervention' from the neighbors because the place looked so rundown and poorly maintained.
No, or poor, landscaping equals bad. Average commercial landscaping (the guys who drive around your neighborhood with lawn mowers, a cute name, and dig holes and mulch beds) are pretty much what most people are looking for and should be the norm for the average house. Architectural landscaping can go either way: looks great, but people in the know understand the work involved and might shy away.
I think it is very important to keep the landscaping up if you want buyers to come and see your house.
Curb appeal is hugely important. We have just ripped out an old hard to maintain fish pond in our front garden and trimmed the overgrowth way back. New bedding plants and $$$ in mulch and it looks so much better now. We will soon be painting our deck in back of our house, and we are debating on trying the Restore products from Rust-oleum to make it look like new.
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