Curb Appeal Increases Real Estate Values

Real estate markets in the U.S. are varied by region.  And some regions are rebounding after property values diminished several years ago. Many homes lost up to one third of their value overnight. Other regions, however, are still depressed due to a large amount of foreclosures in the area which bring down home prices in that neighborhood. 
Many homeowners need to sell their properties, but with the prices down, and interest rates on the way up from record low rates, how can the seller get the most buyers to see this house as their new home?

Curb appeal – that element of the home that is viewed from the outside by prospective buyers.  Most buyers will drive by a listing before they actually go inside the property and 63% of those driving by will never go inside.

So let’s see what the 37% of home buyers find attractive enough to walk in the front door. What can the seller do to make a good impression? 

Good curb appeal will tell the story of this house.  Gee, the house must be neat inside, because, look at the outside.  They have time to relax on the front porch.  Adding a sitting area will go a long way to invite folks in.
 
Many avid gardeners can go a long way to be attractive by reducing massive gardens.  To the onlooker, these gardens mean work.  They see, not only mowing, but weeding, pruning, painting, and a big commitment to the landscape.  The reminder is that not everyone likes to garden, so simplify the impression that this yard takes a lot of time to maintain.



Personal style is another risky element to the curb appeal.  Not everyone will be drawn to your style and to limit the future buyer to a chosen few will greatly reduce the buyer pool looking for a home in the area. Appealing to ‘most’ buyers is going to pay off in a timely sale at maximum dollars.





Exterior maintenance delayed costs money. Few buyers, if any, will want to tackle a major project like these.  The buyers may agree to a sale IF the seller fixes the problems before the sale.  So if the homeowner is going to have the expense of fixing this anyway, go ahead and present a well maintained landscape from the beginning. 


No landscaping or dead landscaping will not lure a buyer to this property. Before putting the house on the market, spray weeds, and  water and fertilize the lawn.



A bare landscape is just as much a turn-off  as an overgrown landscape.
 
Tearing out, pruning, and weeding a landscape will show the buyers that this house is well taken care of and it shows a degree of pride in this home.

Clean up drives and walkways as well.  Edging to make crisp neat lines will show the onlooker this yard and home are not hiding any difficult maintenance issues, since the current homeowner seems to have time to keep the yard looking good.

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Another aspect of too owner specific is artwork displayed in the yard.  The seller may like his gnomes and flamingos, but removed, the curb appeal will speak to many more buyers.





This may be charming, livable house inside, but with these shrubs hiding the front, who can tell?  Open up the view to the house by pruning, or removing overgrown plantings.


Opening up the site of the house shows a couple of aspects that a buyer may find appealing.  The siding is in good condition, and the beds are neat, and would be easy to maintain.  That is good curb appeal.




Clutter of any kind is a drawback to curb appeal.  These planters are another hint that this house is hard to maintain so that the yard was just too much for these homeowners.  Fence lines need to be trimmed, and clutter removed before the curb appeal has a chance to scare off too many potential buyers.




Front doors need to be welcoming.  Power washing siding to remove dirt, mold, and spider webs, or a fresh coat of paint will say ‘come on into your new home’. 



Good exterior lighting is another aspect of curb appeal.  Keep porch lamps on in the evenings.  A well lit exterior appears welcoming and safe. Safety is another reason to remove overgrown shrubbery around the front door.  Do not give intruders a place to hide and the prospective buyers will see a safe place to call home.

 

Spend a few dollars to add bright, colorful plants at or near the entrance.  Power wash the walkways, or paint the porch surface for a new, clean look.

 
Plant a tree.  These two homes are in the same upscale neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.  Yet the top property is valued at $10,000 more than the lower house.  Why?  The value of the landscape.  People will pay more for a wooded lot.  Trees create a sense of peacefulness and calmness.  So if a seller can add a tree to the property, that property will appear to have a greater value. 





Curb appeal is an important aspect of selling real estate.  If the potential buyer keeps on going, there is no chance for the property to get sold.
 
Inexpensive chores like mowing, weeding, and pruning can put money in the seller’s pocket.

Adding a shrub or planter gives the landscape a finishing touch, much like a piece of jewelry does to an outfit.

The optimum time to sell is when the homeowner decides to sell. As house prices go up, and interest rates go up, make sure the curb appeal does not limit the amount of good, qualified buyers from taking an interest in the house.  

Common Mistakes In the Landscape

 

Plan to Avoid Mistakes 

Too often I have had to undo, redo, or constantly maintain a section of the landscape simply because I did not follow some practical advice.  So let me share with you a few mistakes I've made. Live and Learn!

Mistake 1 - NO PLAN   Keep is simple and pace yourself.  I got ahead of myself several times by thinking too large.  Your yard is yours.  What do you need?  What do you want? What entertaining do you do?  Do the kids need room to play soccer?  Do you need storage for tools.  As these uses become clear, THEN you can start. 

Mistake 2 - TOO MUCH LAWN  As a landscape feature lawns suck resources.  Lawns use 30% of treated water.  Shallow roots do little to stop erosion.  Lawns absorb only 10% of rainfall.  The average homeowner spend 40 hours a year on mowing and trimming his yard.  And an acre of turf costs that homeowner $400 -$700 a year. 

Mistake 3 - NOT PROPORTIONED  When we moved into our current home, we could not get into the front door unless we backed into a four foot high yew.  The front of the house was buried behind taxis so high that we could not tell we had a brick home.

Mistake 4 - TREES TOO CLOSE TO HOUSE  We have an 'L' shaped entry to the front door.  I told a landscape designer that I wanted a 'dwarf' weeping cherry tree.  Needless to say, I didn't get a 'dwarf' but a full size weeping cherry.  In a few short years, the tree was hanging off the gutters, rubbing the roof, and made a very dense screen from my kitchen window to the front yard.  Remember, plants grow!

Mistake 5 - IVY  Never let ivy grow up frame houses.  Moisture and insects can ruin clapboard siding.  Even on brick or stone facades, ivy can cover windows, and attach to gutters.  Yearly pruning is a must.

Mistake 6 - ONE DIMENSION  Plantings should be layered. Put tall plants to the rear, then shorter ones closer in front.  One dimensional planting are boring, have no rhythm, no flow.  Since curb appeal has a monetary value,  this kind of mistake can cost you money.

This small, but well proportioned bed is very appealing.

Mistake 7 - TOO MUCH   When I first started this garden, I collected plants.  If I didn't have it, I got it.  A little bit of this, a little bit of that.  Each trip to the garden center rendered a new plant, a different color, a new variety.... and very soon we had chaos.  Nothing went together.  No patterns, no groups, no pleasing views.  We had color overload. And nowhere for the eye to rest. 

The remedy is to group plants.  Mass plantings are visually pleasing and use fewer varieties rather than more. 

The photo on the left is showing a planting featured by Home Depot.  HGTV provided the photo of the caladiums and bench.  The mass planting of one type of plant is easy on the eye.

One other feature I have to caution all of us.  Less is more.  Keep accessories, statues and art objects to a minimum.

Mistakes can make gardening chores overwhelming with constant pruning and transplanting.

Mistakes can limit the use of the space.  And unless you have very deep pockets, the money these mistakes could cost you is huge.. 

Unity, and order will bring about that peaceful, appealing area you want in your yard.

Thanks for visiting today.  Let me know about a mishap from which you learned.