Increase Your Home Value!
Take the simple steps to increase your home value
One of the first steps when trying to sell your house is to research ways to increase your home value. Landscape economist John Harris estimates that good landscaping can add up to 28% to overall home value. Even taking your landscaping from “good” to “excellent,” in term of design, condition and placement, can add 6 to 7% to a home’s value, according to a Clemson University study of homes in Greenville, S.C.
Another important consideration; bad landscaping can decrease your home’s value by as much as 10%! Besides the monetary value, there are other values associated with landscaping such as stress level, providing a safe and comfortable play areas for kids, and giving you a beautiful and satisfying place to come home to. Whether you are planning to sell soon or looking toward the future, these simple steps will instantly provide better curb appeal and a great first impression.
Lawn maintenance
A good looking lawn should be the first step for any prospective home seller. As important as flooring is to the interior of the home, a lush green lawn can instantly upgrade the perception of our home. It’s important to get started early because a lawn transformation can take a few seasons of diligent work. This process can be started any time year; the basic steps are to control existing weeds, prevent new weeds from growing and feed the lawn to promote strong growth. While the chemicals are doing their job, regular mowing and edging will provide that professional well-maintained look that will help your yard stand out. If your lawn is a lost cause, consider investing in sod, as there simply isn’t a more important aspect of your landscaping than a healthy lawn. For detailed steps to a better lawn, click here.
Mulch
Add a fresh coat of mulch to your landscape beds; it is cheap, easy, and instantly provides a manicured look. It also provides an excellent contrast to vegetation and lawns, making them really pop. Mulch also suppresses weeds, helps the soil retain moisture, and makes your landscape look even.
Trimming overgrown vegetation
Trim plants that are blocking light from getting into windows, covering the front porch, or distracting from photos. Being able to get natural light into the windows and see out of them will be important to the buyer once they are inside your home. Clearing sight lines will subconsciously make your home more friendly and inviting by drawing the eye to the front door. Trimming for these purposes can be done pretty much any time of year. If you find yourself needing to cut more than 40% of a particular plant, you may consider pulling it up and replacing it with a younger, smaller variety, as a trim of more than 40% can affect the viability of your tree or shrub.
Seasonal color
Providing a splash of seasonal color will increase the brightness and add a lived-in feel to your landscape. Work from the front door out. A couple of pots framing the door filled with a large blooming tropical or a nice evergreen with trailing blooms provide a good starting point, and adding hanging baskets will increase interest. Blooming annuals around the walkways will further enhance this effect and can be done for a modest investment. More seasonal color ideas can be found here.
Landscape lighting
Adding landscape lighting is an underrated factor when showing your home. Lighting is a very transferable upgrade to your home value and is almost a must if a potential buyer will be viewing the home after dark. The Good Earth offers professional planning and installation of landscape lighting; contact us for more information.