First impressions count both in life and when it comes to real estate. When selling your property, the first thing that buyers will see is the front of the house both in the online photos and when inspecting. A house with lush green lawns, well maintained garden beds, well groomed trees and some low maintenance flowering shrubs can add serious value when it comes to selling.
In the Husqvarna Global Gardening Report, 5,000 homeowners from around the world indicated that a well maintained garden increased the value of their property by an estimated 16%. The return was 3.1 times the money invested.
Well maintained lawn, inviting social area, stone paths and walls, decorative trees and decorative bushes are ranked as the top features that added value.
In the same way as a newly renovated kitchen increases the value of a home, landscaping investment can have a direct bearing on the market value of a property.
” Husqvarna Global Gardening Report
Investing in landscaping and the curb appeal of your property is a tried and true method of increasing the value of your property. It is an opportunity to increase your sale price. Curb appeal is important to 98 percent of buyers when choosing their home, according to the National Association of Realtors Remodeling Impact Report.
Real Estate Agents Top 6 Landscaping Tips to Increase Market Value
- Landscaping when selling includes a healthy and well maintained lawn that adds curb appeal and is attractive to buyers looking for the Australian dream of a family home. A cost effective option for large lawn areas in Australia is Kikuyu grass. It grows quickly with low maintenance and looks lush.
- Plan your garden with native shrubs and hardy plants that thrive in your local area. These plants will be easier to maintain and look appealing.
- Review the landscaping of the properties around your house- if the neighbouring properties have beautiful landscaping and your property has a garden with struggling plants and patchy lawn, it will be a turn off to buyers who may think that the rest of the property is similarly uncared for.
- Plan your landscaping to include insulating hedges, shady trees, bushes by windows and strategically grown plants that will provide privacy from neighbours and the road. This both reduces harsh sun exposure to the interior of the house, but also creates additional privacy.
- In the lead up to the sale of the property, water the lawn to keep it fresh and green, prune and tidy, mulch the gardens and perhaps replace some plants or add some pots of flowering plants to boost the appeal of the property when the online photos are taken and when buyers are coming to open inspections.
This has been shown to add value, and although it won’t grow to maturity before you sell the property- it still shows buyers that the potential is there.
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