There has long been a debate about how important landscaping is to a home’s salability. To sell your home at maximum value, some agents say, beautiful landscaping is a necessity. Others think that the curb appeal it adds may help get potential buyers through the door, but that’s about all.
Into this debate has come Horticulturist Alex Niemiera with a Virginia Tech study finding that a well-landscaped home had a significant price advantage over a home with no landscaping, He measured the advantage as ranging from 5.5% – 12.7%. Conversely, poor landscaping made property values drop by a full 10%.
We tend to agree with the Professor. Along those lines, if you plan to sell your Kansas City home this fall, these ideas should come in handy:
- Placing potted plants by the doorway and on the patio should improve buyers’ impressions even before they enter the home.
- Apply mulch to keep the grounds looking well-tended.
- Prune shrubs, remove brown or dying branches, and mow more regularly than ever — often enough that you only need to cut the top third of new growth.
- If your grounds boast a water feature or pond, be very conscious of the possible ick factor. Keep the water free of algae, and schedule regular filter changes to insure that nothing green will be spotted floating in the water.
- If the irrigation system has any problems, address them first. Fixing them pronto will keep everything invitingly fresh and green.
- Liberally label plants and trees. Not only will it help potential buyers identify the varieties, it will also deliver a message that yours is a carefully designed and unusually well-tended garden.
- Power wash or sweep patios and walkways often.
Niemiera’s research was based on the last decade’s sales – but even if your property won’t benefit quite as dramatically, attractive outdoor space is sure to draw more buyers. Staying on top of real estate research is just part of our job…but asking us to sell your home in Kansas City can be yours!
