Selling your Home?

How Landscaping can Increase a Property’s Value

• Did you know that research has shown that for every dollar spent on landscaping your soon to be sold home has a return of 109 percent, which is higher than any other home improvement?
• The same research showed that good designed garden can increase a final sell price from 5-11 percent. In other words if you sell your home for $600 000 with a poor, overgrown, or no-existent garden then you a potentially missing out on overall $60k! It therefore pays to get a good garden in before the property goes on the market.

So here are some tips to get the vert best price

1. First impression are essential

   What do potential buyers see when they arrive at your property? The front garden gives the first impression of what they are are about to see so it is essential to get the relationship off to the right start.

   A simple, modern, well maintained, and beautiful garden at the front of your house can make a amazing difference to the feel and style of your house. Well designed front gardens evoke a sense of luxury, welcomeness, and ultimately value.

   In contrast a bare front garden will ensure that the property feels unsophisticated, rundown, uncared for, or cheap and substandard. Likewise a overgrown or out of control garden can make the house feel old, difficult to maintain, cold and dark.

   So think about how your front garden looks.
   – Does a good clean up and tide make it fulfill the desires mentioned above?
   – Is there too much plant-life, is it overgrown or complex due to amount of variety in the garden?
   – Does it need a few extra plants to make it pop?
   – Would some added features such as a water fountain make it feel more formal, tranquil, or inviting?
   – Will some potted plants at the front door make the entrance more grand?
   – Do some objects or bare walls need to be hidden or softened with some decorative screens?
   – Or is your front garden in need of a more grander redesign? 
   
   Our staff deal with people trying to answer these questions every single day so we are a great free source of knowledge to help you. Take some photos, draw a couple of rough plans and come in and see our staff, we are more than happy to help.

2. The importance of the backyard?

   Ask yourself this question; is your backyard like another room in your house? Beautiful and well designed backyards invite you to spend time in them and give so much more living space to any household. Potential buyers will appreciate and ultimately pay for a yard that will allow them to have the semi outdoor lifestyle that is so treasured in our country. So don’t be afraid to spend a little bit of money to get this extra room looking great as it will complement the entire house making it feel bigger, lighter, more stylish and comfortable and, most importantly, more valuable.

   So like in the front yard as yourself the following questions;
   – Will a tidy up get the job done?
   – Is it overgrown?
   – Should you add a couple of plants to fill some spots or as features?
   – Would a water feature improve the space?
   – Do some objects or bare walls need to be hidden or softened with some decorative screens?
   – Or is some extra work needed?

   The backyard though needs a couple of other considerations.
   – Privacy is any backyard is a must. Potential buyers don’t know your neighbors, so even though you may have the best relationships with them buyers want to feel that will have a private space in the backyard where they can entertain and relax without ugly windows looking over them.
   – Also increase the appeal of any seating areas by insuring you maximize any views (even of the garden itself), make sure it is shaded from the afternoon sun but still get adequate lighting as not to feel dark and cold, and lastly protected from the wind.

   Additionally try to hide the fence. If you can plant out the fence line with neat gardens or cover the fencing with bamboo or hardwood panels then you will find area instantly transformed into something a bit more luxurious.

3. Get the lawn right

   Firstly consider the lawn you have. If your lawn is patching or is infested with weeds then it is best to remove it and start again with some new lush instant lawn. Otherwise if you current lawn will pass the test get it nice and tidy with good mowing.

   Next think about the edging of the lawn. Well defined lines around your lawn emphasises the sense that the lawn is restrained and hence convey the feeling that it is easy to maintain. A big no-no is having grass that runs up to (or even worse into) gardens or plants in your yard. Divide and define the separation of the lawn and the gardens by installing garden edging such as sleepers or bricks.

   Also avoid having the lawn run up to fencing, buildings, or decking as grass will always look messy in contrast to the clean and defined nature of such structures. Install simple gardens along such places to firstly define the lawn and so you can plant some plants that will soften a fence or walls.

4. Keep it tidy and mulch well

   Above all else make sure that your gardens are well presented with a good weeding, a decent prune, and some quality mulch. Keeping everything neat and tidy will help your garden appear easy to maintain and will make the outside pop.