curb appeal

Are you contributing to your community’s green or decline? Should you be concerned? You bet!

Realtors estimate 95% of consumers will not get out of their car if a residential site lacks ‘curb appeal’? In fact, Industry research published by Alex X. Niemiera, Extension Horticulturist for the department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech identifies landscaping to significantly influence perceived property value.

“Landscaping,” says Doug Haver Principal Broker for Home Choice Realty, www.myrichmondhomesearch.com “to me as a Realtor, is a pretty good indicator of the condition of the home. There are many buyers that simply will not go into property if it does not have appeal. If the yard is overgrown or weedy, it’s a turnoff. In a way, landscaping not only is an ongoing investment that upgrades property value, it opens the door for a potential buyer.”

“As the housing market turns softer, Americans are realizing that one of the best ways to increase a home’s resale value is to revamp their landscape,” was the lead-in for an issue of The Wall Street Journal Magazine of Personal Business SMART MONEY, which featured a special report “Fertile Ground – Add 15% to Your Home’s Value”. Still, Niemiera’s research identified further interesting phenomena.

The value of landscaping appears to range dependent upon location: 5.5 percent (Louisiana) to 11.4 percent (South Carolina). In other words, a home valued at $150,000 with no landscape (lawn only) could be worth $8,250 to $19,050 more with a sophisticated landscape that includes color and large plants. Niemiera’s multi-state study also identifies minimal landscapes (simple design with small plants) to detract from a site’s overall value.

“In this market,” says Haver, “it is more important than ever for home sellers to offer a top-notch product. There is an abundance of homes on the market and the sellers who are successful are the ones who prepare their homes — inside and out — before they put them on the market. In some sense it is a subliminal feeling. If a home has a well appointed and maintained interior but the outside does not match, it feels as though something is missing. And, that feeling will doom the sale of a home. Simply put, homes that are pristine are the ones that sell quicker and receive top dollar.”