Sometimes, Landscaping can Make or Break a Home Sale

A Century 21 M&M Realtor will tell you that first impressions sell a house. And, a well landscaped front yard adds curb appeal, and may increase the value of your home and most certainly increases your chance of selling the home.

Landscaping your back yard is a different story, if your weeds are 3ft high, buyers will knock down the price of your home figuring the cost to clean up your yard and put it into shape. If you put in a minimal amount of money, time and effort into your backyard, it will help sell your home and probably boost the price enough to warrant the work.

So it is always a good idea to consult with your Century 21 M&M Realtor about the condition of your landscaping, both front and back yard. You will undoubtedly find that having other eyes look at your property is very helpful in the landscape planning process.

Landscape planning is about asking questions, making sketches, putting together a scrapbook, talking to friends, and knowing what you want ahead of time.

First, do some research and landscape planning:

1. Check with your Century 21 M&M Realtor to see if there are limitations on what you can do. If you belong to a Home Owners Association, or your home is in a historical preservation area, you may need to obtain special permission to make changes and those will need to be approved.

2. Do what is most cost-effective first. Sometimes simply removing some old trellises or adding molding around the windows is enough and can cost very little. Why spend big dollars when a cost-effective makeover will do?

3. Consider how much time do you want to spend on maintenance? Do you like to “water as needed”, or an automated watering system. Do you want to weed, trim and prune. Or, do you want a low maintenance system?

4. Spend the dollars for a major makeover if is absolutely necessary. If spending the money will increase the value of your home and your curb appeal, then bite the bullet and do the whole job.

Write down the answers to these questions, make sketches, put together a scrapbook, talk to your friends, check out your neighbor’s yards…you get the idea…get the facts and know what you want.

It is possible to design, install and maintain a landscaping project without outside help. However, if you need structural features (like a retaining wall, swimming pool or outdoor kitchen), it would be wise to consult with a landscape architect or engineer. Furthermore if you want fast results, planning with a crew of professionals can get the job done fast!