One of the most important things any seller or landlord can do to stand out and make their property more attractive to potential buyers or tenants, is to clean up the yard when prepping the house. The list of things to do to get ready to put a home on the market can be daunting. Repairs, cleaning, decluttering, staging, are all time consuming but important tasks [read more about staging a home]. I feel the importance of setting up a home so that it is attractive to buyers or tenants cannot be over stated.
However, with all these things to do, it is easy to overlook the importance of the landscaping. Most people have heard the term curb appeal before. This refers to the impression you get from a home by looking at it from the street. A home with overgrown bushes, weeds all over the beds and an un kept lawn gives buyers a negative impression before they even step foot inside. This means if you are not paying attention to the landscaping you can be losing thousands on your sale [read more about the economic effects of landscaping].
You don’t have to go all out and completely change the landscaping, but you may need to put in some work or hire a yard service to clean things up. Plant some hardy flowers, trim the bushes, weed the beds and keep the lawn mowed, edged, fertilized, and watered. If you have an area that does not drain water, add some drainage to make the full yard useable. Putting down fresh bark is also an inexpensive way to increase the look of the yard in general. [read more about landscaping tips].
I also recommend pressure washing patios, walk ways and drive ways to improve the appeal of the property over all. If the home has dirty siding it is worth washing it with a light wash. I never recommend using a pressure washer on the siding itself as that can cause damage to the siding.
Bottom line, if you are going to be selling a property it is worth the investment in time, or funds if you hire a service, to spruce up the yard. This also holds true if you are going to be renting the home. In order to get quality tenants and a higher rent price, or to rent faster; focusing on the appeal of the property. A more appealing property will sell or rent faster and for a higher amount.
If you have any questions about selling or renting a property please contact the author.
