Landscaping Your Home
Many buyers call a realestate office for information on a home after reading an appealing description of the property, or seeing a photograph of the exterior of the home on the real estates website. The exterior of your house and your yard will create the first impression for prospective buyers when they drive up to your house. Spending money on landscaping can bring you excellent returns when you sell your home.
You don't have to spend a fortune or develop an elaborate landscaping plan to make your front yard look terrific. If the yard is neatly mowed and trimmed and there are colorful plants blooming, the outside appearance of your home will make a good impression. A local nursery can help you select plants that will grow well and require minimal care. If you are planning to make any permanent changes or additions to your property, ask for advice from your real estate agent.Be sure to visit me at www.onlinehomes4you.com
Jennifer - You're absolutely right. There are so many homes to look at, many are rejected based just on the first MLS photo, in which landscaping is a prominent feature!
However, in this market, don't neglect the property investors. Granted, even they are having difficulty qualifying for loans, especially since some lenders have put a cap on the number of properties that any one person can own at any one time, but they are still out there.
I have never bought a home that was gorgeous from the outside because (1) I've been one of those property investors, and (2) I love doing landscaping; it's been an avocation of mine for about 54 years, and I'm only 53.
But, yes, for the general public, and the fastest sale, perhaps stating, as Jennifer did, that "Spending money on landscaping can bring you excellent returns when you sell your home" should qualify as one of the greatest understatements ever on Active Rain. One of the things that property investors do first is P&P (paint and plant), and that's usually about the only thing that newbie property investors do.
For anyone interested, especially those in desert environments, here's a document that I make available to all my Clients in Southern California.