What Should You Do With Your Yard?
When you spend money, you want to make sure that you’re going to get a good ROI (Return on Investment).
Sometimes though, homeowners have the wrong idea of what does and does not help. Just take something as basic as landscaping. Do you feel sure of what pays off when you put the effort into improving your curb appeal? Some of these tips might shock you.
Get the Basics Right
Fortunately, the simple basics are true – a well-maintained lawn, a tidy garden, and a few, neat flowerbeds can give you great returns on the investment of the time and money you put into them. But, if you go too extravagant with the flowers, some homebuyers might see it as an added chore that they don’t want to deal with.
In fact, the same is true when it comes to vegetable gardens. You will find that some homeowners don’t want to deal with the extra work that a vegetable garden involves.
During the pandemic, many homeowners decided to start growing their own vegetables, which may affect their resale value.
Don’t Go Overboard
On the other hand, you could go too far in the direction of less work by getting an artificial lawn. While you might think that a lawn with no maintenance needed would be ideal for a homeowner that has a lot on his plate, there is not an artificial lawn out there that looks good enough to be mistaken for the real thing. The same goes for flowers. Even though there are some pretty good imitations out there, a closer look will always reveal a flower that isn’t alive.
Know Your Audience
What about a more expensive upgrade in the yard? Say you want to install a pool or a fish pond? Well, those are a little trickier to figure out, and in many ways, it will depend on what type of buyer you are trying to attract. Of course, for a family with children, having a pool can be a great incentive, but for anyone else, it might just be viewed as an expensive maintenance item. As for a fish pond, the group of people that would see that as a great benefit is going to be even smaller. The rule here is that if it is for you, it is an investment that you would see as worthwhile, but it is definitely going to be a gamble if you decide to install it on the hope of raising the value of your home.
That same principle can be applied to any type of sports area like a basketball court, tennis court, and similar. A buyer that isn’t interested in the sport will not see their existence as a benefit.
Repairs are Usually Worth It
The one thing that always will give a good return on your investment is repairing broken items in your yard. If your fence is in need of repair, taking care of it is instantly going to improve the first impression your home gives. The same goes for anything in the yard. If it can’t be repaired easily, it might be better to remove something altogether instead.
When it comes to specialty landscaping, that is likely to hurt your home’s resale value as well. You might want a garden full of bonsai trees or a hedge labyrinth, but there is nothing to say that a future owner would share your interest.
Conclusion
If all these tips are sounding like a lot of extra work for you, there is nothing that
says that you have to do it all on your own. Getting a professional landscaping company to care for your yard, even for a short time, can greatly improve the impression your yard makes on a potential buyer. Just remember, if you are staying put in your home for the foreseeable future, you don’t have to worry as much about what a buyer thinks. We can’t promise your neighbors always will agree with your landscaping choices though.
