If you’re thinking about selling your home or already having difficulty with it, you might be asking yourself, “This is the perfect home and location; why isn’t it selling?” The answer to this question might just be landscaping. If you want to not just increase your chances of selling your home but get the best price for your home possible, you need to concentrate on everything surrounding your home. Landscaping can make all the difference, and here are some points to concentrate on to get yourself that best price.
Power Washing
All homes age and, depending on the pollution level, they might get dirty very fast. On top of this, paved surfaces suck up even more dirt, since there’s nowhere for all that dirt to go. You can rent, or even buy, a power washer or hire a power washing company to clean those paved surfaces to make them look like they were just poured yesterday.
Plant Sculpting
While shrubs and trees add texture and control the shape of your property, over time, they can get overgrown and more of an eyesore than a featured attraction. Taking the time to trim and shape trees and shrubs could be the difference between it looking like a jungle versus a nice, relaxing, well-shaped garden.
Keep Your Water Features Clean
As time does to your home and cement, so too does it muck up your water fountains and other water features. Leaves and algae, especially over time, pollute the look and smell of water features, so make sure to clean away any debris and make sure all your filters are clean for the clearest, cleanest possible water. Also, make sure to maintain your water features so that they work beautifully every time someone looks at your house as a possibility.
Mulch
If you’re looking for a reasonably-priced way to add some texture and color to your landscaping, you can’t go wrong with a new layer of mulch sitting atop your garden. The color of mulch will bring out the colors in your garden that you’d like to feature, so if you’re investing in the rest of your landscape and want your property to stand out, it’s not a bad idea to add a little mulch.
The Ten Percent Rule
There’s no hard-and-fast guideline as to how much you should spend on landscaping to guarantee a certain price for your home. However, one good general principle to apply to your landscaping budget is to take the value of your home and figure ten percent of that will be your budget. For $150,000 home, spend $15,000 on landscaping. The return on investment will most certainly be worth it.
Summary
Whether it’s how you lay everything out or how you maintain your landscape, there are always ways in which you can improve your house’s surroundings. Keep your land maintained and looking beautiful and fresh, and you’ll be on your way to getting the best possible price for your home.
