Poor Landscaping Can Decrease Property Value By As Much As 30%
09/27/2022
Key Findings
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78% of real estate agents say poor landscaping and hardscaping negatively affects property values
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59% of real estate agents say trees are the landscaping element that adds the most value to a home
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Adding one healthy tree can increase property values by 30% or more, according to 1 in 5 real estate agents
Home prices in the U.S. surged within the last year, the result of pandemic-related relocations, low mortgage rates, and a lack of new and existing housing inventory.
According to Zillow, the median home value in the U.S. is $303,288 as of August 2021, a 17.7% increase from 2020.
However, according to a new Trees.com survey of 1,250 licensed U.S. real estate agents, there’s one way to decrease a home’s value—neglect your home’s landscaping and hardscaping.
3/4 of real estate agents say poor landscaping, hardscaping negatively affects a home’s value
There’s no question that landscaping elements like trees, grass, and flowers add a lot of visual appeal to a home, but just how much does their absence affect what a home is worth?
According to 43% of real estate agents, poor landscaping has a “very” negative impact on a home’s value. Another 35% say it will “somewhat” impact how much a home is worth.
Real estate agents have differing opinions on exactly how much a home’s value decreases with poor landscaping. Twenty-four percent say a home’s value decreases by 10%, while 22% estimate the value decreases by 20%. Eighteen percent predict that a home’s value drops by 30% or more if the property lacks an appealing landscape.
Much of it has to do with perception, according to real estate broker Kimo Quance, owner of the Kimo Quance Group in Santee, CA.
“Landscaping provides potential buyers with a first impression of your home,” Quance says. “When they observe a neglected lawn, or a home without any additional curb appeal, potential buyers immediately get the idea that the home was not well-maintained. They set a value of the home in their mind based on that, and it’s usually not a good price. On the other hand, a neat, clean lawn puts the buyer’s mind at ease.”
In today’s hot real estate market, even a 10% price decrease means a seller could be leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table if they don’t bring their lawns up to snuff before putting their home on the market.
Hardscaping, which refers to all of the non-living aspects of an outdoor design, such as structural or decorative elements, is also important. Forty percent of real estate agents say poor hardscaping has a very negative impact on a home’s value, while 38% say it has a somewhat negative impact.
According to Chicago-based real estate investor and developer Bill Samuel, a well-designed outdoor space is even more important now due to how much time families are spending at home.
“Today’s homebuyer expects the home they purchase to be move-in ready and prefers not to have to do any work,” Samuel says. “Exterior hardscape upgrades that allow for outdoor entertaining are becoming even more desirable as most homeowners prefer to entertain at home and outdoors during the pandemic.”
Trees, grass and flower top list of landscaping elements that add value to a home
The landscaping elements that add the most value to a home include grass (64%), trees (59%), and flowers (52%).
Meanwhile, as far as hardscaping goes, real estate agents recommend adding or improving decks (58%), driveways (54%), and an outdoor kitchen (47%) to add the most value.
Adding one healthy tree will raise property value
Ninety-one percent of real estate agents say adding even one healthy tree to your landscape will increase property values.
According to 20% of real estate agents, the presence of one healthy tree in the front yard of a property increases the home’s value by 30% or more. Nineteen percent of real estate agents estimate a single healthy tree increases a property’s value by 20%; the same number of agents say it raises the value by 10%.
One reason trees can increase property values is the aesthetic charm they add to a home.
“A tree is one of the most natural and interesting ways to add color, texture and contrast to any home’s yard,” says David North, a real estate broker in Redmond, WA. “The natural beauty of a tree can be especially powerful when it distinguishes one property from others, whether by different shape, color, or size.”
Location is key, North says, encouraging homeowners to plant trees where they will provide needed shade, privacy, and noise protection.
There are also the practical benefits of having trees on a property.
“Big, healthy trees help improve the home environment and make it more sustainable,” Quance says. “Trees contribute to a functioning home ecosystem by helping with stormwater management, pollution filtering, and soil fertilization. During warmer months, trees are a natural cooling system, providing shade. Then, in colder months, trees that lose their leaves let sunlight filter through to warm the home.”
Those who are selling their homes shouldn’t forget about having greenery inside, either. Fifty-four percent of real estate agents say it’s very important to have indoor plants when showing a home for sale, while 28% say it is somewhat important.
Effects of landscaping vary by region
Home prices vary widely by location, and the impact of poor landscaping does as well.
Real estate agents in the Midwest are most likely to say that poor landscaping will have a very negative impact on home value (51%). By comparison, 44% of real estate agents in the Northeast say poor landscaping has a very negative impact on what a home is worth.
Having indoor plants during a home showing is most important in the South (67%) and the West (65%). Only 57% of real estate agents in both the Midwest and the Northeast think it is very important to have indoor plants for home showings.
While the majority of real estate agents in the Northeast say having a healthy tree in the front yard will increase property values, 10% say that it won’t. Comparatively, only 6% of real estate agents in the West and Midwest, and 5% of real estate agents in the South think having a healthy tree won’t increase a home’s value at all.
Methodology
All data found within this report derives from a survey commissioned by Trees.com and conducted online by survey platform Pollfish. In total, 1,250 currently licensed U.S. real estate agents were surveyed. Appropriate respondents were found via a screening question. This survey was conducted on September 17, 2021. All respondents were asked to answer all questions truthfully and to the best of their abilities. For full survey data, please email Julia Morrissey at julia@trees.com.
Poor Landscaping Can Decrease Property Value By As Much As 30% created by Trees.com
Fix & Flip Cheat Sheet: Targeting Millennial Homebuyers
07/19/2019
Making up 35% of the homebuyer market, millennial homebuyers outnumber those of every other generation.
Gen X comes in second with 26% of the market. That means that your most likely target demographic as a seller is the Millennial generation. Read on and check out the infographic below to learn some of the key characteristics millennials are looking for in potential homes.
Millennial Profile
Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000 and range in age from 18 to 37. The median household income for millennials is $88,200, slightly below the market average of $88,800. Married couples are the most likely to purchase a home, followed by single women and unmarried couples; single men are the least likely demographic to purchase a home.
Millennial Homebuyer Concerns
Although only 68% of millennials view their starter homes as stepping stones to their dream homes, 82% say buying a home is a priority. The generation’s biggest concerns about purchasing a house are the costs of buying and maintaining a home and the time it takes to take care of a home. Since millennials are slower to marry than previous generations – and because both partners often continue working after marriage – millennials have less free time to put into cleaning and repairing their properties.
Millennial Must-Haves
Green Features
Millennials are the most educated generation, and they value the economical and environmental advantages from investing in green tech like certified energy efficient appliances, LED lights, and solar panels.
Updated Kitchen and Bath
On the same token, 75% of millennials want new appliances; if your property has appliances more than a year old, you should upgrade for maximum appeal.
Tech Support
As smarthomes become more prevalent, homebuyers are growing more conscious of a home’s WiFi compatibility. Ensure that each room has high-speed WiFi and plenty of plugs to charge devices.
Good Location
Ideally, homes targeted toward millennials should be located in the suburbs and close to public transportation. More than half of this generation is buying homes in the suburbs while only 15% are purchasing in urban areas. Additionally, 65% say that a convenient location to their job is a key factor in choosing a property.
Open Concept
Young people today don’t need formal dining rooms; at parties, people tend to drift from the kitchen to the living room, making an open floor plan the most desirable layout for entertaining. Additionally, millennials are looking for smaller homes than their parents and an open concept lessens the space wasted on walls and makes rooms feel larger.
Make Them Fall in Love
Flexible Space
This generation is all about maximizing space; while they want the option of having dining rooms, offices, and spare bedrooms, they don’t necessarily need them available at all times. If your rooms can easily shift purposes – say, an office that doubles as a spare bedroom or a dining room that converts to a workspace, young buyers will be thrilled.
Goldilocks Layout
Millennials’ ideal home is a 3 bed, 2 bath with a minimum of 1000 sq. ft. of living space. With lower incomes than their parents and more student debt, millennials can’t afford the extra square footage of a McMansion, nor do they want to pay for space they don’t need. Instead of building a bigger home, make sure you utilize all the space you have, including attics, basements, and side yards.
Instagrammable Design
Growing up with sites like Pinterest and Instagram, this generation is especially adept at recognizing good design. They want high-end finishes like quartz countertops, stone detailing, and hardwood floors. Choose white or light-colored paints; create contrast with black detailing and stainless steel appliances. Select features that are sleek, modern, and high-tech for the most “Instagrammable” home.
Real Estate Marketing to Millennials
High Quality Photos
For millennials, the first screening of potential homes occurs online, not at open houses; 99% searched for potential properties online and 75% did drive-bys after finding a home they liked. Stage your home and hire a professional to take your listing photos.
Video Walkthroughs
Not only are video walkthroughs a great feature to add to your online listings, but VR marketing is growing in popularity; 71% of millennials view VR favorably.
Tech Trend: Drone Footage
Drones provide more effective marketing than traditional photos; with these devices, you can capture sweeping aerial views of your property that show off the exterior, the neighborhood, and the landscaping.
Flipping Houses 101: Hiring A Photographer To Take Listing Photos
07/19/2019
Fix And Flip Goal #1: Maximize Profit
When it comes to real estate investing – fix and flip or fix and rent – the goal is always the same: generate the highest return on your investment.
In previous blog posts, we’ve gotten fix and flip experts’ secrets to success, and covered some of the tried and true methods for squeezing every last drop of profitability from a deal like staging your property, building a team, and repairing instead of replacing.
Next up is one of the easiest, and typically least expensive tools a real estate investor should have in their arsenal: professional listing photos.
So, should you hire a professional photographer to take your real estate listing photos? Check out the infographic below!
Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania
Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania
Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania
Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania
Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending
How to Increase Resale Value
07/09/2019
Property Payoff: Tips To Increase Resale ValueHome improvements do more than make your house more livable and increase your family’s comfort level. They also have the side effect of boosting its value when the time comes to sell. Although making any improvements throughout your house can impress potential buyers, there are some that typically are more worthwhile investments than others.
For instance, converting a spare bedroom into a home office might have been a good idea for you, but someone else may not want to spend for that renovation if he or she would rather have the original sleeping space. This is why it’s a good idea to consider the resale value before undertaking any project.
Some projects will make your property attractive to interested homebuyers, but others could hurt your chances of selling. A rule of thumb to follow is that increasing the amount of living space is almost always a benefit to anyone looking to sell a house. Kitchens and bathrooms could probably use a bit of a makeover, as well.
For these and other ideas about how to boost the appeal of your home, take a look at the accompanying checklist. It contains some tips for getting the most out of your property by investing a bit more.
Tips To Increase Resale Value created by by Synergy Builders
Benefits of Moving to Anchorage
06/20/2019
Benefits of moving to Anchorage
Ah, Anchorage. The jewel of Alaska. This gorgeous city spans for 1,961.1 square miles (5,079 square kilometres) which makes it the fourth largest city, by land, in the US. And within these 1,961.1 square miles, you'll be able to find goods schools, ample job opportunities, gorgeous sights of nature and many other things that make Anchorage such a beautiful place. Is that all? Of course not. Let us go over all the things that make moving to Anchorage a great idea for anyone looking to settle down.