When preparing your home for resale, it is important to think about how to make cost-effective improvements to your home to help boost its value. Small, inexpensive changes like repainting or other indoor improvements are common, but are they the only choice for improving the value?
Outdoor Projects Pay Back at Resale
A recent study by the National Association of Realtors and National Association of Landscape Professionals has found that “[o]utdoor remodeling projects not only offer some of the highest returns at resale, they can also increase the happiness of home owners who are staying put in their homes.”
Instead of investing all of your time and money on indoor projects, consider giving your front yard some love to help increase curb appeal. These types of changes can also help draw new potential buyers to your home that may otherwise have passed you by.
Outdoor remodeling projects…offer some of the highest returns at resale
So which project should you undertake? The projects cited by the study as the most likely to increase value are:
- Landscape upgrade (replacing old plantings)
- Patio (repair or resurface)
- Wood deck (repair and re-stain)
- Standard lawn care
- Sod lawn
All of these solutions will likely add value, but they vary greatly in their cost. One of the most common solutions home sellers choose is reseeding their lawn. This simple, inexpensive choice can do wonders to bring a more vibrant look to a property. However, living in southern California, it can be difficult to maintain a lively lawn because of the drought concerns. Even though the drought has become less severe as of late, there is still the concern that it is an ongoing issue that will continue future. This means that lawns are becoming more of a hassle than an asset for many homeowners.
There are many other solutions available that are becoming increasing popular for California homes. The use of succulents or other drought tolerant plants can add a beautiful look to your front yard while also being easy to maintain. However, putting in drought-tolerant landscaping is both time-consuming and can be very costly.
Whether choosing to keep the lawn you already have or making the switch to a drought tolerant landscape, any updates made will add to the curb appeal and likely increase the number of interested buyers. It is important to examine every aspect of your home as you prepare to sell.Even if you are not planning to sell your home tomorrow, keeping the resale aspect of home improvements in mind is important.
For more tips on selling your home, you can sign up for a copy of my free E-Book “The Process”.
