Who hasn’t heard about curb appeal? When selling a house, if it looks inviting on the outside people are more likely to want to see the inside. They’re also more likely to view the rest of your property positively from a good first impression. This is called the halo effect. Having a good lawn shows you’ve cared for the property and it’s in good condition so the buyer won’t have to spend or do a lot to bring it up to scratch. If you intend to sell in the next year or so, pay special attention to your lawn. Here are some tips and easy wins for a lawn that’s going to draw in the vendors.
How much will it increase by?
It’s difficult to give an exact % ROI. If you are selling within a year it could be reasonably good as you wouldn’t have had to invest a huge amount to bring the turf up to a good standard. If it takes longer than a year, the ongoing annual costs of maintenance build up over time, lessening the ROI. There is a plus side though, while you still live at the property you get to enjoy the lush, foot-friendly, lawn.
It’s also worth considering that from a vendor’s point of view, a lovely lawn is part of the overall garden/landscaping. According to a 2011 Husqvarna Global Garden Report, quoted in a Stuff article from late last year a well-maintained garden can increase a property’s value by up to 16%. A neglected garden was found to reduce values by almost as much.
Tips for a lawn with buyer appeal
A beautiful lawn will help differentiate your home from others so here are some easy ways to make it look stunning.
- Tidy edges are a must have. Edging your lawn makes the whole garden look smarter and under control; it gives the appearance of lower maintenance, a big plus for many buyers. You can either use a spade or edging tool and keep the edges raw or line the garden/lawn edge with a physical barrier such as bricks, stones or timber.
- Mow less but more often; that is, only cut the grass a little at a time, but do it every 5 days or so.
- Keep it watered. During winter this isn’t an issue, during summer water deeply and sporadically.
- If your lawn has brown bits consider sowing those patches with new seed to thicken and green it up.
- Hire a professional. In its simplest form, lawn maintenance is fertilising, aerating, weeding, scarifying and mowing. Some of this you can probably take care of yourself. Other tasks need specialist equipment. We have the right gear and expertise to revive and restore and/or maintain your lawn. Check out our lawn maintenance packages.