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When a buyer drives up to a home for sale what is the first thing they will see? The new granite countertops in the kitchen that cost an arm and a leg? The gorgeous light fixtures that took 6 months to pick out? How about the fresh new carpeting that replaced the 70’s green shag? (Yeaah, Baby!)

Well, if you think that buyers are only concerned about what’s inside a house, then think again. It’s the outside that pulls a buyer into a home. It’s the home’s curb appeal - the paint choices, upkeep of the home, and the YARD that first gets their attention.

As a seller, you want buyers to drive up and say “Oooh, that looks cute!” or “Wow, I can’t wait to see inside.” Most buyers wish lists don’t actually include a line item specifying “It must have a nice yard,” but I’ve seen buyers turn the other direction because of yucky curb appeal - and the yard played a big part in their disapproval. A well-groomed yard can help spur them to explore further instead of shaking their heads and putting the pedal to the metal. In addition, studies have shown that landscaping can add as much as 14% to the resale value of a home and speed its sale by as much as 6 weeks (see below under Further Reading).

In this month’s issue of Money Magazine (page 57 of the online issue), there is a great article about how landscaping can help sell a home. The magazine reports that money spent toward the yard will often be recouped anywhere from 100-200%.

So, you ask, where do I begin? Here are some tips outlined in the magazine plus a few I have added from my own experience:

• Pull the weeds - basic, but very important.
• Edge the beds for a clean, well-groomed look.
• Widen the beds if you have overgrown shrubs to make them look smaller.
• Fertilize the grass.
• Plant some color throughout the front yard - large masses of color work better than spotty bits of color.
• Cut back overgrown hedges and shrubs - people want to see the front of the house and it helps bring light inside.
• Evergreen foliage can add drama throughout the year.
• Add new angles or curves to the landscape - plain rectangles can be boring.
• Remember the back yard - a fence or hedge can add privacy.
• Decks, patios, and outside living spaces can create a welcoming ambiance.
• Spruce up the entryway with an inviting walkway or pots of flowers.
• Add raised planting beds to give the yard a professional look.
• Tame steep slopes and hard-to-maintain areas by terracing them.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that basic landscaping will bring the highest return on your investment. Unless your home is in the upper price range, most home buyers aren’t looking for an extravagant yard. They don’t want highly specialized plants that require baby-sitting, nor do they want to pay for that nifty waterfall that cost you $15,000, no matter how cool it looks. Sticking to a clean, well-thought-out, low-maintenance design will bring you the most bang for your buck.

Further Reading:
How Landscaping Increases Property Values
American Society of Landscape Architects
The Benefits of Plants and Landscaping

Have a Plant Question?
Master Gardeners Help Line - Beaverton, Oregon

Top photo by Sean Dreilinger, bottom photo by Santheo; used under creative commons licensing.

Technorati Tags: Portland Oregon Real Estate, curb appeal, yard, pdxmojo

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