Make Your Lawn Look Spectacular if You’re Selling Your Home

If your home is on the market, or you are planning to put it on the market soon, then you know that curb appeal is important to making a sale — and getting higher offers on the property.  Buyers begin evaluating properties from the moment they pull up, and if the exterior of your home, including the lawn, aren’t looking their best, it’s going to influence their perceptions of the interior as well; so keep reading to make your lawn look spectacular.

The Actual Value of a Well-Maintained Lawn

Unlike other features in your home, like an updated kitchen or bathroom, real estate experts don’t typically put a specific dollar value on a well-maintained lawn. However, what they will tell you is that a lawn that appears to have been cared for will increase the perceived value of your home. When the grass has been cut, is weed-free, and is green and full across the entire property, it gives buyers the impression that the property has been well cared for.

This perception is vital when buyers are comparing properties. When looking at multiple comparable homes, buyers naturally gravitate toward those that appear to have been maintained. They don’t worry so much about things going wrong, or needing to invest time and money into the property. Ultimately, they’re more likely to make an offer on the home that has been kept up — and make an offer that’s closer to the asking price.

And the nicer your neighborhood and the higher the asking price, the more buyers expect to see well-maintained yards. Real estate professionals note that as home values increase, so does the need for landscaping and professional lawn service.

How Your Lawn May Be Hurting Your Home Value

The neighborhood and location of your lawn can play a significant role in buyer perceptions. If you live in a more established neighborhood with older homes and mature trees, the lawns are going to look different than in a newer development where most of the homes have fairly new sod. Buyers looking at newer homes are likely to expect more “perfect” lawns, without any evidence of weeds, awkward sloping, or dead patches, where they might be more willing to overlook imperfections in an older lawn.

That doesn’t mean you can neglect your established grass, though. Certain things are an immediate turnoff to buyers, no matter the condition of the rest of the property. These include:

• Overgrown grass that clearly hasn’t been recently mowed
• Large patches of weeds
• Uneven, overgrown edges
• Bare or dead patches
• Areas that have been damaged by pets, and the presence of pet waste
• Grass that looks brown, faded, or thin

Most of these issues can be easily overcome with a commitment to lawn care and investing some time into the grass. However, any one of them can affect buyer perceptions, so when you’re getting ready to sell, taking care of them is a key concern.

How to Get Your Yard Ready When Selling

When you’re getting ready to sell, one of the best things you can do is hire a lawn care and maintenance service to get your grass into top shape. According to the National Association of Realtors, lawn care service is the most appealing project to home buyers, and has an average of a 267% return on investment. In fact, most Realtors recommend sellers invest in professional lawn care before putting their homes on the market and some even note that lawn care was the deciding factor in a sale and lead to a closed deal.

Bringing in the professionals can get your lawn in top shape in no time, but if you opt to go the DIY route, there are a few things to remember.

• Proper watering. Lawns need to be watered deeply and infrequently; on average grass should get at least an inch of water per week to maintain strong roots. Water the lawn thoroughly during the early morning hours for the best results.
• Keeping the grass cut goes a long way toward maintaining curb appeal. Aim to keep the grass about three inches high, and only cut about one-third of the height when you mow. Keep your mower blades sharp to ensure clean cuts that don’t damage the grass.
• The best defense against weeds is a thick lawn, so consider overseeding to fill in thin spots and make the lawn look healthier and more lush while choking out any weeds.

A well-maintained lawn is the most impactful outdoor feature when it comes to your home value. When buyers see green grass and a tidy yard, they’ll be excited to see the rest of the property– and you’ll be excited by better offers.

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