A home is one of the largest investments most people make. With the price of the home, home improvements, ongoing maintenance to the property, and landscaping, a homeowner has made an investment that has created a place of comfort as well as an investment that is expected to yield a handsome return when sold. So when the time comes to sell the home, how does the homeowner improve the chances of realizing a good return on investment in a timely manner? Here at NiteLites Outdoor Lighting in Dayton, our locations across the United State offer some effective steps to greatly increase the odds of a home selling quickly and for the desired price.
The first step a homeowner should take is to look at the property from the same viewpoint that a prospective buyer would see it on their first approach. Drive into the driveway being particularly observant to the details. Is the property impressive? Does it provide a good first impression? Are the colors fresh? Are the gardens trimmed and weed-free? Is the lawn neatly cut and trimmed? Are the best features of the house and property highlighted (check out our lighting services for some ideas). What can be done to upgrade the first impression?
Secondly, stand by the front door and look around. Are you impressed with what you see? The prospective buyer will look at the same thing while waiting for the door to be answered. Are there well-defined flower gardens and a well-trimmed lawn? Or are there dead flowers, a weed-riddled lawn, intrusive bushes, and trees?
What about the back yard? While not a part of the first impression, many buyers look to the back yard as their personal retreat. Are fences a part of the property? What do they look like? Do they need to be painted, repaired, or removed? When touring the outside of the property, the prospective buyer will be calculating the amount of money and effort it will take to accomplish this maintenance.
As in anything, first impressions are very important in real estate. They are important to the buyer, the real estate agent, and the appraisers. There are a number of actions that can be taken that will greatly improve the impressions that these people have. In fact, studies have shown that attractive landscaping can increase the value of a home by as much as 11%. How much is invested in upgrading the landscaping is a personal choice. But there are a few simple improvements that can be addressed that will help sell the property while boosting the price enough to warrant the work.
If an area of the property is overrun with weeds, get rid of the weeds. Use a weed eater to cut them, or a tiller to plow them. This will provide a neater look to the area, and the property in general.
Trim or remove unsightly trees. Trees that intrude on useful property areas or diseased trees downgrade the overall appearance of the property. Also consider trees that have grown too tall, or are too close to the house. Make sure that tree roots do not damage the foundation, and leaves do not clog the gutters.
Add trees that provide color but do not grow too tall, and can be featured by elegant lighting systems. Flowering or fruit trees are excellent choices that meet these criteria. Plant flowers and shrubs that have a long bloom life and will spread out rather than up. Planting a variety of flowers that bloom at different times of the summer will ensure an array of colors throughout the growing season. These simple fixes will help the property owner to answer to the questions raised in the steps mentioned above concerning the impression of the property.
Finally, add custom Outdoor Lighting in Dayton. Architectural and landscape lighting complete the homeowner’s vision. By highlighting key areas of the house and its landscaping, the impression of a well-kept property that is both safe and secure is reinforced. The curb appeal provided by a lighting system satisfies the need to provide a good first impression for any prospective buyer.