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Simple Landscaping Rules to Help Sell Your Home

By Mary Pope-Handy

Real Estate Agent with Christie's International Real Estate Sereno 01153805

March 01, 2008 02:19 AM

Most people who are thinking of selling their home realize that "staging" is important. What many don't realize is vital this concept is to the front yard especially. When buyers see the exterior of your home, they decide whether or not to go inside. Or as the saying goes, "you only get one chance to make a first impression".

Right now in my town, Los Gatos (which is next to San Jose and is also within Silicon Valley), only one home in five is selling. Sellers need help to make sure that buyers want to see their home! So today I created a list on my "Live in Los Gatos" blog which consists of simple rules of thumb for home sellers to use when preparing their yards to be viewed by buyers.

The list includes these items:

what to do about juniper and ivy?
is new sod critical?
decorating the front porch
flower power

And more. Stop by to get the simple rules for landscaping to sell today!

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Audrey June-Forshey

RE/MAX Realty Services - Darnestown, MD

GRI, Gaithersburg, MD

I agree. When I walk up to a front door with clients and you can tell that someone has put a lot of time, not to mention big money into landscaping- I make sure they pay attention to it. some people only think about the inside, but the outside is as important.

Mar 01, 2008 02:24 AM

Richard Perkins

R PERKINS REALTY - Stockton, CA

I agree needs to look good. Thanks for the post and the info Good luck

Mar 01, 2008 02:32 AM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Mary, I believe the outside is as important as the inside. It makes a home look loved and well cared for.

Mar 01, 2008 02:47 AM

Mary Pope-Handy

Christie's International Real Estate Sereno - Los Gatos, CA

CRS, CIPS, ABR, SRES, Silicon Valley

Audrey - sometimes it doesn't have to cost a lot. The thing I see most often is overgrowth - bushes covering part (or even all) of windows, for instance. Thanks for the feedback!

Richard - thanks for stopping by :)

Carole - yes, and soooo important that it be inviting, especially!

Mar 01, 2008 02:52 AM

Kim Harris

Sound Realty - Kirkland, WA

Designated Broker/Owner/Sound Realty

One of the first things I talk to new sellers about is the walk to the front door. Can you even see the front door? What are the distractions that will change a buyers mind before they see the nice, new kitchen? More important than most agents ever realize.

Mar 01, 2008 02:54 AM

Kim - I agree 100%! It is also very important to see ALL of the front door in the photos of the home. It's sort of creepy when you cannot see an unobstructed entrance. Thanks for stopping by :)

Mar 01, 2008 03:15 AM

Irina Netchaev

Pasadena Views Real Estate Team, Inc. - Pasadena, CA

Pasadena CA Real Estate

Mary, I just put my own home on the market and sold it in 5 days. Staging both the inside of the home and the front yard (staging the landscaping) was absolutely critical in the quick sale.

Mar 01, 2008 08:36 AM

Not a real person

San Diego, CA

Hey, Mary.

Back in 2002 I was in the market for a new home. Landscaping is my avocation, so I'm either looking for a home that has beautiful landscaping and just needs monthly maintenance, or a home that is so bad on the outside that no one would ever stop by to look at the inside.

I found a home that was up a long, steep driveway with a huge hillside in front. From the street one could not see the house, just the sides of the driveway and that huge hillside out front. It had been on the market for six months, and this when homes were seling like crazy at 10% over the asking price with 20 offers, so something had to be wrong with the house, right?

I looked at the landscaping and since it fell into the second category drove up to take a look. It was absolutely gorgeous inside, having been totally remodeled six months ago in order to sell. But no one ever told them how important curb appeal is to get people to go inside and look around. There will always be someone like me looking, but we're few and far between.

When I was a Realtor in Houston many decades ago, it was "location, location, location." Well, one can easily consider that a tie with a second set of L's: "lanscape, landscape, landscape."

Jul 28, 2008 09:03 AM

Simple Landscaping Rules to Help Sell Your Home

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