Landscaping tips

I was driving around looking for garage sales this weekend. As it turns out, we were also looking at homes in the area. My wife and I were talking about homes, and curb appeal, so I'd thought I'd give you some landscaping tips so that you'll understand what you're looking for when you buy, sell or refinance your home.

Grass and lawn

If you are refinancing your home, the lawn will not do anything to add value to your home. The real estate appraiser will look past this small issue. They understand that all you'll need to do is mow your lawn. Now if the weeds are waist tall and there is junk (car parts, trailer parts and other items) in the yard, you'd be best to clean this kind of stuff up before the appraiser gets there. Especially if the home is going FHA financing, as there are requirements to keep your home safe. Tall grass and weeds, barrels of oil or gas and old batteries may be a safety or fire hazard or a fire hazard.

If you are selling your home, you'll surely want to mow your grass and make sure all of the clipping are picked up and removed from the concrete walkway. When you are selling, you'll want this area spotless. Mow your grass and keep plenty of water on the lawn. This will make your yard look nicer than many homes in the market that can't seem to do this small chore. If you are too busy, hire it out. While it may not do much for the overall home value, it will give you a much better chance of selling your home.

If you are buying a home, look for well cared for lawns and grass. If you buy a home and the landscaping and grass is tore up and you'll have to tear the lawn up and re-level and re-seed the lawn, this will cost you money. And in most cases, it will not bring a big return to your investment. In this case, you must look for homes that have all of the landscaping complete or be willing to trade a great floor plan or a great home location for the willingness to fix the lawn the way you want.

Trees and shrubs

If you're refinancing your home, trees and shrubs will bring little value to your property. The biggest thing to watch for in regards to trees and shrubs is that they do not pose any safety hazards. Make sure the trees are not leaning and look like they may fall on your home. I went to one home where a large tree was leaning toward the home. The next storm may bring this tree down on the home. FHA loans will always requirement that these types of safety hazards be removed. If you are going conventional financing or paying cash and you don't notice this, you may have to remove the tree shortly after you move in. especially if you are refinancing.

If you're selling a home, don't remove any trees that you don't have to. It will just cost you more money. If you've planted too many trees and they are blocking the light into the home, consider removing some of the trees to make the home more pleasing to the eye and allowing more light to enter the home. Go ahead and remove dead trees. These are just an eye sore. Light, bright, clean homes are more appealing than dark, gloomy homes. If there are any safety hazards from pine trees or other trees that appear to be leaning toward the home, I'd remove them now. As this is a safety hazard to you and may prevent the buyer from making an offer.

If your are buying a home, look for the same thing as refinancing. You don't want to buy a home only to find out you'll need an additional $5000 to remove the tree in the back yard. Also, you want to be sure that the trees are not rubbing against the siding or the roof and that they are not planted too close to the house. Shrubs are okay close to the home, but be sure that you keep them pruned so that they are not touching the siding. For trees, watch to be sure that they are not growing in the window wells around the home or too close to the foundations. Some trees will work there way into the concrete foundation and cause foundation cracks which could lead to water leaking into the basement or worse yet, the foundation will fail and your home will be unsafe to live in.

Patios and decks

For refinancing, decks and patios will bring little to the appraisal value of the home, even if your deck or patio is brand new. The reality is that these types of items are like a drop in the ocean when it comes to value. Most appraisers will give little to no value to these types of items.

My basic rule on this is to go for what you can afford and make it functional, clean, sturdy and safe. Sometimes, I'll go to homes that built a deck, but they did not build the railing around the deck. Don't scrimp on the railing. Make sure that the railing is strong and sturdy and think about the safety codes of the deck and the safety for children. This is one of the items I call for the most as an appraiser. The railing must be safe. If your deck is older and your foot can or does fall through the deck in some spots, you'll need to replace at least the spots that may cause damage to your foot or body. The patio will be fine as long as it is not tore up or something. A few cracks are acceptable. If they are trip hazards, I'd try to blend the crack and repaint the patio. Look for the source of the cracking. Sometimes, larger trees will grow under the patio and the crack begins there and gets worse.

When selling your home, the only thing that I'd do is make sure that your deck is scraped and painted so that there is no peeling paint. But before this, replace any broken or rotting boards. Make sure the the railing is secure and safe. That's it. Do not take the deck down and build the same size deck unless the deck is completely rotten. If you do this, you will lose most, if not all of the money on rebuilding your deck. This is because the appraiser will look at the deck to see if it is safe and functional. If this is the case, it will pass inspection. Buyers will be looking for the same thing.

If you are buying a new home, look at the deck and patio and make sure that the deck or patio is well cared for. The deck should be scraped and painted and sturdy and safe with railing around the deck and railing on the stairs. The patio will have a few cracks. If there are any major cracks, you may note this. While it will not impact the overall value, it is something that you may have to fix down the road.

Level lot vs sloping lot

When refinancing, your lot may not make a big difference in the final estimated value. The appraiser will try to find lot sizes that bracket your lot size and they will locate homes with similar lots as yours. This may be difficult due to the nature of the land. Believe it or not, some people may want a sloping lot. But in most cases, you'll find that level lots and corner lots are still desirable features. Most of the time, corner lots will not support a higher value, as there are way more important criteria when appraising a home, so the corner lot will be given less emphases.

When buying, look for a level lot. If you buy a sloping lot, make sure that all of the retaining walls are installed and install properly. Retaining walls will cost a tremendous amount of money to install and add no value to your property or home.

When selling your home, the idea is to provide a level lot. If your home offers a sloping lot, though, do not build a retaining wall and make a level lot. In this case, just wait to see what the buyer will want. A retaining wall will cost your a minimum of $5000 up to $80,000, depending on the slope and materials used. You will, usually, not get your money back. I've appraised many homes where this has been the case. If you must build a retaining wall to stabilize your soil so that the wall does fall on your home, then by all means install the retaining wall. In this case, you bought incorrectly and now you'll have to fix this to sell your home. If you have a choice, let the market decide for you. If the market ( or a buyer will buy your home) based on you building a retaining wall, you may want to consider building the retaining wall or reduce your price and let them deal with this issue.

Sprinkler system vs no sprinkler system

When refinancing, the sprinkler system will not increase the value of your home. This is a minor issue. The appraiser will look at the overall landscaping improvements that included the installation of the sprinkler and give the value this way. So if your are refinancing, don't install a sprinkler system. This will do nothing to increase your home value.

When selling your home, if it is common for your area to install sprinkler systems I'd install one. This will give you a better chance to sell your home. Most likely, you will not get your money back, but this features may well be the one that sells your home.

When buying a home, check to see that the home offers a sprinkler system. If it does not have a sprinkler system, you may want to have the selling install a sprinkler system in exchange to buy the home. When you buy the home, the sprinkler will not make or break the value of the home. But if you really wanted a sprinkler system you will have to pay your real money to install one. I'd look at the top ten items that you want for your home and decide if this is important to you. If it is not that big of a deal to you, then I'd buy the home based on the other criteria that you've selected as the perfect home.

Fencing vs no fencing

When refinancing, as long as your fencing is not falling down or the wood fence is not peeling, you don't need to do anything. Most of the times, appraisers will overlook the fence. Do not replace a fence with a different kind of fence and think that the value will increase. It will not. If you have a chain link fence and you change it to a vinyl fence, it will not increase the value of your home.

If you are selling your home, maintain your fence properly. That's it. It will not be worth removing the old fence and replace the fence with a new one, unless the old fence is clearly at the end of its economic life cycle and is falling down.

If you are buying a home, make sure you have the fence you want or you are willing to trade the fence you want for other features provided by the home. Most of the time, you will not find every feature perfect for your new home. The fence will not add significant value to your new home, but it will cost you to remove an old fence and install the vinyl or wood fence that you'd like to have.

Asphalt drive way vs concrete driveway

When refinancing, there will be no value difference for an asphalt driveway vs a concrete driveway regardless of the cost differences. If you would like an extended driveway or your driveway is longer and the cost will be significant, the value will not increase. If the appraiser does feel that your driveway is much nicer than most of the other comparable homes in the area, they may be able to give some overall value for the improvements, but they must stay within the range of value of the comparable sales in your area. For these reasons, if you are refinancing, do not add additional concrete driveways to the side of the home or the front of the home, as this will not increase the value of your property, in most cases. All of the improvements will indirectly increase the value, but not this one item.

If you are selling your property, make sure that the concrete and asphalt is clean and nice. Make sure you kill and pull the weeds in the driveway. If the concrete or asphalt has oil stains, clean these and/or paint over them so that the concrete drive looks new. This is an inexpensive way to make the concrete or asphalt look good. Do not add concrete or asphalt drive. Do not replace the asphalt or concrete driveway. This is too expensive and there is a high probability you will not get your money back by selling your home.

If you are buying a home, look at the asphalt or concrete driveway and make sure it functions properly with minor cracks. If the cracks are extensive and it appears that the concrete has settled and is caused trip hazards or it is clearly damaged, I'd ask the seller to repair or replace these items. If you don't you'll be footing the bill later.

Water features and no water features

When refinancing, water features offer a high probability that there will be no increase in home value. This because water features are not that important of a feature when looking at the overall value of the property. If it is close to winter, go ahead and winterize your water feature and make sure that it looks good to the appraiser. If there is moss growing and it is not well cared for, there is a good chance that it will not make any difference either way, but when in drought, fix it.

If you are buying a home, never pay for the water features. These are a minor feature and should not be given any value. You will have to maintain these items. While some water features can cost a significant amount of money, don't make the mistake of paying for these items in the price of the home.

If you are selling, water features can be one of the key features that sell your home. So if you already have a water features, make sure it looks good and sounds good. It may be the one item that sells your home. If you don't have a water feature, don't go buy one or install one, as you have a high probability of losing money. If you must, go find a small water feature and stick it in the corner of the patio. Sometimes, this will dampen other less desirable noises and the cost of the sound of the water will be worth it. But again, do not go overboard on this one. You will lose money if you do.

swimming pool and no swimming pool

In ground swimming pools have a chance to increase or decrease your home value, depending on the condition of the pool and what comparable sales are in your area. An above ground swimming pool will be given no value, as these are treated as personal property.

This issue has been talk about quite a bit, but it warrants repeating. When refinancing, do not add a swimming pool and expect the value to increase. You have a good probability that the cost of the swimming pool will cost much more than the increase in your home value. New homes and new swimming pools are the worst for home value in the northwest. This is because there are relatively few comparable sales for new homes and new swimming pools. As a result, the appraiser will have to go outside of the market area to find comparable sales or use sales in the immediate area with no swimming pools. In either case, it will result in limited value given to your swimming pool.

When selling your home, do not add a swimming pool. If your home offers a swimming pool, make sure that the swimming pool is well cared for. Nothing says your house is a bargain when your swimming pool is not cared for. Make sure the weeds are removed from the sidewalks. Make sure the liner, filters and pumps are in good condition. You want the pool to be sparking clean and refreshing when a buyer comes to look at your home. This could sell your home. If your pool is not in tip top shape, nobody will want to buy your problem.

When buying a home with the pool, look at the comparable sales in the market. You do not want to pay for the full price of the in-ground swimming pool. Most of the time, the value is difficult to determine and will change with each year with the comparable sales available in the market area. Don't buy a home with a run down pool and expect to fix it and increase the value of your home, unless you are sure that the pool is given no value and you are willing to lose money to fix the pool.

concrete curbing and plastic curbing

When refinancing, concrete curbing looks much nicer than plastic curbing, but there will be no value given to either type of improvement as these types of improvements will be included in the overall landscaping. So if you are planning to put in concrete curbing in anticipation that your home value will increase, you'll be disappointed. Plastic curbing functions the same and looks good if it installed correctly. If your on a budget, go with plastic curbing. If you are going to stay in your home for a while and you have the money, by all means, install concrete curbing.

When selling your home, if you have concrete curbing, it will look nicer and it may be a good selling point of it is done right. If it looks bad then it really doesn't matter. Make sure you read a few books on landscape design before you install the curbing and follow basic installation techniques so that your design will appeal to the highest number of potential buyers and look good. As a general rule, put curbing around the perimeter or in island to separate the planting beds from the lawn. Make sure that is it easy to mow around and don't plant trees directly in the lawn. This makes it difficult to mow around and makes your landscape unorganized.

When buying a home look for any functional issues with the curbing and make sure that it is installed so that it will be easy to mow around. If there is no curbing and this is common for homes in your area, that's probably what you'll get. Most average homes in my market area don't have concrete curbing and sometimes the landscaping is nil to none. This is a personal preference. When selecting a home look for the other five key factors when buying a home, as this is a minor feature of the home buying process.

Retaining walls

For refinancing, your retaining wall will be given little to no value for the purposes of the appraisal. This is because these types of things are too difficult to support an adjustment for and when you can, most of the time, they will not bring a significant value difference. This is because much of the time, the most important factors in determining home value is the square footage, lot size, age of the home, design and appeal of the home, bedroom and bathroom count and other important features. The MLS usually does not show if there is a retaining wall, as it is just not that important, even if they cost lots of money to install. Don't expect your home to increase in value because you installed a $25,000 retaining wall. If the retaining wall is leaning or appears to be a safety hazard, you should remove the retaining wall so that it does not pose a safety hazard. If it looks like the dirt or rocks will fall down the mountain, then you will need to reinstall a retaining wall. The kinds of materials that you use will not make much of a difference for a refinance. But when you got to sell your home, the buyer will be looking for something that is appealing to look at. One idea, if your yard is large enough, it to finish the retaining wall and plant trees and shrubs in front of this wall.

When selling your home, if you already have a retaining wall installed in your yard, this will help your home sell, but not for the home plus the cost of the retaining wall. If it is relatively inexpensive to build a small retaining wall to allow your lot to be level, go ahead and do this, but don't go spend too much money on this because there is a high probability that you will lose the money that you put into a retaining wall.

When buying a home, don't buy a home if your feel strong about installing a retaining wall or you need or want a level lot. I'm sure, if you keep looking, you'll be able to find a good home with a flat, level yard for the same or better price. If not, be prepared to pay lots of money for a retaining wall and not get it back, even when you sell your home. Here is the question you should ask yourself. If there are homes in your market area that offer flat, level lots for the same price as yours, why would a buyer pay more for a retaining wall when the home across the street doesn't even need one. Now there are exceptions to ever rule, so use your judgment. Some homes need retaining walls, but they offer a superior, exceptional view of a river or lake. In this case, buying this home may be the best thing that you've ever did.

neighbors landscaping

When refinancing your home, your neighborhood landscaping will not impact your value. If you have one neighbor to your left that just can't figure out how to mow their lawn, this will not affect your value. This is because there is a high probability that the comparable sales (still in your neighborhood) will have similar floor plans and square footage and offer homes that have well cared for lawns. So the one bad apple will not impact your home value. If there are a bunch of homes in your area that do not care for there landscaping, this will probably not impact value either. This is because the comparable sales will be in the same market area and anyone buying a home in this area is buying for other reasons besides curb appeal.

When buying a home, everything is relevant to the price of the home and the overall market area. If you can find a home with the worst landscaping and the best price, this may be a good trade, but make sure you are not paying the same price as all of the other homes regardless of the landscaping. In many cases, you may be doing just this, because most Realtors understand this relationship. If you find lots of homes with run down landscaping and run down homes, this is an area where the market area does not care about the curb appeal of their property. This may be caused by home owners or maybe a high rental area. Personally, I'd keep looking. There are plenty of homes where the market area will care for their yards, regardless of the age of the home. If you get in an area and the majority of the homes in the area are not cared for, this may be the reason why the home is prices so low. It may be a troubled market area for one reason or the other. Keep looking, regardless of price.

Does a swimming pool add value to a house?

Do water features increase home value?

Do trees increase home value?

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