A Great Outdoors Can Cinch Home Sale
Kevin Poi and Tom Hoehn re-landscaped because they wanted a beautiful backyard. They had no idea that three years later their efforts would lead to a quick and lucrative sale of their house in Long Beach.
“The house sold within the first week,” Poi said. “Three hundred people showed up to the Realtors’ open house.”
When it comes to selling a house in Southern California, the exterior is as important as the interior, said Kathi Kowal of Century 21 Sparow-Shoreline in Long Beach. “A beautiful landscape entices people and encourages them to buy.”
Property values can hinge as heavily on mature trees and vine-covered arbors as on an updated kitchen and fireplace. According to the California Assn. of Realtors, attractive landscaping has been shown to increase a house’s value by as much as 10%. Kowal has seen this figure rise much higher.
“I recently sold a home in Long Beach for the highest price per square foot in the last two years in that area. The high sale price was due to the landscaping,” Kowal said. “The home is small--just under 1,500 square feet--but it’s situated in the middle of the lot, giving each room a gorgeous view of the garden. The house sold for 25% more than it would have without that particular landscaping.”
If a potential buyer’s first impression is a good one, he or she is likely to take a second look, said agent Nancy Althin of Seven Gables Real Estate in Anaheim Hills. “An eye-catching, colorful exterior makes a home more salable, and custom ‘hardscape’ additions such as patios and patio covers increase a home’s value.”
Though a well-manicured front lawn and colorful curbside flowers pull potential buyers in, it’s the backyard that often leads to a sale.
“Beautiful backyards sell homes,” said Lee Shoag, a Realtor with ReMax College Park Realty in Long Beach. “Buyers like nice views to the outdoors, especially from the dining room and living room.
“They also want to see water features such as fountains, ponds and waterfalls,” he said. “And they look for plenty of colorful plants.”
Though it’s not always possible to recoup your landscaping investment dollar for dollar, a well-designed exterior will cause a house to sell faster and for more money than a comparable house without landscape upgrades, said Placentia landscape architect Carey Orwig. “If you can create an inviting outdoor retreat that uses all available space ... you will increase your home’s value and marketability.”
Landscaping doesn’t have to be costly, Kowal said. “With the home I sold that set records, the owners didn’t spend a lot of money,” she said. “What they did spend was a lot of time nurturing the garden. They trained vines, created little paths, tended ground cover and installed beautiful lighting.”
Here are some affordable, easy-to-accomplish landscaping tips from experts that will increase the value and salability of a house:
* Feed turf regularly. Nothing draws the eye faster to a house than a green lawn. “To create a healthy, green lawn, constant feeding is a necessity,” said Larry McDaniel, maintenance operations manager for Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park.
Even though fescue is considered a cool-season grass, it can be fertilized in the warm months and will look better for it. Bermuda goes dormant in winter but can be over-planted with ryegrass in the fall for a healthy look.
* Use mulch. Greenery stands out better against a thick layer of shredded bark or compost. Not only will it make your garden look well kept, mulch decreases the need for watering and increases soil fertility.
* Try foliar fertilizer. Get the quickest results from fertilizer by feeding plants through the leaves.
“Foliar fertilizer gets absorbed directly into the plant leaves as opposed to having to be soaked up by the roots and then used,” said Dennis McNamara, landscape manager of Newport Dunes Resort in Newport Beach. “At the Dunes, we regularly foliar feed our flowering shrubbery and trees.”
* Choose plants carefully. “Buy seasonal and bedding plants from a good source,” McDaniel said. “Hand select your plants and try to get ones that are healthy and just starting to bloom. They will give you much longer flowering and better performance if they are on the upswing, rather than already past their peak.”
* Use plants with little downtime. There are many new perennial hybrids on the market that take little care and are constantly blooming, said Gary Matsuoka, president of Laguna Hills Nursery in Lake Forest. “These new perennials are ideal because they’re always in bloom and don’t go dormant in the winter months like traditional perennials.”
* Keep plants clean. “Many people mistakenly believe that if you wet foliage--especially of roses--you’ll get mildew,” said John Hapgood, who runs the landscape company that maintains the 50 Mimi’s Cafes in Southern California.
“The truth is that keeping plants clean will reduce fungus diseases and can make the garden healthier and more attractive overall,” he said. “Just make sure to wash plants in the morning or afternoon so they have a chance to dry before nightfall.”
Washing plants is definitely good for them, especially on hot days, Matsuoka said. “Rinsing plants during the hottest part of the day will raise the humidity level and can cool the area around the plants down by as much as 10 degrees, which makes growing conditions much more agreeable.”
* Add a water feature. The sound of water from a fountain or small pond is soothing and blocks exterior noise. Before buying a particular fountain or pond, listen to it working so you have an idea of the sound it makes. Keep in mind that the farther water has to fall, the louder the fountain or pond will be.
* Provide seating. Every garden calls for a comfortable place to rest, such as a small bench, chair, swing and/or hammock.
* Prune often. Trim bushes, shrubs, vines and flowers regularly and they will grow faster and become more lush. Use caution and don’t cut off flower buds.
When pruning trees, make certain that you know the proper procedure, McNamara said. “I suggest that people get a home garden book on pruning trees and that they learn when and how to prune.”
* Plant vines. Vines have a way of making any property seem more inviting, and few plants have their versatility.
Train vines to cover trellises, arbors and patio covers. Encourage them to crawl down slopes and spill over retaining walls. Their ornamental foliage can be used to frame entryways and garages and to soften harsh block walls.
Best of all, vines can be used to add privacy. Rather than look out your window at a blank wall or your neighbor’s house, you can grow vines on trellises in narrow places to add greenery and color.
* Accessorize your landscape. Exterior decor items can create interest and serve other purposes, such as adding a sense of privacy and screening less attractive areas of the yard.
Add statuary near the entrance of your house or use it to offset a pool. Strategically placed trellises and arbors can offer a dramatic backdrop to an entrance.
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Julie Bawden Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Orange.
