Yard Appeal Influences Houston Home Buyers

Yard appeal influences Houston  home buyers to either check a home out or walk away without ever viewing the interior.  Yards are one of the biggest contributors to a Houston home’s curb appeal.  A dated or neglected yard can be a turnoff to potential buyers as they first view your home from the street.  An appealing lawn and landscaping can trump other objections a buyer may have to your home.  Landscape designer Cynthia Bee knows this well. “Landscaping often makes the difference,” she says, “between a prospective buyer getting out of the car for a closer look or simply driving on by.”

Internet buyers will view your home in the same way as they scan through listings in search of a Houston home to buy.  Unappealing images of your front yard can detract from your all-important internet real estate listing photo — and cause them ‘to drive on by’ your listing. The backyard is not as important in attracting buyers, but often proves vital in holding their enthusiasm.

To help sell a home in Houston this spring, now is the perfect prime time to start planning and consider some yard-focused dos and don’ts:

•  DO consider maintenance issues when you plan front and backyard updates.  To sell a Houston home that appeals to the widest range of buyers, avoid high maintenance landscaping and plants that shout, Weed me!  Water me! Trim me!  That being said, make sure your lawn and plants are green and blooming with lots of color while your listing is on the market this spring.

•  DON’T let an older landscaping design make an otherwise appealing property feel dated.  It used to be common to have flat-topped and rounded bushes along pathways and walls.  Today, the vast majority of buyers appreciate the natural look with hardy low maintenance native plants.

•  DO consider who your most likely buyers will be – and how your yard will fit their family. If you are going to sell a home with four bedrooms, a back yard with plenty of playing space for the kids is a good idea.

• DO make sure while your home is on the market, that your yard is mowed, weeded, and watered.  Freshen up the mulch and make sure that the front beds have as many colorful flowering plants as possible.

Sometimes it is the smallest details that determine how quickly you sell a Houston home.  It’s my job to help in figuring out which and what those are likely to be.  If you are getting ready to sell a home in Houston, I hope you will call me to put my knowledge to work!  Contact Kevan Pewitt Realtor Houston for advice on selling your home.