09/27/2022

 

Key Findings

• 78% of real estate agents say poor landscaping and hardscaping negatively affects property values

• 59% of real estate agents say trees are the landscaping element that adds the most value to a home

• Adding one healthy tree can increase property values by 30% or more, according to 1 in 5 real estate agents

Home prices in the U.S. surged within the last year, the result of pandemic-related relocations, low mortgage rates, and a lack of new and existing housing inventory.

According to Zillow, the median home value in the U.S. is $303,288 as of August 2021, a 17.7% increase from 2020.

However, according to a new Trees.com survey of 1,250 licensed U.S. real estate agents, there’s one way to decrease a home’s value—neglect your home’s landscaping and hardscaping.

3/4 of real estate agents say poor landscaping, hardscaping negatively affects a home’s value

There’s no question that landscaping elements like trees, grass, and flowers add a lot of visual appeal to a home, but just how much does their absence affect what a home is worth?

According to 43% of real estate agents, poor landscaping has a “very” negative impact on a home’s value. Another 35% say it will “somewhat” impact how much a home is worth.

Real estate agents have differing opinions on exactly how much a home’s value decreases with poor landscaping. Twenty-four percent say a home’s value decreases by 10%, while 22% estimate the value decreases by 20%. Eighteen percent predict that a home’s value drops by 30% or more if the property lacks an appealing landscape.

Much of it has to do with perception, according to real estate broker Kimo Quance, owner of the Kimo Quance Group in Santee, CA.

“Landscaping provides potential buyers with a first impression of your home,” Quance says. “When they observe a neglected lawn, or a home without any additional curb appeal, potential buyers immediately get the idea that the home was not well-maintained. They set a value of the home in their mind based on that, and it’s usually not a good price. On the other hand, a neat, clean lawn puts the buyer’s mind at ease.”

In today’s hot real estate market, even a 10% price decrease means a seller could be leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table if they don’t bring their lawns up to snuff before putting their home on the market.

Hardscaping, which refers to all of the non-living aspects of an outdoor design, such as structural or decorative elements, is also important. Forty percent of real estate agents say poor hardscaping has a very negative impact on a home’s value, while 38% say it has a somewhat negative impact.

According to Chicago-based real estate investor and developer Bill Samuel, a well-designed outdoor space is even more important now due to how much time families are spending at home.

“Today’s homebuyer expects the home they purchase to be move-in ready and prefers not to have to do any work,” Samuel says. “Exterior hardscape upgrades that allow for outdoor entertaining are becoming even more desirable as most homeowners prefer to entertain at home and outdoors during the pandemic.”

Trees, grass and flower top list of landscaping elements that add value to a home

The landscaping elements that add the most value to a home include grass (64%), trees (59%), and flowers (52%).

Meanwhile, as far as hardscaping goes, real estate agents recommend adding or improving decks (58%), driveways (54%), and an outdoor kitchen (47%) to add the most value.

Adding one healthy tree will raise property value

Ninety-one percent of real estate agents say adding even one healthy tree to your landscape will increase property values.

According to 20% of real estate agents, the presence of one healthy tree in the front yard of a property increases the home’s value by 30% or more. Nineteen percent of real estate agents estimate a single healthy tree increases a property’s value by 20%; the same number of agents say it raises the value by 10%.

One reason trees can increase property values is the aesthetic charm they add to a home.

“A tree is one of the most natural and interesting ways to add color, texture and contrast to any home’s yard,” says David North, a real estate broker in Redmond, WA. “The natural beauty of a tree can be especially powerful when it distinguishes one property from others, whether by different shape, color, or size.”

Location is key, North says, encouraging homeowners to plant trees where they will provide needed shade, privacy, and noise protection.

There are also the practical benefits of having trees on a property.

“Big, healthy trees help improve the home environment and make it more sustainable,” Quance says. “Trees contribute to a functioning home ecosystem by helping with stormwater management, pollution filtering, and soil fertilization. During warmer months, trees are a natural cooling system, providing shade. Then, in colder months, trees that lose their leaves let sunlight filter through to warm the home.”

Those who are selling their homes shouldn’t forget about having greenery inside, either. Fifty-four percent of real estate agents say it’s very important to have indoor plants when showing a home for sale, while 28% say it is somewhat important.

Effects of landscaping vary by region

Home prices vary widely by location, and the impact of poor landscaping does as well.

Real estate agents in the Midwest are most likely to say that poor landscaping will have a very negative impact on home value (51%). By comparison, 44% of real estate agents in the Northeast say poor landscaping has a very negative impact on what a home is worth.

Having indoor plants during a home showing is most important in the South (67%) and the West (65%). Only 57% of real estate agents in both the Midwest and the Northeast think it is very important to have indoor plants for home showings.

While the majority of real estate agents in the Northeast say having a healthy tree in the front yard will increase property values, 10% say that it won’t. Comparatively, only 6% of real estate agents in the West and Midwest, and 5% of real estate agents in the South think having a healthy tree won’t increase a home’s value at all.

Methodology

All data found within this report derives from a survey commissioned by Trees.com and conducted online by survey platform Pollfish. In total, 1,250 currently licensed U.S. real estate agents were surveyed. Appropriate respondents were found via a screening question. This survey was conducted on September 17, 2021. All respondents were asked to answer all questions truthfully and to the best of their abilities. For full survey data, please email Julia Morrissey at julia@trees.com.

Poor Landscaping Can Decrease Property Value By As Much As 30% created by Trees.com

07/19/2019

Making up 35% of the homebuyer market, millennial homebuyers outnumber those of every other generation.

Gen X comes in second with 26% of the market. That means that your most likely target demographic as a seller is the Millennial generation. Read on and check out the infographic below to learn some of the key characteristics millennials are looking for in potential homes.

Millennial Profile

Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000 and range in age from 18 to 37. The median household income for millennials is $88,200, slightly below the market average of $88,800. Married couples are the most likely to purchase a home, followed by single women and unmarried couples; single men are the least likely demographic to purchase a home.

Millennial Homebuyer Concerns

Although only 68% of millennials view their starter homes as stepping stones to their dream homes, 82% say buying a home is a priority. The generation’s biggest concerns about purchasing a house are the costs of buying and maintaining a home and the time it takes to take care of a home. Since millennials are slower to marry than previous generations – and because both partners often continue working after marriage – millennials have less free time to put into cleaning and repairing their properties.

Millennial Must-Haves

Green Features
Millennials are the most educated generation, and they value the economical and environmental advantages from investing in green tech like certified energy efficient appliances, LED lights, and solar panels.

Updated Kitchen and Bath
On the same token, 75% of millennials want new appliances; if your property has appliances more than a year old, you should upgrade for maximum appeal.

Tech Support
As smarthomes become more prevalent, homebuyers are growing more conscious of a home’s WiFi compatibility. Ensure that each room has high-speed WiFi and plenty of plugs to charge devices.

Good Location
Ideally, homes targeted toward millennials should be located in the suburbs and close to public transportation. More than half of this generation is buying homes in the suburbs while only 15% are purchasing in urban areas. Additionally, 65% say that a convenient location to their job is a key factor in choosing a property.

Open Concept
Young people today don’t need formal dining rooms; at parties, people tend to drift from the kitchen to the living room, making an open floor plan the most desirable layout for entertaining. Additionally, millennials are looking for smaller homes than their parents and an open concept lessens the space wasted on walls and makes rooms feel larger.

Make Them Fall in Love

Flexible Space
This generation is all about maximizing space; while they want the option of having dining rooms, offices, and spare bedrooms, they don’t necessarily need them available at all times. If your rooms can easily shift purposes – say, an office that doubles as a spare bedroom or a dining room that converts to a workspace, young buyers will be thrilled.

Goldilocks Layout
Millennials’ ideal home is a 3 bed, 2 bath with a minimum of 1000 sq. ft. of living space. With lower incomes than their parents and more student debt, millennials can’t afford the extra square footage of a McMansion, nor do they want to pay for space they don’t need. Instead of building a bigger home, make sure you utilize all the space you have, including attics, basements, and side yards.

Instagrammable Design
Growing up with sites like Pinterest and Instagram, this generation is especially adept at recognizing good design. They want high-end finishes like quartz countertops, stone detailing, and hardwood floors. Choose white or light-colored paints; create contrast with black detailing and stainless steel appliances. Select features that are sleek, modern, and high-tech for the most “Instagrammable” home.

Real Estate Marketing to Millennials

High Quality Photos
For millennials, the first screening of potential homes occurs online, not at open houses; 99% searched for potential properties online and 75% did drive-bys after finding a home they liked. Stage your home and hire a professional to take your listing photos.

Video Walkthroughs
Not only are video walkthroughs a great feature to add to your online listings, but VR marketing is growing in popularity; 71% of millennials view VR favorably.

Tech Trend: Drone Footage
Drones provide more effective marketing than traditional photos; with these devices, you can capture sweeping aerial views of your property that show off the exterior, the neighborhood, and the landscaping.

07/19/2019

Fix And Flip Goal #1: Maximize Profit

When it comes to real estate investing – fix and flip or fix and rent – the goal is always the same: generate the highest return on your investment.

In previous blog posts, we’ve gotten fix and flip experts’ secrets to success, and covered some of the tried and true methods for squeezing every last drop of profitability from a deal like staging your property, building a team, and repairing instead of replacing.

Next up is one of the easiest, and typically least expensive tools a real estate investor should have in their arsenal: professional listing photos.

So, should you hire a professional photographer to take your real estate listing photos? Check out the infographic below!

Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania

Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania

Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania

Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending, a hard money lender in Pennsylvania

Should You Hire A Professional To Take Your Listing Photos? created by Asset Based Lending

07/09/2019

Property Payoff: Tips To Increase Resale Value
 
Home improvements do more than make your house more livable and increase your family’s comfort level. They also have the side effect of boosting its value when the time comes to sell. Although making any improvements throughout your house can impress potential buyers, there are some that typically are more worthwhile investments than others.
 
For instance, converting a spare bedroom into a home office might have been a good idea for you, but someone else may not want to spend for that renovation if he or she would rather have the original sleeping space. This is why it’s a good idea to consider the resale value before undertaking any project.
 
Some projects will make your property attractive to interested homebuyers, but others could hurt your chances of selling. A rule of thumb to follow is that increasing the amount of living space is almost always a benefit to anyone looking to sell a house. Kitchens and bathrooms could probably use a bit of a makeover, as well.
 
For these and other ideas about how to boost the appeal of your home, take a look at the accompanying checklist. It contains some tips for getting the most out of your property by investing a bit more. 

Tips To Increase Resale Value created by by Synergy Builders

06/20/2019

Benefits of moving to Anchorage

Ah, Anchorage. The jewel of Alaska. This gorgeous city spans for 1,961.1 square miles (5,079 square kilometres) which makes it the fourth largest city, by land, in the US. And within these 1,961.1 square miles, you'll be able to find goods schools, ample job opportunities, gorgeous sights of nature and many other things that make Anchorage such a beautiful place. Is that all? Of course not. Let us go over all the things that make moving to Anchorage a great idea for anyone looking to settle down.

What makes Anchorage awesome

You might be thinking that I'm praising Anchorage for something that it is not. Well, let me disillusion you by mentioning the fact that Anchorage won the All-America City Award four times. Yes, four times (1956, 1965, 1984, and 2002). Not to mention the fact that it was named the most tax-friendly city in the US by Kiplinger. So, clearly, there are a lot of awesome things in Anchorage which make it clear why it is so appreciated. But, before you sell your home and move to Anchorage, let's see what's so great about it.

Nature

If you haven't heard about the beauty of Alaskan wilderness before, well now's the time. It is actually quite hard to describe how beautiful Alaska is. From jaw-dropping sights too beautiful creatures that roam it, it is truly something to behold. And what better way of doing so then by moving to Anchorage. By living here you'll have the glory of Alaska's nature an hour's drive away. So, if you or your family like to spend time in the great outdoors, there is no better place than Anchorage. But know that Alaska's nature can be dangerous just as it is beautiful.

Diversity

According to the 2010 census, Anchorage has the population of 291,826. And, while 66% of the population is Caucasian, those 291,826 are culturally quite diverse. This is due to the fact that the US government had problems with not enough people living in Alaska. So, in order to make the state more enticing, they provided good living conditions which a lot of people found worth moving for. This made people from all around the US move to Alaska, regardless of their cultural heritage. Therefore, if you want to raise your kids in a diverse environment, or you would like to meet people from different heritages and cultures, moving to Anchorage is the right move.

Climate

Another weird fact that you might stumble upon is that there are more people living in Anchorage than in the rest of Alaska. Some of the contributors to this are decent schools, good living conditions, and various work opportunities. But, the biggest reason has to be the climate. Don't get us wrong, Anchorage is cold and you need to prepare yourself for living in a colder climate. But, luckily, it is located near the sea, which offsets the cold climate quite a bit. This leads to Anchorage having a moderate subarctic climate with winter temperatures between 11 and 23 °F (-12 and -5 °C) and summer temperatures between 52 and 66 °F (11 to 19 °C).

Moving to Anchorage

All of the aforementioned facts are reasons why moving to Anchorage is a great decision for anyone looking to start a family.  If you are looking for a calmer town where you'll be able to easily find a job and a place to live, then look no further. But, moving to Anchorage may not be as easy as you might think. Alaska is, after all, quite a bit separated from the rest of the US. And if you are moving from Canada, you will need to deal with international moving procedure. So, if you want to make Anchorage your home as soon as possible and start enjoying the benefits of living here, here is what you need to do.

Finding a place to live

The first thing I advise you to do is to find the place where you will live in Anchorage. Luckily, you can find the type of household that suits you perfectly by looking online. Once you do that you need to visit Anchorage. I can list the benefits of moving to Anchorage for days. But, unless you visit it and witness them in person, you will never know what living in Anchorage is going to be like.

Proper movers

Once you have visited Anchorage you need to find reliable movers to help you relocate there. Our advice is to look for the best cross country moving professionals in Alaska. They will be able to plan your relocation so that it is efficient and that it costs you the least amount of money. Other movers may claim that they are able to do so properly. But only experienced movers have the necessary tools and knowledge to move you to Anchorage. Remember, you will need to cover a lot of ground and you might even need to utilize a plane or a boat to transport your possessions. These things require the right tools and skilled hands.

Moving Preparations

Once you've found the right movers to help you, you need to deal with moving preparations. Best Cross Country Movers can advise you on how to prepare yourself for moving to Anchorage and they can even provide moving preparation services to make the whole ordeal easier. But, the one thing that you absolutely need to remember is that you need to start your moving preparations as soon as possible. The moment you decide that you are moving to Anchorage, start preparing. There are multiple articles and guides written that can make your relocation both safer and cheaper. But, in order to utilize them and easily move to Anchorage, you need to start on time.