Our home, like the homes of many readers of this newspaper, was damaged during the storm on July 20. Shuttling my son to the basement while my husband stood guard watching the hail and the swirling winds was just the start of the storm experience. That was quickly followed by surveying the damage with our neighbors, raking, chopping, hauling, and burning leaves, twigs, and branches, calling the insurance company, meeting with the adjustor, and interviewing contractors.
Spending the entire day after the storm cleaning up branches that reached a length of 35’ was an easy task compared to working with the adjustor and making decisions regarding shingles, siding, and shutters. I had managed to reach my forties without ever having to make a decision regarding the building materials of a home. It was a process that I found very nerve-racking. Thankfully, with a great contractor and supportive husband, the decisions were made. Let’s hope they were the right ones.
Working through this process has reminded me of when we sold our old home and purchased a new one. Selling your home is something everyone wants to do correctly. You desperately want to make the right decisions, but more than likely you have not gone through the process more than a handful of times. Our homes represent one of the most important financial investments we will ever make. We want to invest wisely.
According to the National Gardening Residential Lawn and Landscape Services Survey, most homeowners believe that a well-designed and maintained landscape adds 10-19 percent to their home’s value, especially in a market where home values have suffered.
“People associate a beautiful garden with a warm and inviting home,” Craig Humphries, director of Consumer Insights at The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, said in a publication by the National Gardening Association. “The outside of a home is a reflection of what’s inside. It gives the impression the inside of the home is as well cared for as the outside.”
Mary Jo Darlington, a broker associate with Huntley Realty, has assisted both buyers and sellers of homes for over 20 years.
Before listing a home, she recommends that homeowners, “Stand at the curb and look at your house as a buyer would.” A different perspective often brings new appreciation of how others view your home. She recommends that you “tidy up flower beds, remove dead or dying flowers, replacing them if necessary. Touch up mulch by applying a fresh layer. Spruce up outdoor containers. Shape unsightly or overgrown trees and shrubs.”
When showing a home, the realtor is privy to the comments of perspective buyers. Negative comments that Darlington hears include “bushes and trees that need trimming, flower beds that are weed infested, grass that is dying.”
“All of these things say that the seller does not care about their house,” Darlington said.
Positive comments include “nice, green lawn, pretty flowers, shrubs and trees trimmed.”
“These things say that the seller cares about their house and gives the buyer a good feeling as they enter the home.” Darlington said.
Perspective buyers often evaluate landscaping the way they would kitchen counters and cupboards or the carpeting.
“Buyers look for a yard that is taken care of – fertilized and watered to keep it green. Mow as needed to keep the lawn manicured. Bushes and trees that are trimmed. If a bush is blocking a widow, have it trimmed so it lets light into the house. Keep the bushes off the sidewalks so that they are not hitting people as they go to the front door,” Darlington said.
In the NG survey, 94 percent of homeowners surveyed appreciated the benefits of a well-designed and maintained landscape. The benefits cited the most were that the landscape provides a place of beauty and relaxation for the family, beautifies the neighborhood, and adds real estate value and curb appeal.
• Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
