When preparing to sell your home, homeowners often spend countless hours making updates, cleaning, organizing, and staging the inside of their home. Unfortunately, none of that will really matter if potential buyers are turned off by the landscaping and curb appeal of your home. It could be hard to win them over on the exterior.

For this reason, it is incredibly important home sellers give time and attention to the exterior of their homes. As the first impression, it should give potential buyers a feel for what’s to come on the inside.

As landscape design experts, we have gathered the top landscaping features that should not be overlooked when preparing to sell your home. These landscaping don’ts could cost you in the sale of your home.

Artificial Grass

While artificial grass offers an extremely low maintenance lawn option, many buys are turned off by this feature. Whether they don’t love the look, have concerns about why natural grass won’t grow or have pets who need a real yard, it has been found to be a risky addition if you are planning to sell. Buyers will be distracted by the cost of installing sod or the effort of trying to grow real grass in replacement.

Damaged Fence or Retaining Walls

A properly installed fence or retaining wall provides great value to your home. Buyers value the privacy, safety, and beauty it can provide to a property. A damaged fence or crumbling retaining wall, however, will have the opposite effect.

These damaged features can actually take more value off your home than however much you would have to pay to have them replaced. For a good return on your investment have your fence and retaining walls in Dayton, Ohio repaired before you put your house on the market.

Damaged Walkways or Patios

Not only are damaged concrete paths and patios an eyesore but they can be dangerous tripping hazards or have potential buyers worried about why cracks may have occurred. Help your buys know they are buying a house on solid ground by repairing concrete cracks ahead of time.

Unkept Garden or Shrubbery

Overgrown and unkept shrubbery or gardens will turn away buyers who don’t want to do a lot of maintenance in their landscaping. Buyers will only see a project with no idea of how great it could look. Full and beautifully maintained gardens can give buyers a great first impression as they approach your home.

Outdated Garden Furniture or Décor

You may be used to looking at the old picnic table or bench in your back yard but potential buyers aren’t. Where you see memories of your kids having picnics, buyers see a rotten or rusty eye sore. Remove and replace, if necessary, any outdated or damaged outdoor décor or furniture pieces.

We want to help you increase the value of your home before you put it on the market, whether that be this year or in years to come. Investing in landscaping today will give you a good return when you go to sell with new and improved curb appeal for potential buyers!