Want to know the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to add thousands to the value of your home?
Just add grass.
Sounds too good to be true right? It’s not.
Results from a national Raine & Horne survey of real estate agents revealed a lush, green lawn could improve property values by up to $100K.
So if you’re busy getting your home ready for sale, and want to attract more buyers to the street party, don’t just pretty up the inside.
By all means brew a pot of coffee, bake a cake or sourdough in the oven, light that expensive vanilla-scented candle and set a vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen bench - but whatever you do, don’t forget to look outside.
Could your lawn do with a bit of a spruce up and some extra lovin’? If you want to boost your sell price, your answer should be a ‘hell yes’!
Coolabah Turf's Suzie Shearer says an instant lawn landscape is the quickest, easiest and cheapest investment anyone will ever make if they want to prepare their home for sale, put the finishing touches on a new home build or enhance an existing landscape on an established home.
‘’A well landscaped home has a significant price advantage over a home with no landscaping,” Suzie says.
“According to the Raine & Horne survey, a nicely presented lawn can boost your home’s value by 20% to 30%. If you take the median price of an Australian home, which is currently $549,918, that works out to be between $110,000 and $165,000.”
CLK First National Echuca Director Troy O’Brien says an instant lawn landscape can add an instant wow to any property.
In his experience, he says a neat, tidy and lush green lawn attracts more buyers to a house and improves property value.
“A great lawn provides the perfect first impression,” says Troy.
“It says ‘these people love their home’, and with hundreds of properties online to choose from you need to stand out….you need to catch the buyer’s eye.”
As agents, Troy says they often recommend clients improve their lawn before selling.
He says it’s a cost-effective way for clients to make improvements that will deliver a fast and strong return.
“Buyers love to think all the hard work is done for them, and that’s one of the main attractions of a beautiful lawn.
“A green lawn also makes the home look and feel cooler, which is important in our hot environment, and it generally provides a great contrast against the colour of the home, which adds to the overall street appeal.”
These days, more than ever buyers are making very quick decisions on whether a property suits their needs, Troy says.
“When buyers are comparing properties they are looking at the overall package. That includes all elements of the property - price, position, whether it’s been renovated and whether it has an established lawn and grounds. Presentation is key – both inside and out.”
Coolabah’s Suzie says Sir Walter DNA Certified lawn is the most popular lawn type for most Australian backyards because of its drought-tolerance and non-invasive root system.
From a maintenance perspective, this means once you have your lawn established, its water and fertiliser requirements are minimal.
‘’People tend to be quite time poor in this day and age – so a low maintenance, water smart lawn option can accommodate our busy schedules,’’ she says.
“You simply just need to mow, blow and go! You don’t need to have a lawn that you will be a slave to.”
