Outdoor Features that Help Sell Houses

Whether it’s a deck, landscaping or a pool, the features in your outdoor space make a big difference when selling a home – even in winter.

Effortless is Best

People lead busy lives, and Barbara says this is reflected in how most house hunters perceive outdoor features. A stunning outdoor space that requires a lot of effort to maintain can be a tough sell. “We all admire large, beautiful gardens, but how many people want to dedicate the time and money to maintaining them?” The same applies to outdoor features that incur high maintenance costs. “A lot of people see a swimming pool as a liability more than an asset,” Barbara explains.

On the other hand, ready to go, practical features such as a sturdy deck or an outdoor patio rank highly for most buyers. Landscaping features that reduce the amount of lawn mowing required are also popular, such as adding rocks or ornamental grasses to areas of the yard.

“Most buyers today want the house to be move-in ready,” Barbara says.

Hot tubs remain popular, providing they are in great working condition and have been properly cared for. An aging hot tub that doesn’t work, or one that is on an unsafe deck, is just a liability.

Other more practical features such as fences and retaining walls should be well made and maintained if sellers are hoping to benefit from them. It is also worth making sure everything is looking good before you sell, which might mean repainting or staining decks and fences.

People love mature trees. “Tree-lined streets are always popular. Even when trees have been added to a newer subdivision, it’s amazing the difference five years can make to the feel of the street,” Barbara says. Mature trees are a great outdoor feature as long as there aren’t any bigger issues that need to be dealt with, such as tree roots interfering with sewer lines. Get rid of dead or diseased trees before you put your home on the market.

Working with Small Spaces

It’s easy to overlook the value of outdoor spaces for properties that have very small yards, but even small outdoor spaces can influence buyers. “Create a place where people can sit outdoors – a little patio or pergola, a spot for a barbecue or even a small water feature,” Barbara suggests. “Most people feel more relaxed if they have a connection to nature.”

There are still plenty of ways to dress up small outdoor spaces, too. “Adding chairs and a couple of tubs of flowers to the patio makes the space much more attractive as long as the space doesn’t become too cluttered,” Barbara explains.

The same applies to entrances; regardless of the size of the outdoor space, sprucing up entrances with flowerpots, new doormats and even seasonal décor such as wreaths can help potential buyers feel welcome. Just don’t overdo it; a cluttered entrance will tend to have the opposite effect.

Money Matters

Barbara points out a couple of traps homeowners fall into when it comes to spending money on outdoor features. “Be careful of spending too much on outdoor features to the detriment of spending on necessary updates inside the house.” Barbara says on occasion she has been invited into homes with incredible gardens but the interior of the home is in desperate need of attention. The result in most cases is that sellers don’t benefit as much or at all from the hard work they put into the yard when they sell.

Barbara also warns against overspending for the neighbourhood. If you’re thinking about return on investment when it comes to adding features to your outdoor space, bear in mind that at some point you will hit a ceiling in terms of what your home will likely sell for in that particular area.

Is your area more conservative or quirky when it comes to the style of homes? If you care about resale value, it is worth trying to find a balance between your personal taste and what will fit with the aesthetic of the area, particularly when it comes to curb appeal features.

Selling the Outdoors in the Winter

There are still things sellers can do in the winter months to make their outdoor spaces more appealing to buyers. Make sure pathways are cleared of snow and ice, and consider employing lighting features that could improve the curb appeal of the home on dark winter days. Barbara mentions that, “mini solar lights can be put on a timer and draped around a shrub or a small tree.” If you have an outdoor space that looks particularly impressive in the summer months, pull out some photos of the yard looking its best to give to your listing agent.

Barbara says one of the most important things sellers can do at any time of year is make sure the outside of the home looks well maintained. “Clean up. Tidy the yard, get rid of broken patio furniture and the rusty barbecue. Rake up the leaves.” Budget for a few repairs that will help the exterior of your home make a solid first impression.

Ultimately, Barbara says, “Buyers should drive up to a house and think that this house has been well cared for, and that these people enjoyed living here.”