Which Home Do You Choose

Category: Finance, Real Estate.

Imagine you are searching for a new Florida home.

One home has a slightly higher asking price, but it has lush landscaping that features beautiful shade trees, colorful plants and flowers, and a garden- like feel. You have narrowed your search and found two properties that are in your desired neighborhood, have the right amount of square footage, and are in your price range. The other may cost less, but it sits on a lot with very little landscaping, is filled with, or worse yet cheap plants and trees, low- quality, and has a, browning grass stark feel. For many Florida home buyers, the answer is simple. Which home do you choose? They would choose the house with the higher asking price.

Because first impressions are lasting. Why? You may not realize it, but when you see a home that is beautifully landscaped, it projects an image of care and quality. Plus, a well- landscaped lot is aesthetically pleasing and leaves prospective buyers with a positive impression of a home. Most people assume that a home owner who takes good care of their property also takes good care of their home. Landscaping for the current Florida home owner. To say that the current surplus of listings combined with rising interest rates have created a buyer s market is an understatement.

Today s real estate market is extremely competitive. It would be more appropriate to call the current real estate market a buyer s heaven. Many home sellers are taking offers that are much lower than their asking price because they can t afford to wait for better contracts to come in. The average listing is sitting on the market for a much longer period of time than what has been seen in past years. Spending money on high quality landscaping is no longer just a matter of aesthetics or personal preference. A recent study by Arbor National Mortgage found that a home situated on a treed lot can fetch up to 20% more than a home on a lot without trees. In today s real estate market, sellers need any edge they can get over the competition.

If you are a current Florida home owner and you want to sell your home for a good price, landscaping is an improvement option that you should definitely consider. Some homeowners may think that shelling out big bucks for landscaping is a waste of money. To spend or not to spend. In an effort to improve the look of their home, they purchase inexpensive trees and shrubs that they hope with" spruce up" the overall appearance of their lot. In another survey conducted by Arbor National Mortgage, results indicated that cheap landscaping not only fails to increase the value of a home, it can actually decrease the value. This is a mistake!

Overall curb appeal is not improved by cheap trees and shrubs. The lesson of this study? These things can, turn buyers off, in fact, thus decreasing the amount they are willing to pay for your home. If you want to spend money on improving the curb appeal of your home before placing it on the market, choose high quality trees, and other landscaping, shrubs items. Landscaping for the Florida real estate buyer. Even if it means you can t afford as many improvements overall, it is better to spend the money on a few high quality items than a lot of cheap trees and shrubs. So what does all of this mean to the Florida home buyer?

You may not be thinking about the re- sale value of the homes you are targeting, but this is a very important factor. First, it is a suggestion that when you are searching for Florida real estate, properties with high- quality landscaping features should top your wish list. The current buyer s market may extend for some time into the future. If you are having a custom home built, be sure and ask your builder about landscaping options. Be mindful in your search that finding a Florida home that will hold a high re- sale value means a greater return on your investment down the road. Are they using high quality sod and grass for your lawn?

Do they offer a landscaping package that includes high- quality plants and shrubs? Do they build on treed lots or do they raze all of the trees before construction? Do your research now to get the most for your money. Copyright 2006 All Right reserved by Tom Beaty