Wall Street Journal Suggests "Selling Houses By the Yard"

The clever title of this article sums it up nicely. An appealing yard – which may not factor into the appraisal at all – can be very significant in the sale of a home and the price received.

"Real-estate agents say a nicely landscaped property can have a pronounced effect on the asking price of a home, depending on the region and the condition of the neighbors' yards. Doreen Drew recently sold a house in Anthem, Ariz., that had sculpted hedges, a lush lawn and a backyard waterfall for $1.1 million, nearly twice the asking price of a similar home nearby with a plainer yard.

Kathleen Wolf, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, recently reviewed several regional studies that used appraisals or sales data to analyze the impact of trees on single-family home prices. She found that, overall, a lot with trees adds about 7% to a home's price. Nearly 20% of buyers say they consider landscaping to be a 'very important' factor in their decision to buy a house, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors."

For ideas about how to go about realizing some of this landscape profit potential for your home try the "quick fixes" in this article (also from the Wall Street Journal Online): http://www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/tactics/20070821-fletcher.html?refresh=on

For the full Wall Street Journal Online article "Selling Houses By the Yard": http://www.realestatejournal.com/homegarden/20070820-fletcher.html?refresh=on