Before selling your home, you must make sure it looks good even when on a budget. Lawn care is one area where a small investment can lead to a significant return. Proper lawn care will improve your overall curb appeal, boosting your property’s value and ease of selling. Discover the difference that professional lawn care services can make when selling your property.
What to Know About Lawn Care When Selling a Home
Professionals Make Your Lawn Healthy, Beautiful, and Increase Your Property’s Value
Hiring a professional lawn care company will improve the health of your lawn. That improvement automatically makes it more beautiful and increases your property’s value. Remember that your landscaping and lawn are the first facet of your property that potential buyers see. When you give proper attention and care to your lawn, you make a positive first impression.
How Much Does a Good Lawn Increase Home Value?
When selling your property, it’s natural to wonder, “How much does a good lawn increase home value?” The answer will depend on the level of care you put into your lawn and the value of your property overall. But you can expect an increase in home value of about 5.5% to 12.7%. When you compare the increase in property value to the cost of lawn services, you can see up to a 267% return on your investment.
The value that your lawn brings to your property will also depend on the type of landscaping you do. Depending on where you live, adding flowers or trees can enhance your property’s appeal. On the other hand, removing overcrowded trees can also contribute to a higher property appraisal.
While you can add improvements to the plants on your lawn, note that the lawn itself is crucial to adding value to your home. Most people who want to buy homes want to see a well-manicured lawn that has been cared for. The overall health and appearance of the lawn matter much more than other elements, such as trees, shrubs, and flowers.
If your grass isn’t currently very healthy, hiring a professional lawn care company to revive it can result in a dramatic increase in your property’s value. Keep in mind, however, that cultivating a healthy, lush lawn takes time. The sooner you start caring for your lawn, the better.
Why Does the Lawn Matter?
A well-maintained lawn makes a strong first impression on potential buyers, but this is far from its only purpose. Taking care of your lawn gives you other benefits, too.
It Shows You Care for the Property
Let’s answer the question, “How important is the yard when selling a house?” Consider what it shows potential buyers. If the lawn looks good and healthy, potential buyers will perceive that you took care of your property. Buyers will assume that you put as much effort into maintaining the rest of your home. In other words, a well-cared-for lawn reassures buyers about the overall condition of your home. In turn, that good impression should help you get a better asking price and sell your property faster.
It Improves the Safety of the Property
A well-maintained lawn also improves your yard’s safety. With a clean and healthy lawn, you won’t be dealing with numerous pests or uneven surfaces. This is especially important for families with kids or pets and those who host frequently. Offering a home with minimal safety hazards can be another selling point of your property.
What Specific Lawn Care Services Help You Sell Your Home and Increase Its Value?
Now that we’ve established that lawn care will improve the value of your property, let’s look into specific services that can deliver these results.
Weed Control
Weed control is among the most important lawn care services when selling your home.
Weeds are not just unsightly, but they also take nutrients from your other plants. Luckily, professionals are well-equipped to help you prevent and remove weeds. This includes applying weed control regularly, as well as manually removing any persistent weeds.
Crabgrass Control
While not as unsightly as weeds, having crabgrass on your lawn can also decrease its aesthetic appeal and hurt the health of your lawn. Conveniently, lawn care professionals can help you with this specific area.
Fertilization
No lawn care plan is complete without fertilization. Professional lawn care services can suggest the appropriate fertilizer for your grass—ideally one without harsh chemicals. They will also know the best time to apply the fertilizer and complete the entire process for you.
Watering
When you plant new grass seeds, you will need to water them regularly. You may also need to water your lawn at other points during the year to ensure the grass gets enough water. With that in mind, remember that excessive watering will increase the risk of diseases or pests. It can even prevent healthy grass growth.
Lawn care services may not water your lawn for you, but they will guide you with the appropriate watering schedule for your grass. Depending on the recommended watering routine, installing a basic irrigation or sprinkler system may even make sense. That system could also add value to your property, as it will make it easier for the buyers to maintain your lawn.
Mowing
Mowing is another important aspect of lawn care that will pay off when it’s time to sell your home. Depending on the size of your property, you can easily do this yourself or outsource the task.
A bonus you get if you mow your lawn regularly is that you clip off the seed heads from weeds before they get the chance to mature and spread their seeds.
Like watering, even if your lawn service doesn’t offer mowing, they can recommend the best mowing schedule and mow height for your type of grass.
Mosquito Prevention
No one wants to deal with mosquitoes, but it sometimes seems to be a necessary evil when you spend time outdoors. If you can show potential home buyers that your property is less likely to attract mosquitoes, you are likely to increase their interest in it. You can use traps, repellents, and candles to deter mosquitos, but these are temporary solutions that homebuyers would have to consider.
By contrast, you can go with effective solutions that address the issue head-on, the best of which don’t even rely on chemicals. For example, top lawn care companies will take a comprehensive approach to mosquito control.
Rather than spraying the grass, trees, and shrubs with harsh chemicals, they will use botanical controls that are safe, odorless, and effective. One common option is a solution made from chrysanthemums. This mosquito control plan will reduce the number of adult mosquitoes on the property, leaving you with only the mosquito larvae to take care of. Applying bacillus thuringiensis to standing water is another natural solution. This method relies on a natural bacterium to kill larvae before they can develop.
This two-pronged approach kills both adult and larval mosquitoes, decreasing their number and making your property more marketable.
Why Professional Lawn Care Instead of DIY Lawn Care?
You may look at the above recommendations and think that you can handle some aspects lawn care yourself, but you will always get better results when you hire professionals. Pros can easily recognize the type of grass on your lawn and instantly know the recommended care instructions. They’re knowledgeable on which fertilizer to use, when to apply weed control, how to help your grass recover from the winter, and so on. Doing it all yourself would entail looking up all that information and then learning as you go. More importantly, if you are fertilizing or using weed control on your grass for the first time, there is a fair chance you will make a mistake since it isn’t your field of expertise. Since the yard is very important when selling a house, this is not worth the risk.
When you hire professionals, you won’t even need to buy supplies. You’ll be spared from the hassle of comparing various fertilizers to find the right one for your needs.
Call us today to find out how we can help transform your lawn, enabling you to sell your property at your desired price. Get a free quote from LawnMart today.