According to NAR research, 39 percent of recent home buyers made improvements to their landscaping shortly after moving in, and another 20 percent planned to upgrade their landscaping within 2 years of buying the home.
Homeowners like to put their home’s best face forward, whether they plan to sell or settle in for the long haul. REALTOR® Magazine Online recently reported on 14 new trends that bring a home’s backyard to the forefront. “Water can do great things for a back yard. Whether it’s rippling in a swimming pool, bubbling in a creek, or splashing down a fountain, water features can add a luxurious look, block undesired noise, and create a tranquil ambiance for home owners,” says Barbara Ballinger. She goes on to list some trends such as Emulating Nature, Infinity pools, Hot tubs and spas, Ponds full of wildlife, and Creeks (yes, they make them man made these days) as certain trends today that add that “wow” factor to a property, and don’t forget Fountains and Waterfalls!
Value is in the eyes of the beholder
Some landscape features, such as in-ground pools, can enhance a home’s value in certain neighborhoods while depressing it in others as the upkeep is looked at to be a hassle by many homeowners or buyers not to mention child safety, and the potential for breeding mosquitoes in this area of the country with a water feature in the backyard. Locally with “Shamrock” and other pools that Oconee residents can readily join for a few hundred dollars a year, if the subdivision does not already have a pool, adding one might be an investment that your family enjoys, but not one that you could look to get much out of at point of sale.
As a Realtor® I try and look at what really gets the attention of local buyers when it comes to the great outdoors, and what trends are hot or not in our area. Are homeowners springing for luxury barbeque pits, or are they communing with nature in their meditation zone? In general I would say, yes barbeque pits are in, within reason and somewhat dictated by the price point of the home you are looking at buying or “enhancing.”
Please check out this link for more information from Realtor.org on Outdoor Trends.
Finally, a Realtor from Nevada make some useful comments to me on the subject. She noted that “backyards have become very popular spaces, over the last 10 years or so. If you live in a climate where the weather is warm most of the time, one tends to utilize the yard more often, than those who live in colder climates. Everyone though, loves the sound of water, whether it’s from a fountain or a pond. We live in a world, with a lot of demands on our time and many people can never “get away”, so pools, spas, BBQ stations and fire pits, leave one feeling like you’ve made an escape to another place for a while. I think a great backyard, is priceless. I definitely recommend spending money there! Like the inside of a home, buyer’s do not like clutter, so be sure your backyard space looks good all the time.”
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