Surprising Things That Decrease Your Property Value
Before You Put Your Home On The Market
Selling your home involves many factors, and keeping up with its current market value requires consistent time and effort over the years.
If you want to attract potential buyers and ensure your real estate agent lists your property at its true market value, consider how the following conditions may have influenced your home’s worth.
Outside Appearances Matter
The upkeep of the yard, exterior of the house, and curb neatness are all first-impression factors when a prospective buyer does a walk-through or drives by your home. If your home looks unkempt from the outside, or exterior repairs are too obvious, you may be repelling potential buyers.
Other Homes In The Area Can Impact Salability
Abandoned homes, or having a “zombie house” as it’s colloquially referred to, in your neighborhood can impact the desirability of your home. Dilapidated homes with untamed yards and boarded-up windows can scare prospective buyers from the area.
Cracks In The Pavement
This issue doesn’t seem as obvious or important, but an appraiser will factor in these signs of physical depreciation. Adrian Muller, president of Hudson View Appraisal Services says that “large cracks and potholes on the driveway surface raise a red flag in the appraisal process”. So, you may want to reseal these cracks on the driveway before putting your home on the market.
Strange Landscaping Designs
We get it: your unique expression must be creatively displayed on your landscape. But even if the upkeep of your lawn is perfect, odd or weird designs that are too personal could damage your home's selling appeal.
