Home sellers have different reasons for putting their house on the market, but all of them have one goal in mind—to sell their property for the highest possible price. Many do all sorts of home improvement projects to attract more buyers and to increase the asking price, but The Wall Street Journal says that an oft-forgotten feature of your yard may be the key to a more profitable home sale:
“Maybe money grows on trees after all.
In an analysis of 2,608 real-estate transactions over 10 months, researchers found that homes with “street trees,” those planted between the sidewalk and street, sold for $7,130 more, on average, than homes without street trees.
What’s more, homes with street trees sold 1.7 days more quickly than homes without street trees, says Geoffrey Donovan, an economist at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland, Ore. Neighbors can reap the benefits as well. Homeowners who live within 100 feet of street trees enjoy a sale premium of $1,688, on average, even though the trees aren’t on their property.
Taken all together, street trees resulted in an extra $19,958 in neighborhood house sales, Mr. Donovan says.”
That being said, increased home value isn’t the only perk that trees offer to homeowners. For starters, they instantly improve the curb appeal of any yard, which hugely influences the first impression that neighbors’ and prospective buyers’ get of a home. The natural shade that trees offer can also cut down summer cooling costs by up to 50% and protect the new owner’s children from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. If planted near a road or street, trees can also serve as natural mufflers against unwanted sound, thus making your immediate surroundings more peaceful.
When trees have unruly canopies, however, they become more of an eyesore than an attraction. What’s more, strong winds can snap off their branches, which can then damage surrounding properties or even injure kids and pets. So before selling your home, get professional tree trimming in Palo Alto first to keep them beautiful and safe.
Of course, be sure to hire only trusted companies like Bay Area Tree Specialists, which offers tree care in San Jose, Palo Alto and the surrounding areas. Inexperienced trimmers often make too many cuts that can stress the tree and alter its natural shape, so don’t take your chances with less established firms.
(How Trees Can Boost a Home’s Sale Price, The Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2013)