Try these tips to enhance your home's curb appeal.
Is your yard helping or hurting you and your neighbors in getting top dollar for your house this home buying season?
Most homeowners (79%) say having a healthy, green lawn contributes to the overall value of a home and more than half (53%) think the quality of the homeowner’s lawn can tell you a lot about the quality of the home overall, according to TruGreen’s Lawn Lifestyles National Survey.
According to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® data, 71% of homebuyers think curb appeal is important in choosing their home. And most homeowners purchase a home with a healthy, green lawn (71%) and well-maintained landscaping (72%).
Try these tips to maximize your home’s value by getting your lawn into shape:
Water Right
In spring, check the working condition of sprinkler heads and related water lines to ensure they’re functioning properly. Also, make sure your automated or manual watering method efficiently covers the landscape. You can place a one-inch deep, empty food can in the middle of your lawn to measure depth of water collected each watering cycle.
Don’t over- or under-water your lawn. Give your lawn and landscape a slow, steady watering about once a week, and adjust your watering schedule depending on your area’s rainfall, grass, and soil type.
Complement with Color
Consider your home’s exterior colors when selecting flowering plant combinations for plant beds, window boxes, or front porch planters. With a white house, any color combination will work well. With a yellow house, red or pink blooms tend to complement best.
Dead plants can quickly wilt your home’s walk-up allure. When preparing to plant, ensure proper drainage, nutrients, and moisture for healthy root systems and blooms.
Go Green with Grass
Plant the right type of grass for your lawn to ensure a green, healthy turf. Where your grass has difficulty growing, plant shade-adapted groundcovers for landscape appeal.
Periodically test your soil for pH and basic nutrient content and adjust your fertilizer needs accordingly to maximize your lawn’s health and use of added nutrients and to allow new grass shoots to develop.
Keep your lawn mower tuned, sharpen mower blades twice a summer, and mow your lawn regularly, keeping the grass higher to prevent scalping and to save water. Ditch the lawn mower bag and recycle grass clippings back to the soil for added lawn nutrients.
This completely restored/renovated antique cape sits on 113 peaceful acres offering established plantings, pasture land, orchards and wonderful post and beam barn with electricity, water, sheep and horse stalls. There's also a garage/equipment shed and skating cabin/bath house. A perfect gentleman's farm for those who want space, a beautiful home in tip-top shape all on a spectacular piece of conserved land. Offered at $749,999. For more photos and information, visit www.BetweenTheMountainsFarm.com.
Stacey Viandier, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
You've found it! This incredible property boasts 224 acres, with 13 acres on Highland Lake offering 680' of shorefront, along with a beautiful Federal Colonial and large timber frame barn. The setting and grounds make this property the crown jewel of the neighborhood. You'll be awestruck by its stone walls, 200 ear old maples and well-maintained pastures. The gardens, patios, and miles of groomed trails are hidden treasures you don't see driving by. The 5500 sq. ft. home is comprised of 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 5 fireplaces, modern gourmet kitchen, and so much more. The 3.5 story, 100' x 40' barn is magnificent and has been well-maintained. The Philbrick homestead on Taunton Hill in Andover, NH has it all: location, acreage, views, lake frontage, and a fabulous home--all of which are protected by thousands of acres of local conservation easements. Call for your appointment today! Offered at $2,450,000. Visit www.HistoricHomesteadNH.com for more photos and details.
Stacey Viandier, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116
Buyers consider 5 things when looking for a home to purchase:
- Location– 75% time cheap one but while setting healthy best.
of the buyers’ decision is based on the neighborhood, how close to the job, where to shop, etc.
- Size – The median size of a home sold was 1900 square feet. 83% of buyers purchased a 3 bedroom home
- Features – Buyers will give up features to get size and location
- Condition – Buyers want move in condition
- Price – Buyers are looking for the best value
Sellers have the most control over condition and pricing. To optimize the chances of selling, the house needs to be in tip top condition and the best value out casino online there in order to attract buyers. Sellers – you are competing with other homes for buyers. If your house is right on the road, or needs a new roof, or has a dated kitchen for example, it needs to be priced low enough so buyers are willing to overlook these objections. Bottom line, sellers need to be realistic about how their property fits into what buyers want and price accordingly. Contact me if you want to work with a REALTOR® who can help you price your house for success. donna@donnaforest.com, 603-526-4116
Donna Forest, Broker Associate, ABR
Come to the Sunapee Coffeehouse this Friday evening where you'll enjoy listening to Gail Finnie, Contemporary/Traditional Folk, singer-songwriter, who plays Appalachian dulcimer and guitar. She teaches dulcimer, both privately and in workshops at various festivals in the Northeast. Gail has released four solo recordings. "...one of the best ballad singers I've ever heard!" ~ Boston Globe. Music begins at 7pm and the Coffeehouse is located downstairs at the Sunapee Methodist Church, 17 Lower Main Street in Sunapee, NH. A hat is passed for donations for the musicians. Real estate markets are local, and we have the real scoop on ours. Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate
With views of Mount Sunapee, this 2.66 acre building lot would be the perfect site to build the home you've been waiting for. Just outside of town, off Knights Hill Road, the driveway is cut in. Sunny, southwestern views in great New London location. Come take a look! Offered at $169,000.
Marilyn Kidder, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116
Whether you're looking for a year-round home or vacation property, this one fits the bill! Great location - walk to school, a short drive to Mt. Sunapee or Lake Sunapee. Golf in nearby Newport or New London. First floor master with bath and private patio. Lower level is finished with family room and another bedroom. Relax on the covered front porch or warm up by the fireplace. Offered at $249,000. Visit www.SunapeeNHLogHome.com for more photos and details.
Absorption rate is the rate at which homes are sold in a specific real estate market during a given time period. There are only a certain number of houses that will sell in any market >
means the market will absorb 3 houses per month on average. If there are 72 homes for sale, there is a 2 year supply. A 6 month supply is a balanced market; less is a sellers’ market and more is a buyers’ market. New London, for example, currently has an 11 month supply of homes to sell. Sellers need to know the absorption rate in their market area and price accordingly. If it is more than a 6 month supply, sellers should be positioning their house to be the best value on the market – for price and condition. Contact me if you want to work with a REALTOR® who can help you best position your house in the market! 603-526-4116, www.donnaforest.com.
Donna Forest, Broker Associate, ABR
Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
The Lake Sunapee Protective Association Learning Center (LSPA) will be hosting a program, "Focus on Solar", on April 9, 2013 at 7:00pm. It will be presented by SunRay Solar and is free and open to the public. Learn the solar basics on residential solar-system and installation options, costs and benefits. The Center is located at 63 Main Street, Sunapee Harbor. For more information call LSPA at 603-763-2210. You’ll be moving in the right direction with Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.
After six years year of declining home values, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. More and more economists & analysts are now predicting prices to gain about 7% this year. Lawrence Yun, the National Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist, raised his forecast to 7% from 4%, because he expects inventory shortages will persist. The Wall St. Journal (3/27/13) reports that home-price appreciation is accelerating in much of the US. Steady increases in sales and a drop in inventory are impacting the NH housing market as well. The median price of a NH home sold this February ($199K) was 12% higher than the median price of a house sold last February. Sellers have less competition than they’ve had in years. For example, right now there are 52 homes for sale in New London. Last year at almost any given time, there were well over 100 houses for sale. In fact, many agents are seeing multiple offer situations; something not seen since 2005. Buyers can no longer afford to sit on the fence. They should be jumping to take advantage of the still relatively low prices and interest rates. If you are thinking of buying or selling, give me a call to work with a REALTOR® who knows how the market impacts you. 603-526-4116, www.donnaforest.com“Word of Mouth” is the best advertisement, and we love it when you refer your friends and family to Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.