I am a lawn and landscape guy. It is one of the first things that I notice at a house and I love spending time working on my own yard. Curb appeal has always been a fancy term used in real estate, but it matters more now than ever. The National Association of Realtors did a study on what features buyers look for and the cost recovery for outdoor projects. The biggest takeaway I took from the report is that that is not only me who looks at the landscaping... 92% of realtors suggest that you improve the curb appeal before you list your home.
See the full report below:
Most REALTORS® Recommend Improving Curb Appeal, and Homeowners Can Benefit Financially and Emotionally by Remodeling Outdoor Features, NAR-NALP Report Finds
Key Highlights
- Most REALTORS® (92%) suggested sellers improve curb appeal prior to listing a home for sale.
- The largest shares of REALTORS® that recommended completing an outdoor project before sale were for landscaping-related projects: landscape maintenance (74%), standard lawn care service (53%) and tree care (44%).
- Most landscape professionals (92%) found increased demand for contracting outdoor features during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, 79% cited that outdoor project scopes increased in size from before the pandemic.
DOWNLOAD the NAR 2023 Remodeling Impact Report
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2023) – Most REALTORS® (92%) suggest that sellers improve the curb appeal of their home before listing it for sale. Also, the largest shares of REALTORS® recommended owners complete landscaping-related features before putting a home on the market, and those were among the top projects for which landscape professionals saw increased demand over the last year. These and other findings come according to a report released today by the National Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
The 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features examines why homeowners complete outdoor remodeling projects, the value of undertaking these enhancements and homeowners’ increased happiness after completing an upgrade. Specifically, the report covers the following:
- Project Cost: The typical cost of 11 outdoor residential projects as estimated by members of the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
- REALTORS®’ Estimated Cost Recovery and Recommendation: REALTORS®’ estimated cost recovery — defined as the amount of money homeowners can recover on a project upon selling a home — and the share of REALTORS® that recommend these outdoor upgrades before listing a home.
- Consumer Experience: The experience consumers had upon completing the 11 projects, including a Joy Score.
“The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way Americans use their homes for daily living, relaxation and entertainment,” said Dr. Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research. “Homeowners have embraced their outdoor spaces — transforming them into oases with pools, patios, plants and greenery. These outdoor features are embraced by the homeowner and can also attract buyers if the owner wants to sell.”
The 11 outdoor features in the report include: fire feature ($9,000), in-ground pool addition ($90,000), irrigation system installation ($6,000), landscape lighting ($6,800), landscape maintenance ($4,800), new patio ($10,500), new wood deck ($16,900), outdoor kitchen ($15,000), overall landscape upgrade ($9,000), tree care ($2,875) and standard lawn care service ($415).
Ranked on a scale of 1-10, the report found that consumers rated all 11 outdoor projects highly, with Joy Scores at 9 or above. Among the features, the highest Joy Scores were for an in-ground pool addition (10), landscape lighting (10) and a new patio (9.9). Slightly lower Joy Scores were provided for an outdoor kitchen (9), tree care (9.3), standard lawn care service (9.4) and an irrigation system installation (9.4).
High Joy Scores did not necessarily correspond with REALTORS®’ estimate for high cost recovery. Interestingly, the least expensive project — standard lawn care service — had the highest cost recovery (217%), followed by landscape maintenance (104%), an overall landscape upgrade (100%) and an outdoor kitchen (100%). In comparison, the lowest cost recovery was for an in-ground pool (56%) — which had the highest Joy Score — followed by a fire feature (56%) and landscape lighting (59%).
In line with their majority recommendation to improve curb appeal, the largest shares of REALTORS® that recommended completing an outdoor project prior to selling a home were for landscaping-related projects, including landscape maintenance (74%), standard lawn care service (53%) and tree care (44%). The shares of REALTOR® recommendations were the lowest for an in-ground pool addition (1%), outdoor kitchen (1%) and an irrigation system installation (2%).
The outdoor projects for which landscape professionals saw the most increased demand included an overall landscape upgrade (61%), landscape maintenance (58%) and a new patio (55%). Conversely, they saw the least increased demand for a new wood deck (15%), an in-ground pool addition (25%) and tree care (29%).
“It’s no surprise that nearly all REALTORS® and most homeowners place a high value on the curb appeal of a well-maintained yard,” said Britt Wood, NALP CEO. “Healthy outdoor living and green spaces help the environment, increase home values, make communities more desirable, and improve people’s mental and physical health.”
COVID-19 Pandemic Outdoor Remodeling
For the first time, the report looked at outdoor remodeling demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among landscape professionals, most (92%) found increased demand for contracting outdoor features during the pandemic. Further, 79% cited that outdoor project scopes increased in size from before the pandemic.
REALTORS® cited the highest increase in pandemic demand for an in-ground pool addition, landscape maintenance and a new patio (all 17%). On the contrary, they saw the smallest amount of increased pandemic demand for an irrigation system installation (2%), a fire feature (8%) and landscape lighting (8%).
Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features
This report takes a deep dive into why homeowners complete outdoor remodeling projects, the value of taking on lawn and landscape upgrades and enhancements, and the increased happiness experienced by homeowners once an upgrade is completed. It also explores the benefits associated with landscape enhancements to commercial property. The report covers the following:
- The typical cost of 11 outdoor residential projects as estimated by members of the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). The costs were calculated by averaging the responses from the anonymous survey data.
- How much REALTORS® estimate homeowners can recover on the cost of the outdoor residential projects if they choose to sell the home and the share who recommended these upgrades before selling.
- The experience consumers had after taking on each of the 11 projects and their Joy Score with the finished project.
Source: "Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features"
