Selling Houses: Psychological Effects of Landscaping

Buyers think they care more about the inside of the house than the landscaping, but in reality, most buyers won't even get out of their car if the front landscaping lacks the promise of great details inside. Therefore, your landscaping needs to arouse buyers' expectations and entice them into viewing the inside of your home.

When marketing your home, you'll get the highest return for your landscaping dollar when you employ Design Psychology tactics. Design Psychology is based on scientific research into the underlying psychological effects of design on buyers, and these innovative design ideas will help your home sell quickly, and for more money, by influencing buyers' emotions.

Foliage Colors

Begin by coordinating the colors of your flowering foliage. Think about your selling season and plan for flowering plants that perform well during that time. Also give thought to the desired atmosphere and use plants to support that concept. For instance, tropical, desert, forest, and beach environments all differ in plant types.

Use a lot of green and white in your color scheme. Green conjures feelings of coolness, freshness, and vitality, while white flowers also suggest cleanliness, and show up better at night, when many buyers will be looking at houses. Since yellow is the first color our eyes process, yellow flowers by the front door attract the buyer's eye from a distance.

Appealing to Buyers' Sense of Smell

Give thought to the overall scents of flowering trees, bushes, vines, and flowers in your yard, and take advantage of plants that support the desired emotional outcome. Lemon-scented geraniums add refreshing scents that contribute to a desert oasis feel, for instance, while jasmine adds a tropical feeling. Rosemary and French lavender enhance Mediterranean-style settings.

Adding amenities for emotional support

An alluring appeal begins with the access to your home. If you have no dedicated walkway to the front door, add a simple pathway. A wandering pathway to the front door psychologically feels better than a straight-shot walkway. If you have a plain, straight concrete walkway, create undulating flower beds on either side to encourage a relaxed, friendly feeling. Adding a water feature also enhances the ambiance, because moving water relaxes the body and mind and refreshes the spirit. You want to create a feeling of balance and harmony, like that found in nature.

Start on the landscaping before working in the interior of the house, in order to give plants time to grow, and make sure to plant the areas away from the house if you're also planning to paint the exterior. You don't need to go overboard. Just plant enough to give an impression of healthy growth and to lead a buyer's attention away from any barren spaces through the use of focal points in the landscape.

Another reason to start on the exterior is to motivate your neighbors to also begin sprucing up their properties, because having your entire neighborhood look good greatly enhances the value of your own property.

Well-conceived landscaping gives you the advantage when it comes to selling your house. If your home makes buyers feel good while they're on your property, you'll sell it quickly, and for top dollar!

c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

---

Before Selling Your Home

Here are some important steps you should take before you... Read More

Real Estate Research By Talking

Real estate research might start with a look at the... Read More

Spain Excellent Choice for British SIPP Investors

Second homes in favourite holiday destinations such as Spain are... Read More

Late Mortgage Payments Sabotage PMI Cancellation

There's something you should know about PMI!Private mortgage insurance is... Read More

Selling Your Home In The Winter

In many parts of the country, selling a home during... Read More

Real Estate Inspection - Do Your Own

Why should you do your own real estate inspection? To... Read More

Property Investment Strategy: Securing Properties with Little or No Deposit

Property Investing often requires creative strategies to make it successful.... Read More

Selling Your Home Quickly, Even if You Have No Money For Repairs

Do you need to sell your home quickly? If so,... Read More

Hurricane Katrina And The Impact On Real Estate Prices

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina's wide path of destruction,... Read More

Finding A Capable Agent To Meet Your Real Estate Needs

Whether you're a first-time buyer, selling your current home or... Read More

How to Become a Successful Real Estate Developer

Real estate investment and development has never been a more... Read More

Using Transformation Psychology to Sell Investment Properties

Satisfying and lucrative real estate investment depends upon your correct... Read More

Buy or Sell First?

When it comes to home buying, the ideal situation would... Read More

How to Get Financing after Filing Bankruptcy

If you're thinking about buying a home but have declared... Read More

Sell Your Income Property For More

Selling income property isn't like selling a house. You can... Read More

So, You Wanna Buy Pre-Foreclosures?

So you wanna buy pre-foreclosures? or at the courthouse steps?... Read More

Let the Broker Show the House

Of course you're curious, and you'd like to see what... Read More

Escrow Accounts ? Are You Paying Too Much?

Money in escrow is "dead money". It doesn't earn interest... Read More

How To Build A Million Pound Property Portfolio

Looking to quickly build a million pound property portfolio? You... Read More

Using The Internet In Your Lease Purchase Business

First you need to find a list of For Sale... Read More

Spanish Estate Agents and Inspection Visits

The only way to buy a home in Spain is... Read More

Zero Down Real Estate Investing

Zero down? Why would a seller want to walk away... Read More

Jacksonville Real Estate Listings

With over 30,000 residents, Jacksonville in central Arkansas is a... Read More

Don?t Just be a Real Estate Agent, be a Professional!

Buyer Broker Agreement? What's that? Most agents don't ask their... Read More

Buying Houses at Discount Prices

Buying a house is the best way you can create... Read More

Real Estate Investing: America Rents

Most people in America rent a personal dwelling!Just think how... Read More

Home Not Selling In Todays Hot Market? Tips and Ideas to Help You Sell

So, your selling your home. Prepare yourself both physically and... Read More

Cutting Edge Real Estate, Is the Bubble Ready To Burst?

Of course, this is the big question in real estate... Read More

Investing in Real Estate Profitably: Eliminating the Need for Mortgage Insurance

In an earlier article, we presented various options for ensuring... Read More

Selling Houses: Design Psychology Works!

I've taught the concepts of Design Psychology for many years,... Read More

Real Estate Investing - House Problems

Houses can have lots of problemsReal estate investing requires expertise... Read More

Real Estate Investing Contracts on Toilet Paper

Even if your real estate contract has been written on... Read More

Customer Service ? The Real Estate Revolution

Traditionally, real estate has been viewed as a sales industry.... Read More