Landscaping
It’s not difficult to improve the appearance or curb appeal of your land. Whether you have a small lot or 100 acres, simply clearing overgrown shrubs or removing unsightly garbage will have a significant impact. Giving your property a much-needed face-lift doesn’t have to be exorbitant either. Pay a landscaper a few hundred dollars to prune your trees, kill the weeds and spread some bark dust.
But what if your property needs more than just some weed pulling? Renting a small tractor with a brush hog can do an amazing job clearing brush in a jiffy. Another way to increase your land’s curb appeal is to update or add a fence around the property. If it’s in the budget, a new fence that defines your land’s property lines — along with providing a since of privacy and security — is money well spent.
Access
How easy is it to access your property? Do you have legal access to it? Maybe it’s time to turn that hand-shake agreement between you and the neighbor into a legal easement to access your land. Recording an easement and road maintenance agreement is fairly simple and inexpensive. Consult with your local real estate agent and title company to assist with the documents. Land without access can be a difficult sale and, with diminished value, your return might not be as high as you had hoped. Maybe legal access isn’t an issue, but the condition of your access is. Having a concrete or asphalt driveway is ideal, but it may not be affordable. Using gravel instead can be a serviceable alternative at a much cheaper rate. What if water drainage plays a role in accessing your land? Trenching along the driveway, or digging a french drain to help divert the water, will help to keep access intact.
Utilities
Adding utilities to your property will have an instant effect on your land’s value. Depending on your location, adding utilities might be simple or it could be an expensive, drawn-out process. Utilities for a city lot are typically going to be easier to acquire since it is just a matter of connecting to the city utilities, along with hook-up fees. Adding utilities to land outside of the city requires a little more planning, time and money. Perc tests, site plans, well drilling, permits and fees might seem a bit daunting, but could be well worth the investment if it adds 10-20 percent to your land’s value. View our other posts on getting utilities to you property for more information.