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Last week IRG looked at the importance of staging when it comes to putting your home on the Cayman Islands Real Estate Market. This week IRG takes a look at landscaping which can add tens of thousands of dollars to the value of your property. “Landscaping, for example, is one of the few home improvements you can make that not only adds value immediately, but also increases the value of your Cayman Islands Real Estate as the years go by” says Jeremy Hurst, BROKER/OWNER at IRG. “Interior decor and design concepts regularly go out of style and mechanical systems wear down but plants grow fuller and more robust as the years go by, especially in the perfect tropical climate of the Cayman Islands” Jeremy Hurst adds. The Cayman Islands are located just 480 miles south of Miami in the warm azure waters of the western Caribbean Sea. The weather is tropical throughout the year with temperatures ranging from the mid 80’s in winter to the mid 90’s in summer. Summer also sees the highest humidity with reaching 95% during August and September. The rainy season starts in May and runs through to October. As the Cayman Islands have significant rainfall during these months, it makes landscaping a dream. Maintaining your garden throughout the drier months from November to April is easy as there are a notable amount of landscape design companies who install irrigation systems as part of the initial lay-out and design of your outdoor spaces. The Cayman Islands also desalinate their water which means you never have to worry about drought and water shortages affecting your lush tropical Cayman Islands gardens. Grand Cayman is home to several plant nurseries and all of them stock a huge variety of locally grown shrubs, trees, palms and flowering plants. Some also offer stunning ceramic pots, garden features, water features and statues which all add to the ambience of your outdoor space. Take into consideration the wonderful sunny weather the Cayman Islands are blessed with year round and the fact that there is ample outdoor space; it is no wonder that the majority of the residents enjoy the great outdoors and balmy cooler evenings in the tranquility of their gardens and outdoor spaces. A review of recent research by a horticulturist at Virginia Tech, found that a well-landscaped home had a significant price advantage over a home with no landscaping. That advantage ranged from 5.5 percent to 12.7 percent. That translates into an extra $16,500 to $38,100 in value on a $300,000 home. The research also emphasizes that there's more to landscaping than sticking some flowers and a couple of shrubs in the ground. Jeremy Hurst agrees; “The number-one thing that Cayman Islands Real Estate investors are looking for in landscaping is a sophisticated design. Close behind is plant size and maturity. A lesser factor, but one still worth considering, is the diversity of plant life within the landscaping design”. The biggest landscaping mistake that homeowners make is not having a coherent plan. They decide to put a tree in, and then a few years later add some flower beds, and then maybe put in some shrubs and another tree. A landscape that's assembled piecemeal looks disorganized, and that turns buyers off. “Come up with a plan before you do any landscaping” says Jeremy Hurst. “Draw up a master plan for your garden space and stick to it”. According to research even an amateur can get a professional-looking landscape for $500 to $3,000 worth of plants and materials if he or she is willing to do the work. A landscape full of large, mature plants and garden features or colourful planters is obviously one that has been carefully tended to over the years, and that sends a signal to potential investors in Cayman Islands homes and luxury properties. According to Jeremy Hurst; "That's a good indication that they've taken care of the inside of the house as well." Having a long-term landscaping plan is beneficial if you're in the house for the long term. If you plan to sell within a year, you can take several immediate steps to dress up your landscape and boost your selling price. Some Cayman Islands gardening and landscape magazines suggest cutting fresh edges around your planting beds; having a sharp, well-defined edge between grass and mulch or dirt gives the landscape a professional look. Also begin regular fertilizer treatments on your lawn. “You want potential buyers to see a lush carpet, not a patchwork quilt” says Jeremy Hurst. Also add splashes of color with flowers; pick up some colorful annuals for a few dollars apiece, and be willing to invest a few hundred dollars in larger perennials and shrubs, so that your garden doesn't look as if you just started working on it even if you did. IRG’s property professionals have a keen eye when it comes to the value adding benefits of your Cayman Islands home as it pertains to landscape design. The IRG team knows the Cayman Islands intimately and they understand what potential Cayman Islands Real Estate Investors desire and what constitutes a dream home or island getaway. So when you do make the decision to find a Cayman Islands Realtor to effectively market your beautiful home, make sure you find one that can not only assist you in the finer points of preparing for the sale but make sure you choose a Cayman Islands Realtor that can make your stunning Cayman Islands Home and its garden paradise simply irresistible to a prospective Cayman Islands Real Estate investor. Please share this on Facebook or Twitter
