Your property can have loads of potential, but if it lacks curb appeal, it stands a good chance of lingering on the market or fetching mediocre offers. If you invest small amounts to boost your land’s attractiveness, it will yield benefits that greatly outweigh the outlay.
Improving Marketability
Improve your entrance. We are wired to make judgments based on first impressions. An entrance with a ramshackle gate instantly conveys a feeling of neglect, sending the message that the property is second-rate. If your entry looks more Sanford and Son than Dynasty, install a decent-looking functional gate. Planting wildflowers or native fruit trees framing the entrance is a nice additional touch. Be sure to install a gate wide enough for logging equipment travel.
Keep roads in good shape. Year-round accessibility is essential for showing, managing, and utilizing a property. Roads should be sunlit and well-drained for quick drying after inclement weather.
Maintain your property boundaries. Painted boundary lines reduce management and survey costs in the long run and allow potential buyers to easily determine boundary location.
Have quality maps. A complete map file should include a survey, topographic, recent aerials, and soil maps with overlays showing roads, timber types, trails, streams, ponds, and any other significant features. Digital versions are a must.
Manage your timber and wildlife. Timber and wildlife management go hand in hand when done right. Most timberland buyers are seeking both an investment and a recreational property for hunting, ATVs, etc. Implementing management practices that result in productive timber stands, an open understory, and wildlife-friendly habitats will set your property apart from others on the market. Sound management will not only make your land more attractive to a buyer but will also generate income, a portion of which can be used to pay for the improvements mentioned in this article.
Final Thoughts
Many times a land purchase decision is a more emotional decision than a rational one. The potential buyer for your property should be thinking of the positive experiences he/she is going to have, not negatively ruminating over all of the things that need to be fixed.
Carolina Timberland Sales has experienced, credentialed land managers on staff who can identify your property's weak points and make recommendations for improvement.