Washington DC

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Landscaping your Real Estate
Are you considering purchasing Washington DC  real estate? There are many things that go through a new buyers mind when going through the purchasing procedures and sometimes  things get overlooked.  To be an informed buyer  make sure you do not overlook the landscaping.  Many people look at a property and see that it has a nicely manicured lawn and that there may be a beautiful garden, these are not the only aspects of landscaping you should look at when considering investing in the Washington DC  real estate market or any of the real estate in the Metro area.   There are certain questions and things that you should look for when visiting  real estate.  

What type of landscaping questions and aspects you should look for when purchasing a home?

• Where does the water Run off go?
• Ideally you want to make sure the water is running away from the property.  This includes water from your neighbors if you are looking at a property that is located at the lowest point in a neighborhood you can assume that your neighbor’s water runoff will end up in front of your home creating a nice pool of water for you to deal with.  So obviously having a property that generates too much water is a problem. It is also a problem if your property doesn’t get enough water.  The reason for this is that different types of soil have various water holding capacities.  If you have soil that’s porous it can have a direct effect on your water bill since you will need to water your lawn more often during the dry seasons.
• What is going to be left behind by the seller?
•  If you visit a property and you love the landscaping but you notice that there is a bench, shed, or any other type of outdoor furniture, or sculptures, make sure you tell your realtor.  The reason for this is that these items are considered to be personal property.  If you do not convey in your contract that you want this personal property to stay the current owner will be able to take everything with them.
• The next obstacle that you will face is to decide how much time and money you are willing to invest to keep this landscape in top notch shape.
• The next 2 things to look at are what type of shape are the plants in that surround the home.  You want to make sure that the trees around the home are healthy you do not want to have any large tree leaning on the house because it is a hazard.  Also you want to find out any and all of the restrictions that you will have to follow when working on your landscape.  Certain homeowners associations will have guidelines such as; are you allowed to put up a fence, if so, what colors and style they must be?  Other Homeowners associations go as far to telling you what types of plants are allowed and what type are not allowed in the area.