Australian homes that feature greenery received higher prices, attracted more buyers, and sold faster, a report by Domain Insight found.
In its Plant Value Report, the presence of plants was revealed to be a quiet market of lifestyle and value in homes. Amid the current problems faced by the housing market such as affordability constraints, limited space, and growing environmental awareness, plants became one of the simplest ways to raise the price, appeal, and buyer interest of a house.
“It's wonderful to see confirmation of something we in the horticulture industry have long known – that greenery doesn’t just look good – it makes a significant difference,” said Wes Fleming from Fleming’s Nurseries.
According to the report, a third of houses and one in every six units prominently featured plants. Houses that have greenery saw prices that were 17.4% higher compared to those that do not. It also attracted 7% more buyer views and spent one day less on the market.
Meanwhile, units that had plants were sold at a price 16.1% higher than those that did not. They were also sold three days faster than units without greenery. Regional houses, which have values that were defined by outdoor living and established gardens, have 24% higher prices, which was the strongest among the three types of homes.
The report said that the increase of value for homes with greenery was because the market perceives plants as something that brings life, texture, and calmness to spaces that are being lived in. With the current state of the world offering a fast pace of living, greeneries such as small potted plants or bountiful gardens provide a sense of balance, softness, and retreat to any home.
The report noted that New South Wales has the lowest number of houses which featured greenery, likely due to a scarcity in garden spaces. Canberra had the highest, which was attributed to how the city had established gardens and landscape streetscapes.
