Tips for getting your Ranch or Land ready to Sell

Getting your Texas Land Ready to Sell!

 Are you considering selling your land or ranch? First, contact Longhorn Realty.   Second you may want to consider some of the tips below to get your ranch or land in show condition. If you also have a home, please read “Getting your Central Texas Home Ready to Sell”.

Spring can be one of the best times to sell your Texas land or ranch. The Texas landscape looks it’s best when the wild flowers have bloomed, trees have new leaves and the grass is green. If we’ve had our usual spring showers, the stock ponds are  full and creeks are flowing. However, keep in mind land sells year round so waiting for spring is not always necessary.

Land Sellers Guide • Choosing the Right Land Broker • Land Marketing

Not everyone has access to the equipment in the tips I’ve outlined below, but in some cases it’s beneficial to hire someone to get the work done for you. A clean presentable property that doesn’t look like a project will always bring you better offer prices.

1. Make sure buyers have easy access to all areas of your ranch or land to view the property! This one is huge. Generally half a day with a chainsaw and loppers can open up roads and paths so buyers can easily get around. No one likes belly crawling , getting swatted in the face with branches or getting their vehicle destroyed trying to view a property.
2. Access problem Part 2. Be sure potential buyers can enter, tour and exit your property without having to cut through neighboring properties. Cutting through another property to get to your property can be confusing to some buyers, thus making it harder to sell. So if you have your own road frontage or easement access be sure its functional so you keep buyers only on the property you’re selling during showings.
3. Get rid of your junk and trash! Trash, metal piles, old fence wire, old vehicles, old appliances, etc can be an eye sore. Get rid of all trash piles. Also pick up yours, your friends and family’s beer cans and shot gun shells too.
4. I understand some things are too good to haul off such as pipe, gates, lumber, tee posts, leftover rock or bricks, old implements, certain old vehicles, equipment, etc. But you can stage things in an orderly manner. Designate an area to stage your “good stuff”. Stack it, pile it and arrange it like you had a plan. Do all of that in an area that isn’t going to be seen as easily by buyers viewing the ranch. Behind a barn would be ideal, up front by the entrance, not so much.
5. If you still have brush piles from when you cleared the property years ago,  you may be at the mercy of the county “burn ban” to get rid of them. If you’re considering selling your property you really need to make these brush piles disappear. Fall is a great time to burn, if you can, so that your burn areas will grow back over in the spring before you list your property. If you have a sizable property that warrants a drone video there’s nothing worse than videoing numerous brush piles!
6. Not everyone is going to have access to a tractor and shredder but nothing makes your pasture look better than having it freshly shredded. The new growth comes back extra green and really makes a huge difference on the appearance of your ranch. The wildlife will thank you as well!
7. Get your fences in shape! Fix your loose and broken wires, add and replace posts. Make sure you can operate your hot wires without getting fried!  Make sure water gaps are set from the last heavy rain. If you really want to Taj Mahal out your fence line clear out all the overgrowth. If you do this once a year it really never gets out of hand. If you wait till you’re getting your property ready to sell it’s probably going to be a pretty big job. If some boundaries don’t have fencing it’s really helpful to have it marked out with some “T” posts or stakes.
8. Most buyers are mesmerized by views and water. Knowing this, make sure your best view spots, creeks, tanks and/or river and lake banks are looking great. This will be one of the first places buyers will want to go. Clearing trash and limbs along with some mowing and trimming will go a long ways to making this area look nice.
9. If you have trailers, RVs, equipment, implements and so on, line them up, square them up and make it look like you’re a neat freak! Trust me on this, it does make a difference. And once again, don’t do this at the entrance!
10. If your property is so densely covered with trees, weeds, vines and overgrowth that it’s like a wall that you can’t walk through you may want to consider getting some clearing done. It’s likely if buyers can’t see a property they’re not going to buy it. At a minimum, provide some walking paths. Cedar breaks can be impossible to get through, so consider opening these areas up.

A ranch that looks clean, is organized and well cared for will pay off with good offers. The goal is to minimize the buyers “to do” list on your property. A buyer will use their “to do” list  as ammunition to justify a lower offer price, so make that list as small as possible!

Contact Longhorn Realty to buy or sell your Texas Land or Ranch today!