Lesson 15: Virtual Tours & Technology

These are the common mistakes sellers make when they over-prep. The goal is usually good - "make the land more attractive" - but the reality is that most big-ticket improvements don't add enough value to cover their cost. In some cases, they even reduce appeal.

1. Full Land Clearing

Scraping a lot bare by cutting down all trees and grading it can cost thousands.
The issue? Many buyers want trees for privacy, shade, or natural character. A fully scraped, barren lot looks sterile and unattractive to most buyers.

The smarter approach: If you want to go beyond just mowing, consider partial clearing. Open up a space where a potential homesite or cabin could go while leaving the rest wooded. This shows the land's potential without erasing the features many buyers value.

2. Installing Utilities (Wells, Septic, Power Poles)

Utilities are the #1 thing buyers want to know about. Power, water, and septic are often the first questions you'll get. But here's the trap: while utilities are the most sought-after features, they're also some of the most expensive to add - and rarely do they increase your sale price enough to justify the cost.

Power:

This is usually the most desired - but also the most expensive. Extending power lines or setting poles can run into the tens of thousands, depending on distance. In most cases, adding power is a gamble because it almost never increases the land's value by the amount you spend. Risky move.

Septic & Well Together:

Installing both is even riskier. Why? Because every buyer's site plan is different. Where you place a septic and well may not align with how they'd design their home. You could spend $10,000+ only for buyers to see it as useless or even a problem.

When It Can Make Sense:

If drilling a basic well is relatively inexpensive in your area, there's a smart middle ground. You can place a capped well in a far corner of the property - no pump, no tank, just the well itself. This gives buyers confidence that water is accessible, without forcing a layout on them.

👉 Example:

I once added a simple $2,000 capped well on a property in a slow market where identical neighboring lots weren't moving. My lot sold while the others sat unsold for over a year. The well didn't raise the value above market - but it kept me from having to discount the land by $5,000–$10,000 like my competitors did. That one small improvement flipped a slow lot into a sold lot.

Bottom Line:

Confirm utilities are available or possible - that alone removes most fear.
Avoid full installations unless you're absolutely certain it adds value in your market.
If you want to stand out in a competitive, slow-selling area, a simple, low-cost improvement (like a capped well) can sometimes give you just enough edge to sell at market value while others sit.

⚡ Pro Tip: Think of utilities less as "profit generators" and more as "deal-sealers." In rare cases, the right small improvement pays off - but in most cases, confirming availability and letting the buyer handle installation is the smarter move.

3. Fencing the Entire Property

Fencing an acreage lot can cost thousands, and it often limits buyers' vision. They may want a different style of fencing, multiple pasture sections, or even to keep it open.
Unless you're targeting ranch or ag buyers specifically, full fencing rarely pays off.

4. Landscaping or Grass Seeding

Planting grass, shrubs, or sod is usually a waste for raw land. Buyers don't want your version of landscaping - they want a blank slate to build their own.
In fact, heavy landscaping can make land feel more like a finished home lot, which isn't what most rural or recreational buyers are after.

The Rule of Thumb

💡 If prep costs more than 5-10% of your asking price, it's almost always overkill.

A $30,000 lot? Spending over $3,000 is typically too much.
A $100,000 lot? Spending $5,000–$10,000 might be justified if it's a strategic, high-value improvement (like partial clearing for a homesite), but not for cosmetic "upgrades."

The Smarter Alternative

Instead of dropping thousands on full clearing or big-ticket utilities:

Do partial clearing to open up a homesite while keeping privacy and trees.
Focus on simple access improvements - mowing, cutting a walking trail, clearing trash, trimming road frontage, or adding a basic driveway entrance.

These are the touches buyers notice right away, and they create instant value perception without sinking your profits into unnecessary work.

👉 Remember: you're not trying to "finish" the land. You're showing buyers what's possible - and leaving the fun (and costly decisions) to them.

How to Decide What's Worth It

Before you spend a dime, run through these questions:

Does this make the property easier to access or safer to explore?

If yes → usually worth it (examples: mowing frontage, adding a trail, clearing trash).

Does this make the property look more valuable from the road?

If yes → usually worth it (examples: trimmed frontage, gravel pull-in).

Does this improvement lock buyers into my vision of the land?

If yes → usually skip it (examples: full clearing, landscaping, septic placement).

Does the cost of the improvement add enough value to make money on it — or at least break even?

If you spend $2,000 and it only increases perceived value by $1,000, you lost.
If you spend $2,000 and it helps you sell at market price while others are discounting $5,000–$10,000, that's a win.

Will this improvement make my property stand out in a competitive market?

If there are 10 nearly identical lots for sale and none are moving, your only edge is price or prep.
If prep gets you sold at full price while others sit, it's worth it.

Is this something buyers could easily do themselves?

If yes → don't bother. (Example: planting grass or putting up fencing.)
If no, or if it removes friction at the critical "first impression" moment → it may be worth it.

Am I doing this because it really helps the sale, or because it makes me feel good about the land?

Sellers often waste money on "pride of ownership" improvements that buyers don't care about. Stay disciplined.

⚡ Pro Tip: If you're not sure, flip the question around: "Would I pay extra for this if I were the buyer?" If the honest answer is no, don't do it.

Case Study: The Road That Sold the Lot

We had a property that kept getting plenty of interest online, but nobody was pulling the trigger. After following up with several people who drove out to see it, we kept hearing the same feedback: they didn't feel safe on the rough dirt road leading to the lot. One buyer even joked it looked like "a road from a war zone."

Here's the thing - that road wasn't on our property. Technically, it wasn't our responsibility to maintain it. But the reality was simple: if buyers couldn't comfortably reach the lot, they weren't going to buy it.

After the third round of negative feedback, we bit the bullet and spent $2,500 to have a tractor come out for a day to fill in the ruts and lightly grade the road. It was a lot more than we wanted to pay, especially since it wasn't "ours" to fix.

But the results were undeniable: within the next three showings, the property sold. Before that, the only offers we had received were well below asking - all of them discounted by more than the $2,500 it cost to improve the road. By addressing the access issue, we not only sold quickly but avoided taking a bigger price cut.

👉 Lesson: Sometimes the improvement that matters most isn't even on your land. If there's an external barrier keeping buyers from feeling safe, comfortable, or confident, solving that problem can pay for itself many times over.

Key Takeaway

Prepping your land is about removing friction, not creating a finished product. Do the cheap, simple things that make it feel safe, clean, and easy to walk. Skip the expensive "improvements" that don't actually add value.

⚡ Pro Tip: If buyers can drive in, park, and take a safe walk through the property without hesitation, you've done enough. Anything more is usually wasted money.

Lesson 15 of 37