OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE?

​Often, when meeting potential Sellers at their home, the first order of business is to walk through the house. As I’d represented the Sellers when they bought the home several years earlier, I was familiar with the layout, but as they'd made several improvements, it was nice to get reacquainted with the property. However, out back, Mother Nature had intervened, and a MASSIVE tree had taken over much of their SF view.

“It'd be wise to remove that tree,” I said to the owner, pointing at the blocked horizon. “Your ‘view’ is one of the major highlights of your home, and it’s currently being obstructed by that large Monterey Pine.”

​“I’m not sure my wife would agree,” the Seller said, “she loves that tree, so I'll have to get back to you.”

“That’s your call,” I said, “but understand that leaving the tree will likely cost you $100,000 in return.” (It’s definitely a conversation worth having.)

In other words: what’s a view worth?

It depends.

Canyon views — not so much.

Panoramic views of the Bay — significantly more.

Panoramic views, including the bridges, within walking distance of coffee — potentially hundreds-of-thousands of dollars!

While it's impossible to quantify exactly what an individual view is worth, there can be a dramatic difference depending on the location of the home and its orientation. Picturesque views, in general (as opposed to views of the freeway), add value to a property, but a west-facing view of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges that also incorporates the SF skyline is far more coveted and ultimately worth much more.

Moreover, this house — on the Piedmont side of Montclair — didn’t require potential Buyers to drive to the nosebleed section of Skyline to enjoy such stunning views. This sexy Mid-Century was within walking distance of the village, and close to HWY 13, making it far more desirable and convenient still. (Views and walk-to” hardly ever go hand-in-hand.)

In the end, we met in the middle (quite literally) and topped a good chunk of the tree instead. It didn’t hurt that the neighbor around the corner had coincidentally and conveniently taken down his tree that stood directly behind the offending foliage, ultimately making the decision a no-brainer.

Once topped, a stunning view including the Golden Gate Bridge emerged, and to no one’s surprise, it was spectacular, especially at sunset.

As January proved to be an exceptionally dry month, the Open Houses benefited from clear, sunny weather during the entire marketing period, drawing tremendous attention and interest. The house ultimately received six offers and is pending well, WELL above the Sellers’ expectations. (That’s what we were going for.)

When it comes to views (and trees), in most municipalities, owners are legally entitled to the view they purchased, so it’s important to maintain your view(s) with aggressive pruning every few years, even if the foliage is on your neighbor's property. (They won't pay for it, but they can't keep you from manicuring the shrubs/trees.) Thus, should you ever decide to sell, the “view” remains a prominent, not to mention monetary, feature of the home.

And while it’s usually impossible to quantify the difference between selling a house “As Is,” or selling it painted, primed, and staged, in this case, we had made a decent run at selling the house “off-market,” to no avail. (Buyers really can’t see past the contents of a home, and they missed the view entirely.) But when the inevitable pushback came, we decided to do what we do best — transform the home — which thankfully, included a call to the arborist.

One month later, the demand and the result were dramatically different. (I'm still getting calls from hopeful Buyers.)

How different?

A LOT!

So what’s a view worth?

Long story short, the investment the Sellers made to paint, repair, stage, and TOP the tree netted $300,000 MORE than the figure they would have accepted “off-market.”

The fee to top the tree? $3500. I'd say that was money well spent. Wouldn't you agree?

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