1. Access: Poor access to a piece of property is a major detriment to its value. Even if your land borders a public road, if it is hard to get from the road onto the property, it will lower the land’s value. If your property does not have any access, you will need to get an easement so you can get to it. The standard solution would be to build a driveway. This could be a gravel road or a paved concrete or asphalt driveway. If there are ditches or water troughs, you will need to bridge those or put in a culvert with the roadway over it. If your property already has good access upgrading your driveway could improve its value.

2. Put in a permanent foundation: Having a permanent foundation for a manufactured home greatly increases its value. This could be a well-made box structure with a crawl space or a full basement. Such a foundation will also extend the longevity of your home as it will shift less and require less monitoring as the home settles. Temporary foundations are a primary reason many manufactured homes deteriorate prematurely.

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3. Drainage: Making sure your property has proper drainage will be a huge boost to its value. Property that floods aren’t very attractive. You can grade the property to allow water to move away from your buildings. You can put in gravel to allow water to percolate away and create drainage curves that funnel excess water.

4. Own the resource rights: For rural properties, it is common for the resource rights to be sold. Farmers often sold off the rights to trees and other resources because they wanted the land cleared for farming and didn’t value the rights. When purchasing a property, make sure to reinstate your ownership of the resources, and if you already own a property, check to make sure you have the rights and, if not, get them. A great way to improve a property is to plant trees, but if you don’t own the rights, the trees aren’t yours.

5. Plant trees or manage forest: Trees add a great deal of value to a property. They are aesthetically pleasing but are also a natural resource. It takes time for trees to grow, so mature trees are worth a lot of money. If your property already has a forest on it, you can improve its value by properly managing that forest. Selectively cutting trees to allow new growth while maintaining the wildlife and condition of the forest. Thinning trees where they are bunched together to allow the healthy ones to grow strong. A healthy forest has a good ecosystem where the plants and animals support each other.

6. Install utilities: Having water and electricity on site greatly increases the value of a property. Either hook up to a nearby water main or dig a well to provide water. You can either hook up to the local electric grid or install solar or wind generators to provide off-grid electric power. Having access to utilities could easily double the value of a property.

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7. Add fencing: Whether a small plot in an urban area or a large place in a rural setting putting a fence around your land can have great benefits and add value. Firstly the fence marks the boundaries of the property so they will be easy to see and also provide a warning to others they are trespassing. The fence should match the property usage, however. You don’t want a white picket fence around a field intended for livestock. Nor do you want a wire fence around a nice home in a community. So make sure to pick a fence that matches the property.

8. Aesthetics: Landscaping can make any plot of land look beautiful. Planting trees, shrubs, flowers, and ornamental plants. Putting in sidewalks or paving stones to build walkways. Maybe put in a pond or water feature. Instead of grass, you could put in an entire field of wildflowers. No mowing required.

9. Remove junk: If there is any junk on your property, it hurts its value. Removing junk is a great way to immediately improve a property. You might even make money at the recycling plant.