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Xeriscaping can absolutely increase your home value, but the return on investment (ROI) depends on where you live and how prevalent xeriscaping is in your area. In drought-prone climates, xeriscaping can boost your curb appeal and make your home more appealing to buyers due to the reduced maintenance and watering costs. However, in areas where xeriscaping isn’t the norm, some buyers may be willing to pay less for a xeriscaped property if they don’t like the appearance.

As a seller, it might feel tempting to skip the appraisal, especially in a hot market that sees a lot of all-cash offers. While you can technically forgo it and hope for an all-cash offer, you’ll likely have a very tough time selling without an appraisal. 

In addition to protecting lenders from risk, appraisals also protect buyers’ investments. As such, it isn’t typically recommended for buyers to skip appraisals.

A shed that connects to water or electrical services is likely to be assessed for property taxes; however, tax assessments vary around the country. Since every state and local municipality differ regarding property taxes, you should contact your city to determine whether or not you’re required to pay property taxes. Some states consider sheds or detached garages taxable if they have water, sewer, and electricity installed.

Local regulations dictate how big an ADU can be, and there may also be restrictions on the percentage of the main residence’s square footage an ADU can have. In most cases, an ADU must be smaller than the main residence, but check with your local building authority to confirm restrictions on ADU size.