Did you know that landscaping can increase your property’s value by 12%, but only if done right?
I know it’s a cliche, but when it comes to real estate, first impressions are really everything. Most potential buyers fall in love with a home the moment they pull in through the driveway.
That’s exactly why homes with pleasing landscapes sell more easily for more money. It makes sense because if you don’t like what you see, then why would you pay for it?
Real estate experts say that landscaping your home can increase its resale value tremendously. In fact, this study by Turf Magazine concludes that landscaping can increase your property value by up to 12%.
So this question must have crossed your mind by now, “how can I boost the value of my own home through landscaping?”
Sit back, relax, and make sure that you have the next 10 minutes free of any disturbances to read this post because I’m going to dive in deep to answer your question.
How Can You Increase Your Home Value through Landscaping
Before I get into how you should landscape your home to increase its value, let’s first define landscaping so that you know what we’re talking about.
By definition, landscaping is the process of molding an environment in an aesthetically pleasing way. If that’s not clear enough for you, then think of landscaping as the decorative wrapping and ribbon that packs a gift — your lovely home!
In other words, if your home is the steak, then the landscaping is the sizzle.
As I mentioned earlier, a potential buyer’s first impression determines whether he will make you a serious offer or turn away after a quick glance.
Since landscaping determines what kind of first impression your property will make on a potential buyer, you should pay attention to it for boosting the value of your home.
According to Turf Magazine, a $150,000 home with no landscaping can be worth approximately $8,000 to $16,000 less than a home with landscaping.
Now that you know what landscaping is all about and why it increases property value, let’s talk about how you can boost the value of your home through landscaping.
3 Steps to Improve Your Landscaping — for Increasing Your Property Value
Let’s start by three simple steps to help you understand the basics of how you can increase the value of your home through landscaping.
1. Plan the Overall Aesthetic of Your Landscaping
According to Apartment Therapy, even a neat and minimalistic landscaping often does not have the boosting effects of truly great landscaping — which means that it’s important to pay attention to the overall aesthetic of your landscaping.
Here are 3 things you should consider to plan the overall aesthetic of your landscaping.
- Outdoor living areas: your home should have decks, gardens, and outdoor gathering areas because without them, your home is essentially a box planted in a field. According to real estate experts, cultivating those areas will not only increase the perceived “living space” of your home, but also boost its value.
- Big-time features: if you want to add the “wow” factor to your home, then you need more than just a well-groomed lawn. By having exquisitely curated landscaping with evergreen plants and other such big-time features, your home’s perceived value will soar.
- Harmony and beauty: on top of having big-time features, you should ensure that they all flow (match with each other) to increase the appeal of your home.
One last thing I want to mention is that the best way to plan the overall aesthetic of your landscaping is by getting a consultation from a professional landscaper.
2. Plan the Design
After planning the overall aesthetic, the next step is to create an effective design for your landscaping.
When it comes to design, the first thing you need to do is get a sense of how the other homes in your neighborhood are designed.
After that, you can either consult a professional who will give you mockups and even blueprints for how your landscaping should look.
But if that sounds too expensive, then you should try to find a landscaping company that offers a free consultation, which shouldn’t be a problem thanks to high competition these days.
Now, before you settle on a design, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- What natural parts of my landscape are must-keep?
- Does every feature of the landscape flow with the overall design?
- What’s more important to me: money or time? Should I look around for the most cost-effective option or can I afford to spend high dollars for the very best landscapers?
Once you have planned the overall aesthetic and design, it’s time to move on to the last step.
3. Perform the Cost Analysis
When you’re calculating the cost of landscaping, one thing you may forget is that this is rather more of an investment than a luxury.
Even though landscaping can cost a lot, you should think of it as an investment because it can boost the resale value of your home by up to 12%.
Now that you understand the basics, let’s move on to some specific tips on perfecting your landscape to boost your property value.
6 Tried and Tested Tips to Boost Your Property Value By Up to 12%
As I mentioned earlier, it’s possible to boost your property value by up to 12% through landscaping. So here are 6 tried and tested tips that will increase your property value.
1. Focus on Curb Appeal
One surefire way to get a return on your landscaping investment is to focus on curb appeal. You can do that by ensuring that your landscaping sublimely matches the style of your home.
For instance, someone with a craftsman-style home should opt for simple and classic landscaping containing structured bushes and shrubbery or a bed of brightly colored flowers.
On the other hand, someone with a Caesar’s Palace should go for all the modern high-end features, such as koi ponds and opulent fountains.
2. Get Big Windows and Increase Privacy
Big windows are often a big selling point for buyers because they not only provide a source for a lot of sunshine, but also give your home an expansive feel.
With that being said, big windows also mean less privacy because neighbors or anyone passing by can easily peek into your home.
So is there a way to preserve the ambiance while maintaining privacy?
Yes, there is! You should place soft, airy-textured, and glossy-leaved barrier shrubs just outside the windows over fortress-style hedges or fences to stop strangers from peaking in.
3. Seek Sophistication
According to this 2016-survey by Turf Magazine, homes with sophisticated landscaping elements, such as curved bed lines, large island plantings, large deciduous, evergreen, and annual color plants, are more easily sold for higher prices as compared to those with basic foundation planting.
Most landscaping experts recommend planting beds as the best landscaping investment for two reasons:
- They create design interest by adding color and texture.
- They are relatively inexpensive.
Furthermore, they are also great for defining spaces so that your lawn doesn’t appear too sparse even if the grass is tidy and mowed.
4. Go for A Year-Round Style
In spring, most homes are at the peak of their beauty because it is the time when the trees and bushes blossom. That is why homes with big gardens sell for more during spring.
But what about winter? Most buyers who were willing to pay an attractive sum for houses with big gardens in spring will not pay the same price during winter.
So the simple solution is to list your home on the market during spring, right?
Wrong.
In today’s market, you have to accept the possibility that your home may not sell right away. You may list your home during spring in hope of selling it at a high price, but it may sit on the listings for a long time.
So what’s the solution?
Simple: more strategic landscaping. By strategic, I mean planning year-round landscaping, which involves picking focal elements for each season, such as:
- Bulbs for spring.
- Annuals for summer.
- Shrubs for fall.
- Evergreens for winter.
5. Plant Trees
Did you know that planting just three trees in the correct locations around the perimeter of your home can cut energy costs by $250 a year?
Impressive, right?
If that’s not enough to convince you to add trees to your landscaping, then maybe this fact will:
Most expert landscapers agree that trees are the most affordable investment to increase curb appeal and add maturity to your landscaping.
6. Make Your Lawn Low-Maintenance
In places like California, there is a huge demand for drought-tolerant gardens because they not only help new homeowners save time and effort on maintenance, but also help cut down water costs as these gardens use very little water.
You should consult a professional landscaper to discuss how to make your lawn as low-maintenance as possible. By doing that, you will not only make maintenance easier, but also increase your property’s perceived value — especially in the eyes of people who are concerned with conserving water.
Quick Recap
To quickly recap, you should:
- Focus on improving curb appeal.
- Get big windows and take measures to ensure privacy.
- Add sophisticated landscape elements.
- Go for a year-round style.
- Plant trees in the correct locations.
- Make your lawn as low-maintenance as possible.
There you have it!
6 tried and tested landscaping tips — based on insight from real estate experts — to boost your property value and increase your enjoyment while you still live in it.
I’ve shared all I know about landscaping. Let me know if there’s any landscaping insight you would like to add in the comment section below.