If there is one area that rebounded with zest following the effects of Covid-19, it is home prices. For example, in June 2021, home prices in the US had surged by nearly 25% year-on-year.
The American online real-estate marketplace, Zillow.com recently reported that home prices would likely rise another 13.6% between October 2021 and October 2022.
With predictions indicating that home prices are likely to continue on an upward trend, there are a few landscaping ideas that you can follow to benefit even more from the excellent home prices.
This article presents 12 relatively inexpensive landscaping ideas that have helped homeowners sell their homes at a higher price much quicker.
What is Curb Appeal?
According to the financial information website, Investopedia.com, “Curb appeal is a term used to describe the general attractiveness of a house or other piece of property from the sidewalk to a prospective buyer.” The same source adds, “This term is often used by realtors trying to sell or evaluate a piece of property.”
But does curb appeal matter so much? The answer is a resounding yes. Think of curb appeal as a first date or the first impression you want to give to someone new. It represents the first contact that potential buyers will have when they pull up to your home.
The website that provides planning tools for movers, Moving.com points out why you should take curb appeal seriously: “The attractiveness (or lack thereof) of your home’s exterior has as much to do with maintenance and the quality of materials you use as it does with targeted updates.” The site adds, “For this reason, it’s important to invest in and take great care of your home’s exterior, particularly if you have plans of going on the market in the near future.”
American Style House with Large Patio
Now, let’s look at the specific landscaping tips that could increase the value of your home:
1. Plan Carefully
There are many small and inexpensive improvements you can make so that buyers feel more comfortable when looking at your home. However, knowing what needs to be done involves starting with careful planning.
Therefore, you’ll need to carefully plan to fix all the small things that might raise red flags during an inspection. For instance, are there dead plants in your garden that could tell someone you have not been giving your home adequate attention?
When you plan what needs to be done, you could identify simple things like the clutter that needs to go and any other outdated fixtures that may put a potential buyer off.
2. Keep the Yard Clean and Weed Free
Even if you don’t necessarily want to sell your house, you need to keep the yard clean. This will make it easier to fix things when you want to sell.
A clean and weed-free yard can add subjective value to the price of your home. However, having an impressive and clean yard need not cost much money, especially since you can do most of the work yourself.
You can undertake simple improvements such as weeding, trimming unsightly or overgrown trees and shrubs, applying fresh mulch, and washing up dirty surfaces.
The Sarasota, Florida, based landscaping company, Plantsource.net advises: “start scheduling a day every week or month where you focus on your yard.” Adding, “This regular maintenance will keep it looking organized and beautiful.”
3. Keep Lawn in Best Condition and Install Smart Sprinklers
A disheveled lawn can create the impression of neglect and even the belief that the home is in a state of disrepair.
Tim McKeough, a design writer for the New York Times, advises that a healthy, lush green lawn has an almost similar effect on the home’s appeal as a freshly painted interior. He adds that if your lawn is brown and patchy and isn’t as lush or green as your neighbors’, your home may not be attractive to a potential buyer.
One way to maintain your lawn is to install smart sprinklers or an automatic irrigation system. This advice is supported by the home design, and décor website, Apartmenttherapy.com, which recommends that installing smart sprinklers will “take the guesswork out of how much and how often to water your plants and lawn.”
4. Position Trees Strategically
Trees are the one landscaping improvement that nearly every real estate expert recommends.
Some estimates indicate that having a single tree in front of your home could boost the home’s value by up to $7,000. If neighboring homes also have trees, the value enhancement could be as much as $13,000.
However, your trees should be strategically located. For instance, they should be grown a safe distance from the house, driveways, and septic systems. If not, buyers may anticipate costly maintenance issues, which could devalue the price of your home.
Trees are Strategically Used in Modern Architecture
5. Create Landscaping that Boosts Privacy
Windows that let in plenty of natural light and give off the idea of an expansive feel are usually a big selling point for homebuyers. However, large windows also mean less privacy.
So how can you preserve ambiance and build more privacy? Plan landscaping that boosts privacy. Create fortress-style hedges, fences, or barrier shrubs outside the windows to act as natural sheers.
6. Build a Patio or Deck
Even though you may have to dig a little deeper into your pocket to add a deck or patio, you will thank yourself when the time to sell your home arrives. A well-constructed deck or a landscaped patio can raise the value of a home by more than 12%. To an average American home, this is an additional $45,000.
Even the most minor improvements can go a long way if you have an existing patio or deck. Paint, refinish, power wash, and get contemporary furniture for your patio. Add flower pots or inexpensive and colorful rugs to create a mood that gives the potential buyer a sense of your home’s potential.
7. Solve Problems As They Occur
A stitch in time saves nine. This is a relevant proverb for any homeowner, especially those who may want to sell later.
All homes require occasional maintenance, repairs, and renovations, which cost money and become incredibly important when selling the house. It’s generally a good idea to sort out any issues as and when they occur rather than wait to undertake extensive repairs.
Doing extensive repairs just before selling your home may leave a potential buyer feeling that you are attempting to hide something.
8. Add Color
The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine suggests that “In urban plots, which can often be surrounded by grey buildings, bold use of color can be essential.”
To ensure that the color you add makes a difference, select the right colors that fit the look of your home rather than a splash of many random colors.
The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine provides tips on bringing more color into the garden, such as introducing colorful garden cushions, pots, and decors.
A Bunch of Flower Can Polish Your Outdoor Space
9. Install an Outdoor Kitchen
While the outdoor kitchen trend may serve a purely functional role, such as cutting down the back and forth trips to the house, it also creates a high-end look and feel of the house. This translates into the subjective value of the home and will help you close much quicker.
Homesandgardens.com quotes an Agent Insight Survey by Homelight, which concluded that “over half of real estate agents in Pacific and South Central regions say that a full outdoor kitchen will add value to a home.”
Homesandgardens.com also quotes Homelight, which indicates that “An estimated $14,000 outdoor kitchen project can recoup about 71% at resale.”
10. Keep a Clean Water Fountain
While the other landscaping ideas we have mentioned above have the potential to put more money in your pocket when selling your home, the water fountain may be what an undecided buyer needs to make their decision. Having a water fountain instead of a full-blown water feature may ease the potential home buyer’s apprehensions regarding the cost of maintenance and keeping children safe.
11. Warm Things Up With an Outdoor Fire Feature
Fire pits are special outdoor features that transform backyards into gathering spots. They create a magical spot for families to have a marvelous time together cooking hotdogs, roasting marshmallows, or just sitting around and watching the dancing flames.
According to ConsumerReports.com, home listings that contained the words “fire pit” in their description attracted a 2.8% increase in sale value and closed 3.8 days faster on average.
Fire Pit in Patio
12. Light the Yard
Now that you have done all the 11 things we suggest above, you want to ensure that potential buyers see your home at its best whether they come to view it in the afternoon or the evening.
HGTV.com equates outdoor lighting to “jewelry for your home’s exterior.” Even though outdoor lighting may cost up to $5,000, you can expect to get about half of this value back when you sell your home.
Outdoor lighting will highlight both the architectural features of your home and the aesthetic appeal of your yard at any time of the day. It will also deter burglars and ensure that people can see their way when walking around the yard at night.