Five Ways Landscaping Improves Property Value

Five Ways Landscaping Improves Property Value

By Zach Baierl

Have you been wanting to raise your property value but don’t know where to start? Well, if you’ve already taken steps to renovate your bathroom, which is the highest return on investment by the way, then you can turn your focus to the outside of your home. One of the best things you can do for your home and property is improving your landscaping. After all, not only does it look great but it can add a significant amount to your home value.

Truth be told, DIY landscaping doesn’t take nearly as much time and money as you might think - if you do it cost effectively and efficiently. With a rather small investment of time and money you can increase your property’s curb appeal easily as well as making your property more inviting to guests, potential buyers and yourself.

1. Keeping a Tidy Lawn

One of the easiest and most cost effective things you can do for your yard is lawn care. Unlike other projects to improve your landscaping, lawn care can be done without really having to buy much.

As you probably know, one of the first things toward proper lawn care is mowing. Due to weather and other factors, there really isn’t a perfect pattern to gauge how often you should mow. Luckily, you can kind of just play it by ear. If the lawn looks unruly to you, just mow it. But you should remember to to not mow your lawn too short. If you mow it too short you risk accidentally kicking up pebbles, and increase weed growth as a longer lawn provides shade that prevents weed growth.

After you’re done mowing, you should immediately start raking as well. Raking takes care of any left over grass clippings, leaves, and almost acts as a comb making your lawn look well kept and uniformed. Make sure you take breaks to avoid needing to visit your local chiropractor to remedy strained muscles.

One of the most common mistakes in lawn care is watering it too often. In reality, you should water your lawn much like how rain would do it. In other words, instead of watering it almost every day, you should water it less often but for longer and with more water.

Another problem that many homeowners have a hard time avoiding is when the lawn seeps into the driveway, sidewalk, and gardens. To stop this before it starts, you can start on edging. Cut grass and keep things tidy at the edge of your lawn more so than any other part. This will give a your lawn a cleaner look.

Finally, you should also fertilize. This is probably the only part of lawn care that would cost a good amount of money. All you have to make sure to do is fertilize your lawn every 6-8 weeks to make sure it gets the appropriate nutrients it needs.

 

2. Maximize the Impact Of Your Plants and Trees

Now for a great landscaping project, you don’t just want a good lawn.You should also doll it up a bit with some flowers, shrubs, and maybe even a tree or two. This is the part that really takes some creative vision and can be entirely up to you how it looks.

An easy trick though is to get plants that are not only pretty to look at but are also easy to maintain. If you happen to live in a place where it snows in the winter, make sure to get plants that can survive just fine in the cold.

If you happen to live in hotter areas where the winter feels almost like summer, make sure to get plants that can survive prolonged exposure to sunlight and heat. Getting plants that rely on little water is good for that too.

Another thing to consider is planting trees. Trees are basically a God send to a homeowner since they can actually increase property value as time goes on.

“According to HGTV, A Clemson University study found that homeowners get a 100 percent or more return on the money they put into landscaping and a 2007 study by the University of Washington found that mature trees in a well-landscaped yard can increase the value of a house by 7 percent to 19 percent.”

Not only do trees look great, provide fun and shade to children, and provide a green atmosphere but they also provide shade for the house. This can raise your home’s value by itself; and during the summer, it can drastically lower your cooling bill.

3. External Lighting Is Affordable & Valuable

One of the things that probably didn’t enter your mind at first when thinking about landscaping was lighting but lighting can be more beneficial than you think. After all, when the sun sets, who’s going to be able to see your fantastic new yard without any light?

Not only does lighting spruce up your yard’s night life but it increases your home value by also discouraging possible trespassers and burglars, allowing visitors to find your house more easily, and can help draw attention to only the best parts of the yard.

If you want to go for the cost effective route, you can get solar powered lights. They charge during the day and make your yard look great at night. You can also invest in a lamppost or some simple lanterns to make your property look extra fancy.

 

4. Invest in a Patio

If you don’t already have a patio, you should seriously consider it. Patios & decks provide even more property value by allowing people to spend time outdoors both comfortably and fashionably.

Not only that but a patio or custom deck costs about $4000 and does recoup in added value. Plus, if you don’t like having guests inside for whatever reason, there’s almost no better place to spend some time with friends and family than a good patio.

 

5. A Green Thumb

Another great way to improve your home’s value is to start a garden. Whether it be just a flower garden or a way to get fresh homegrown vegetables right from your backyard. Either are fantastic from a landscaper’s perspective.

It doesn’t even have to be that big if you don’t want it to be. It just needs to be well done. If you already have a garden or are thinking about starting one, a great tip is to spread mulch in between each row within the garden.

This will make your garden look clean and not unkempt while also helping the plants to grow. Another good tip is to add a good border to the garden. Try a tasteful brick border or some smooth stones. Maybe place a birdbath, bird feeders, or a birdhouse in the garden or next to it as well to give that quaint, loving touch to it.

In summary, there are affordable, manageable ways to improve the curb-appeal and value of your home that you truly can do yourself without breaking your bank or your back!