We’ve mentioned landscaping for property value before, but with Spring in-bound it feels like the right time to revisit the subject.
Those of us who keep an eye on local real estate markets have witnessed the price-tag on homes in the LML skyrocket to levels that we never imaged possible. It seems that a million dollar home doesn’t even turn heads anymore.
With this seemingly endless development showing no signs of slowing down, “property value” is on everyones mind.
Many people are looking for ways to boost the value and desirability of their home — either to sell now, or as an investment into future value.
Landscaping updates remain one of the fastest and most obvious ways add value to a property IF they’re done strategically.
When beginning the landscaping process, it’s important to come up with a plan first. A coherent plan will help you avoid mistakes in the positioning of trees and plants or planting flowers and shrubs in the wrong areas. Or wasting money on things that might look good but are risky bets when it comes to ROI.
Landscaping shouldn’t be piecemeal. It should look organized, presenting your yard and home as harmonious with one another.
Focus on projects that make the most visual impact while also being timeless.
Driveway
The headline of your home. Cracked, sunken concrete or worn out surfaces can immediately make a home look outdated and less desirable. Rather than using concrete, consider having your driveway re-done using pavers. If the prep work and installation are done correctly, block-built driveways will outlast and outshine concrete every time.
Hardscape
Pavers, retaining walls around a garden, natural stone and other simple features add a timeless, classy look to almost any home.
Softscape
Keep it simple and in alignment with the style of your home. If you’re renovating to sell, always consider what it will look based on the seasons — elaborate flower gardens might look nice in the summer, but if you’re trying to sell in Fall they might hurt the value.
Patio/ Outdoor Living Space
Patios are almost always a good investment. Whether wood or stone block/ hardscape, they’re an attractive and universally desirable feature for most home buyers.
Trees
Careful with this one. While adding a single tree as a carefully placed key feature can be a great move, add too many or put them in the wrong place and you can easily waste a lot of money. Choose wisely.
Unless you have an extensive property that demands or suits luxury-grade structures, avoid water features and pools since these can actually be seen as an unwanted upkeep cost by potential buyers. Also avoid anything that’s too trendy or a gimmick: a mini-golf green is an awesome idea (and we’ve built several), but probably won’t generate the kind of ROI you want when you’re renovating to sell. Again, it very much depends on our home.
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