It’s been shown for decades to be true that “curb appeal” matters.
When a home goes on the market in Sonoma County, prospective buyers expect to be visually impressed with a property even before they walk into the front door.
The term “curb appeal’ is used to describe the general visual appeal and attractiveness of a house, or commercial property, when viewed from the sidewalk by a prospective buyer. Not surprisingly, this term is used quite often by real estate professionals when trying to sell or evaluate a piece of property.
And, when the real estate market is deemed to be a “buyer’s market,” that curb appeal is all the more critical.
Can Garden Landscape Design Add Property Value?
The simple answer is, “Yes.”
Because landscaping and other elements of curb appeal are subjective aspects when it comes to attributing value, actual dollar amounts are difficult to ascertain. However, there certainly are dollar amounts being put out there.
For example, an article at SFGate reported that,
“A well-landscaped home has a significant price advantage over a home with no landscaping. This advantage ranges from 5.5 percent to 12.7 percent depending on the type of landscaping and the home’s original value. That translates into an extra $16,500 to $38,100 in value on a $300,000 home.”
And real estate referral company, HomeLight noted,
“94% of top agents said that great curb appeal equals money in your bank account at closing — and you don’t have to break the bank to wow buyers, either. Regular lawn care — mowing, applying fertilizer, and weed control — recovers an estimated 267% of the cost of upkeep at the time of sale.
Landscaping and real estate experts agree that how your home looks on the outside builds buyer anticipation for what’s inside.”
However, there’s more to effective garden landscape design than planting some flowers and a few shrubs in the ground.
Most buyers are looking for a manicured landscaping design first and foremost. After that comes plant size and maturity. And, for some buyers, the diversity of plant life within the landscaping design is an important factor.
Things to Consider for a More “Valuable” Garden Landscape Design
First and foremost, you need a plan.
While many residential landscapes tend to evolve “organically” (no pun intended!) a truly well-designed garden landscape will be planned out and supported by a design strategy.
And there are certain tactics that need to be employed in the course of implementing your chosen garden landscape design strategy. For example, landscape design can and should include hardscape elements, as well.
Some common hardscape additions include:
- Flagstone walkways winding through a garden area of your yard,
- Robust planter borders using retaining wall blocks two or three courses high
- Paths paved with decomposed granite (DG) contained by plastic, wood, or metal border strips.
5 Tips for Effective Garden Landscape Design
Here are some tips to keep in mind when designing your garden landscape for increased property value:
1. Match Landscape to Your Home’s Style
The best way to get an excellent return on investment with landscaping is to make sure it fits with your home’s style.
2. Achieve Seasonal Balance
Think about ways to make your landscape attractive all year — blooming bulbs for spring, annual beds around the house during the summer, shrubs with brightly colored leaves in the fall, and evergreens for the winter.
3. Plant Trees
A few simple trees can make an enormous difference to the sale price of your home. In one study, simply living on a tree-lined street added between 10 to 15 percent to the sale price compared to neighborhoods with fewer trees.
4. Edge Your Lawn
The confined look of an edged lawn gives it an easy-to-maintain look. In other words, no weed whipping or weeding required.
5. Add an Attractive Water Feature
A water feature such as a fountain, waterfall, or even a small pond can create a serene and calming environment. And it doesn’t need to be large or complex to add both visual and aural appeal.
In addition, there are a few landscaping upgrades you should avoid:
- Hardscaping can be significantly more expensive than landscaping, for example. It’s better to keep this to a minimum when you’re putting your home up for sale in the near future.
- When it comes to water features, only install or build a water feature that doesn’t require too much maintenance. This could be perceived by prospective buyers as more homeowner work, than a homeowner perk.
- Unless you already have one installed, don’t consider a swimming pool as your water feature. The possible added value can easily be offset by the perceived upkeep required with a pool and the potential for liability. These concerns can actually make it more difficult to sell your home.
- If you need to add or replace shrubs or trees in your landscape design, replace them with plants that are low maintenance and native to the area.
Part of the magic for great garden landscape design is finding the balance between “not enough” and “too much.”
Help Enhance Your Garden Landscape Design
Don’t hesitate to contact us for your small space garden and landscape needs.
We know that creating the most value with your available garden landscape space is important to you and we’re here to answer any questions you might have about improving or getting started on your garden design.
Get ready to spend more time enjoying your outdoor space with family and friends!
If you have questions, or you’d like to schedule a consultation about your garden or landscaping project, contact the professional landscape designers and plant installers at Northview Landscaping today.
