Most homeowners are proud of their homes and many of them work hard to make sure it is in good condition. In addition, homeowners tend to work hard to keep up their home’s curb appeal.
For some, this is simply a matter of pride of ownership, while others do so because they genuinely enjoy adding to and keeping up on their front yard landscaping.
Curb Appeal Matters. Or Does It?
Why is curb appeal important? An article at Fortune Builders notes,
“Curb appeal sets expectations. Prospective buyers are more inclined to look inside if they like what they see on the outside. First impressions make a difference when it comes to selling a home. Conversely, the home’s curb appeal should entice buyers to inquire further.”
This is good to know for those homeowners who put a great deal of time and effort into improving and maintaining their home’s curb appeal. But some might ask if curb appeal by itself can add value to a home?
Apparently so, according to none other than The Wall Street Journal,
“A new study quantifying the impact of curb appeal found that the attractiveness of a home can boost its value by 7% or more.”
Still not so sure? Well, according to Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, the curb appeal and general landscaping of your home also impact its home appraisal value. So, what does that mean for you? Simply this: sprucing up your home’s curb appeal is a good idea for several reasons and have some concrete tips on how to do that can be helpful.
Curb Appeal Tips With Pavers
There are many things you can add to your front yard area – the outdoor space of your property that everyone sees as they drive by or approach your home.
For example, adding planters and even window boxes can introduce texture, color, and variety to your entryway. If you already have shrubbery in the front of your home, trimming and pruning can easily improve the visual appeal. And, if you’re so inclined, changing out and updating your porch lights along with repainting the front door with a brighter, yet complementary, color can work magic.
In addition, elegant and substantial addition to your home’s curb appeal can be achieved using pavers.
For example, if the main walkway up to your house is a traditional row of concrete slabs that is broken, cracked or otherwise unattractive, you can easily create a new one. In fact, in many situations, pavers can be installed on top of concrete without mortar if you first lay down a half-inch or higher bed of coarse sand, according to several paver manufacturers.
Better yet, you can simply layout your own brand-new walkway using pavers to create an inviting focal point in your front yard area.
Most front yards are intersected or bordered on one side with a driveway, most often made of concrete. Paver technology exists today that allows you to do far more than simply patch up your old, cracked, and stained driveway. You can actually “repave” it using concrete pavers installed directly on top of the existing concrete slabs.
Beyond sidewalks and driveways, pavers can be utilized for several other creative additions to your front yard area for enhancing curb appeal.
The Things You Can Build With Pavers
Some yards lend themselves to more intricate landscape designs and these designs can include winding paths or walkways built with pavers or flagstones. If a water feature suits your taste, a striking stepped waterfall effect can be created using large travertine or other natural stone pavers.
An eye-catching addition to many homes is a decorative light post. While these can be installed directly on the ground, and equally eye-catching and decorative paver pedestals can be built to support it, as well.
Do you have a flower garden area near a fence or even under a bay window? Consider raising the flower bed a foot or so and enclosing it with a stunning rock wall built from paver stones. This approach can also be used to encircle single trees, shrubbery, or even a large birdbath structure.
The overriding key to successfully enhancing your home’s curb appeal with pavers is to select stones and designs that are uniform and consistent with your home’s overall style. Too much contrast with the architecture of your house, or too many paver styles that clash with one another, can defeat the purpose.
And, when it comes to design and installation, there’s nothing wrong with getting a helping hand.
Finding Help With Your Paver Project
Properly installed paver structures can last for years with little upkeep or maintenance. And, whether you install them yourself, or bring on a professional like Northview Landscaping, adding paver elements to your front yard can be a great way to improve your home’s curb appeal and add to its value.
Feel free to contact us for all your hardscape and softscape needs. At Northview Landscaping we understand that creating the best look for your outdoor space is important to you and we’re here to answer any questions you might have about getting started on your landscape design.
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.