Contributed by Rick Ryan
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on August 4, 2015. Housecall continues to share this piece due to ongoing requests and reader interest.
Landscaping is one of the most important ways to increase your property’s value quickly. In fact, a gorgeous landscape design can increase the value of your home by at least 5 to 11 percent—and maybe more. The best part about landscaping is that even though it’s one of the most valuable home improvements you can make, it’s also one of the easiest. If you’re wondering how to turn your landscape into one of your home’s most valuable assets, here are some tips to get you started.
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. For instance, if you own a Victorian home, a Japanese garden will be sorely out of place and may even lower your home’s value rather than add to it. In this instance, you’re much better off with a country or cottage-style landscape that blends in with the old-fashioned formality of your home.
The same holds true for more modern home styles, such as the prairie or industrial style. If your home falls into one of these categories, you’ll want to stay away from square, formal gardens or a profusion of airy blooms. Instead, create a more modern landscape by relying on plenty of greenery and natural-looking beds that fit the contours of your property.
2. Design With a Strategy in Mind
You’ll need to have a good strategy. That means you shouldn’t clutter the entire yard with various high-maintenance plantings, but you also shouldn’t have plain grass with no landscaping. A study by the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture found that a good foundation planting along with a couple of well-designed points of interest can increase your home’s value by up to 42 percent.
By that same token, you should encourage diversity among your plantings without taking it too far. The ideal landscape has a good mixture of shrubs and perennials, but it doesn’t have one of every kind of plant that you can find at the garden center. Instead, it has a uniform look with just enough diversity to make it interesting, but not so little that it becomes boring.
3. Achieve Seasonal Balance
A profusion of spring blooms won’t interest potential buyers who look at your home during other parts of the year. 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. Even though most buyers will be looking at your home during one season, they’ll notice the balance you’ve created and they’ll think about how beautiful the home will be as the seasons change.
Related Link: 7 Exterior Home Improvements That Increase Resale Value
4. 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. So why are trees worth so much? Trees remove carbon dioxide and pollution from the air, so people view them as an eco-friendly option. The shade helps keep neighborhoods and homes cooler and more pleasant, which in turn cuts air conditioning costs. Trees are also a stress reliever — people enjoy relaxing in their shade or gazing at the leafy view.
5. Edge Your Lawn
Few things look nicer than a healthy, vibrant, carefully maintained lawn — except for a lawn that is all of those things and neatly edged. The confined look of an edged lawn gives it an easy-to-maintain look. In other words, no weed whipping or weeding required.
Edging along driveways, sidewalks and garden beds also shows prospective buyers how meticulous you have been concerning the property’s upkeep. They’ll know that if you’re willing to keep the edges of your yard looking nice, the rest of the property is likely in pristine condition, too.
Of all improvements to boost home value, landscape is one that will get you the largest return on your investment. Just make sure that you design your landscape with a plan, and don’t let that design become so complex that the mere thought of all the maintenance chases away your buyers.
Rick Ryan is the president and owner of All Valley Landscaping. Rick is a certified expert in the construction industry, with more than 21 years of experience in landscape renovations, yard renovations and exterior home, tree trimming and removal services and sprinkler repair and installations.
Levity of 8 Real estate Cat Memes to Live By is adorable and timely and correct!! I can relate to each one!
I would have never thought of adding trees to increase value, but it makes sense! I bet the value increase is far greater than the actual cost of adding the tree/trees so it seems like a no brainer.
I found this article useful. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
Aaron Robertson
http://www.authoritypm.com
I really enjoyed your section on designing your landscape to the style of your home. I see so often people try to build their lawn to what they think is best when some of the things they do doesn’t always match their home. I loved what you had to say about using your landscape to increase the value of your property and how matching your landscape to your home style can help. Great post!
Hey Rick, great article. I just have one recommendation. I own a tree service and I have found that a lot of people plant their trees too close to the house and driveway. We end up cutting them down when they get big, what a sham. So hey if anyone is thinking of planting some trees make sure you plant them away from the house.
Some of these tips are simple, but they make so much sense! Thanks for the info!
Be sure to design your landscape with a plan, and do not let the design become so complicated that it only thinks of all the treatments that run your buyers.
For landscaping I believe its important to keep a clean concrete and brick. Pressure washing is my favorite tool for that.
I have been called in on many landscaping jobs to help create balance among the trees. You want to trim them in such a way that you create symmetry up high, then continue that down low with plants and smaller trees. Just my 5 cents of advice.
Trees are always a great way to grab attention! Thanks so much for the awesome advice.
I found this SO interesting. I had know idea that lanscape was this important when it came to property value.
Tip number 3 is probably the best on the list. Making sure your home looks good in whatever season feels like you’re going the extra mile, but the effort is going to be totally worth it. Thanks for being a champ and adding ideas on what to add to the landscape design for a specific season.
Great post. Enjoyed it a lot.
Very helpful. Like the edging comment and always agree when I see everything neat and with clean edges. Thanks.
TREES! Just love them. Planted in the right spaces giving thought to placement regarding the sun for shade, growth size for the space you are planting in and using native species are smart considerations when planting also. I live in Florida and native trees hold up well in storms and thrive in the environment. One hundred year old Live Oak trees with Spanish moss and Sable Palms (Florida’s State Tree) are wonderful long term solutions.
I think tip number one makes perfect sense! It’s also a great way to start without feeling too overwhelmed. Can’t wait to start sprucing up my property with these tips. 🙂
Love how you included edging to the tips. An edged lawn can easily make your place look super sophisticated. Great tips all in all. 🙂
We are just starting our landscaping business and I came across this article.
I found point 3 and 5 extremely helpful. It’s essential to maintain seasonal balance to uphold if not raise your properties value.
Being strategic with your flowers is super helpful to know in order to keep a lawn beautiful year round.
Point 5 is super important of course as it keeps your lawn pretty and neat.
Thanks for sharing!
We recently started a local landscaping service and have been looking for as much help as possible. I live in Utah where the change in seasons is quite drastic so tips 2 and 3 really apply to where we live. Great article!
Thanks a ton!
Great tips and advise on here. We have always used the best edgers we can find because having a clean line really does make all the difference. Good content!
Many home owners really skip the edging because of the time it takes but I agree that shows prospective buyers you are concerned on the upkeep on the property and you also care about the look of the landscaping for the neighborhood as whole. Thanks for a great article.
I wish my neighbor would read this article! Maybe I will tape it to his door.
wow! great stuff!
Great article! We always stress the value of curb appeal to our clients and this definitely covers the most important points.
I recently started a landscaping company and I enjoyed everything that I just read. I specifically appreciated the section on which to match the design with the property. Some people have an extravagant home with an underwhelming landscape and vice versa.
Plant Trees! Yes, solid advice. I can’t believe it adds 10-15% in value.
Thank you for the article! We recently started our landscaping company, this kind of information is very helpful to us as we start building our business and speaking with clients to help them create a vision for their landscape. Thanks again
Rick,
Being in landscaping I have never thought to play off the architecture, what a brilliant idea! Also, adding trees to up the property value is an amazing idea. Such an informative article, your hard work is appreciated!
Although originally published in 2015 this article still ring through today – 5 years later. The strategy and tips mentioned here not only improve my clients property but has the added benefit of increasing their property value. Thanks for re-posting this articel
Great article – very interesting to know how a property’s value can be perceived as higher just based on its landscape. Having recently started a landscaping service, this is useful to keep in mind when working, and a potential benefit for clients that want to sell their houses. It does make a lot of sense – thanks for posting.
Great tips, I especially liked the tips on edging.
Wow, I just found a simple solution to a landscaping issue I was having. I was definitely over thinking it. Thank you
Right on! I’ll be making sure to share all of this with my clients in the coming season. Just another bonus to things looking good.
Thanks for the writeup
NNLC!
With this article alone I can add 50% value to the price of my home. 40% with strategic landscape design, and 10% with some tree planting… obviously it isn’t 100% correlated like that, but its just a directional number.
This article will never get old as landscaping continues to make a significant difference in property value to this day. We work with a lot of real estate agents as they see it translating in higher property value to their clients. Being a landscaping company in Hawaii, we find that fruit trees increase the value the most and also prompt the house to sell faster. Papaya, mango, avocado, and banana trees seem to be the favorites here! Thanks for your post
Consult professional landscape designers before you start a new project. Even if you have chosen to do your project solo, it’s always good to consult a professional. They can give you don’t make any big mistakes and save you the time and hassle of having to redo things. Even experienced landscapers can benefit from another perspective.
Too often we see people miss many of these foundational components that you discuss here in this article. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. As a relatively young company, we are appreciative of every chance we get to read well thought out articles like this one. Thanks!
I so agree with this. It is crucial that you consult a professional before starting any specific landscaping work. I see it with clients all the time trying to DIY and if the foundation isn’t correct it won’t work!
I so agree with this. It is crucial that you consult a professional before starting any specific landscaping work. I see it with clients all the time trying to DIY and if the foundation isn’t correct it won’t work!
I completely agree on the largest return on investment. Asking for some advice though, if a client DOES want to do some of it themselves, how do you all structure those deals? I strongly believe that a professional should design, level, and do irrigation.
I typically work more indoors but loving having this insight for clients who are doing a full remodel indoor and outdoor. Thanks for this great content!
This is such a great post! I wish I could share it with all of my clients who are doing a remodel. I feel so often people spend money inside and then feel like they can do the landscaping themselves. WRONG! I will be passing this along!
Great tips. I implement tactics like these and more on my client’s yards and lawns. It’s important to factor in property value when planning landscaping, because it can make a world of difference.
In addition to planting trees, is removing unwanted stumps. So often I see otherwise beautiful yards with a stump right in the main view, obstructing what would be a stunning landscape. Why not just take the time to get it removed so you can fully enjoy the entire landscape? Just my 2 cents.
These are good tips. I work outdoors, doing tree service mostly, but I always notice the landscapes that look the best vs the ones that could use some work. Thinking about what could add value isn’t a bad idea either, especially with the way things are going now.
These are awesome tips! We are a new landscaping company in a residential area and we advocate for professional service to increase property value as well! Such a simple tip to match the home’s style – but little advantages like that over time are what make the difference! Great advice, thanks for the post!
I have started to implement these ideas in our own work
Very great article. As having been landscapers for years. We agree 100% with everything. Not only does it add value to a home, but appeal as well. Look forward to more!
This is great information. We do house painting and can give these great tips to our customers to keep their landscaping up! Thank you very much for this information!
I really appreciate that you shared this amazing post with us, thanks for sharing and keep up the amazing work.
We’ve been using #3 with great success! Thank you!
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I have read your excellent post. I have enjoyed reading your post first time. Thank you…
Love all these tips, some really simple cost effect things can go a long way to add value to your home! Thanks.
Great post! We have loads of customers who are in the landscaping business, I have shared your blog post with them right away. A strategy is key in every business. Keep it up
Wow, thanks so much for taking the time to write this! I recently opened a lawn care and landscaping company and I am always looking for ways to better serve my customers and stay educated myself. Thanks again!
These tips and tricks have really helped my group grow. The constant learning we do with this blog has really catapulted us
As landscaping pros, we want to thank you for the tips. Highly appreciate the great information provided!
Landscaping is so important! I wish I had more time to focus on it. This article had some great tips!
Thank you so much for the Landscaping tips. We are starting to provide some landscaping maintenance service at our lawn care company and we found the tips very helpful! Please keep the good post like this coming!
I am glad you included planting trees into your article. Often gets overlooked.
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Great work best blog on Landscaping, keep sharing awesome content
This is amazing. Please keep sharing this awesome information!
Thank you for the information. We do roofing and help our customers with ideas to see their homes. This is great information we can pass along and add value to our services. Thank you very much. Greatly Appreciated!
I especially like the content about matching your landscaping to the style of your home. I myself do a lot of xeriscaping here in San Angelo, Tx due to our environment but on occasion, we do landscapes that are more modern and some that are more formal. Thank you again for this excellent content.
I gotta favorite this website it seems invaluable extremely helpful…
These are great tips and suggestions. It might be worth looking into a quality landscaping company to help with these projects.
I found your second point extremely valuable. Too often homeowners (or even some professional landscapers) will litter an outdoor space with plants and trees that require far too much maintenance. While they may initially look really good, they will end up dying without proper maintenance- resulting in a not-so-good looking landscape. Great article!
There’s definitely a balance that needs to be established. Leaning too far on either side of the spectrum, whether it’s too many plants/flowers/flora, or the other side, which is too few, could be a mistake. This is why you should reach out to professional landscaping companies that have had decades of managing this balance.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I love the ideas you are talking about, but I am still learning all of this.
I may be biased but a good looking fence is always a great way to increase your value. Especially if it has a nice solid gate attached.
Couldn’t agree more with planting trees to increase value. I would also consider shaping your trees as well. A nice tree trim will will give your property great cub appeal.
Awesome Tips! So informative things are provided here,I really happy to read this post,I was just imagine about it and you provided me the correct information I really bookmark it
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. It is indeed a great article about landscaping tricks that will increase a property’s value… Well, I have visited another site Groundworkslandscaping.co.nz having some wonderful and similar information.
Awesome content. I think an undervalued piece of landscaping is garden and lawn watering. It can be difficult to know when and how much to water your lawn to get an optimal green color. Thank you for amazing post about useful tactics for better looking landscapes. I appreciate it.
Thank you for your post. I think the bit about edging your lawn is extremely valuable. A nice lawn can do wonders for your curb appeal and home value!
There’s a huge value to be gained from even the most basic bit of landscaping work, great piece!!
Even something as simple as taking a few hrs to edge your grass will have a dramatic effect on the property value!!
Loved the article. Great info to share with everyone. Cheers!
Hi Rick Ryan, This is really good article! Keep it up the good work!
These are great ideas, Rick. Thanks for the inspiration.
Rick this is great advice. Sometimes it’s big stuff like adding trees and other times it’s the simple stuff like keeping your lawn edged.
Hi Rick. Thank you for sharing this great work of yours’s to us! Keep it up!
Thanks for the info! I always tell my clients how important a good landscape is for the value of their homes.
Thanks for the article, I read that a beautiful landscape can help boost home value by 5%!
This is important now more than ever!! So many people are getting ready to list their homes and curb appeal is huge. It’s worth it to spend the time getting it in shape so that prospective buyers have a good first impression!
I say this to my clients all of the time. Adding value to your home does not start with the inside. It starts with curb appeal! Adding the right trees and taking away the right trees can make a HUGE difference!
Thats a great article! Very informative, House flipping is the thing to do. in 2020
When you find a good landscaper, you will work with them for years to come. A good landscaper will make your properties look brilliant!
These are good landscaping tips.
Okay these tips are great! i’ll certainly share these with our clients looking to buy garage doors to increase their property values. Landscaping is probably the next step.
I say this to my friends and clients all of the time. Adding value to your home does not start simply with the inside. It starts with what do they first see? Your Lawn and the exterior!
Okay these tips are great! i’ll certainly share these with our clients looking to buy garage doors to increase their property values. Landscaping is probably the next step.
Great tips!
Great Landscaping tips for every home owner. Love this blog!
Nice Article…Very interesting to read this article. I have learned some new information. Thanks for sharing.
This is an awesome article! Great tips!
I always like this post and thank you all for learning how to upgrade my skill and handle lawn care.
Based on my experience, give your lawn its first cut as the weather starts to warm. First, mow in one direction, and then mow again in another direction to ensure you catch any blades you missed.
It’s interesting to read what other people thought and how it relates to them or their clients, as their perspective could possibly help you in the future.