Top 5 Landscaping Tips to Increase Property Value

Posted on Aug 4 2015 - 10:44am by Housecall

Contributed by Rick Ryan

landscaping tips home

 

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.

100 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Kay Earp August 6, 2015 at 10:56 am -

    Levity of 8 Real estate Cat Memes to Live By is adorable and timely and correct!! I can relate to each one!

  2. Daniel August 16, 2015 at 8:09 am -

    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.

  3. Aaron October 18, 2015 at 8:04 pm -

    I found this article useful. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

    Aaron Robertson
    http://www.authoritypm.com

  4. James August 9, 2016 at 4:44 pm -

    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!

  5. Bob October 28, 2016 at 8:53 pm -

    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.

  6. joe p July 19, 2017 at 4:25 pm -

    Some of these tips are simple, but they make so much sense! Thanks for the info!

  7. Eric October 3, 2017 at 11:19 pm -

    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.

  8. Phil October 4, 2018 at 10:40 am -

    For landscaping I believe its important to keep a clean concrete and brick. Pressure washing is my favorite tool for that.

  9. Davey January 21, 2019 at 1:35 pm -

    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.

  10. will May 1, 2019 at 1:06 pm -

    Trees are always a great way to grab attention! Thanks so much for the awesome advice.

  11. will May 16, 2019 at 1:17 pm -

    I found this SO interesting. I had know idea that lanscape was this important when it came to property value.

  12. Ryan June 7, 2019 at 9:26 am -

    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.

  13. Ap June 8, 2019 at 3:00 pm -

    Very helpful. Like the edging comment and always agree when I see everything neat and with clean edges. Thanks.

  14. Ralph June 10, 2019 at 9:19 am -

    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.

  15. Giulia June 11, 2019 at 9:34 pm -

    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. 🙂

  16. Giulia June 12, 2019 at 12:38 am -

    Love how you included edging to the tips. An edged lawn can easily make your place look super sophisticated. Great tips all in all. 🙂

  17. West Jordan Landscaping Service June 17, 2019 at 1:59 am -

    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!

  18. Logan Meldrum July 6, 2019 at 11:04 pm -

    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!

  19. Cache Valley Landscaping August 15, 2019 at 12:40 pm -

    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!

  20. Michael August 29, 2019 at 9:57 am -

    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.

  21. Kevin October 3, 2019 at 6:42 pm -

    I wish my neighbor would read this article! Maybe I will tape it to his door.

  22. Lawn Mowing November 23, 2019 at 9:52 pm -

    wow! great stuff!

  23. Matt Gustavson November 24, 2019 at 2:34 pm -

    Great article! We always stress the value of curb appeal to our clients and this definitely covers the most important points.

  24. Nick December 4, 2019 at 9:31 am -

    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.

  25. John Seeder January 8, 2020 at 5:08 pm -

    Plant Trees! Yes, solid advice. I can’t believe it adds 10-15% in value.

  26. Chandler Landscaping January 28, 2020 at 11:56 am -

    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

  27. Green Lawn January 30, 2020 at 5:55 pm -

    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!

  28. Ajax Landscaping February 9, 2020 at 1:31 am -

    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

  29. Bethesda Lawn Care February 13, 2020 at 3:23 pm -

    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.

  30. Landscapers Shreveport February 20, 2020 at 10:31 pm -

    Great tips, I especially liked the tips on edging.

  31. Nicholas Shane Phillipus March 6, 2020 at 1:33 am -

    Wow, I just found a simple solution to a landscaping issue I was having. I was definitely over thinking it. Thank you

  32. Newport News Mowing Service March 17, 2020 at 2:35 pm -

    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!

  33. Frisco March 28, 2020 at 12:08 am -

    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.

  34. Landscaping Hawaii April 6, 2020 at 9:50 pm -

    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

  35. Tree services near me April 8, 2020 at 11:49 pm -

    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.

  36. Tempe Landscaping April 9, 2020 at 2:11 pm -

    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!

  37. https://www.onpointpaintingandmore.com April 20, 2020 at 3:32 pm -

    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!

  38. www.onpointpaintingandmore.com April 20, 2020 at 3:34 pm -

    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!

  39. modernfloorsinc.net April 20, 2020 at 3:36 pm -

    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.

  40. hardwoodfloorseattle.com April 20, 2020 at 3:46 pm -

    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!

  41. https://www.roofercapecoral.com April 20, 2020 at 3:48 pm -

    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!

  42. Lawn Service April 21, 2020 at 4:16 pm -

    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.

  43. Our business April 21, 2020 at 4:20 pm -

    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.

  44. Check us out April 21, 2020 at 4:32 pm -

    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.

  45. Lanscaping Farmington Hills April 25, 2020 at 11:41 am -

    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!

  46. Retaining Wall Albany NY May 2, 2020 at 9:30 pm -

    I have started to implement these ideas in our own work

  47. Landscaping in San Luis Obispo CA May 4, 2020 at 3:01 am -

    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!

  48. Dee Hay May 8, 2020 at 12:51 pm -

    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!

  49. Toby Hervey May 9, 2020 at 6:29 am -

    I really appreciate that you shared this amazing post with us, thanks for sharing and keep up the amazing work.

  50. Schenectady Landscaping May 12, 2020 at 8:19 pm -

    We’ve been using #3 with great success! Thank you!

  51. rijschool rijswijk May 15, 2020 at 5:26 am -

    Excellent Blog! I wanted to thank you for this websites! Thanks for sharing. Great websites!

  52. real estate investments in Raleigh NC May 19, 2020 at 4:21 am -

    I have read your excellent post. I have enjoyed reading your post first time. Thank you…

  53. Landscapers Frankston May 28, 2020 at 7:15 am -

    Love all these tips, some really simple cost effect things can go a long way to add value to your home! Thanks.

  54. KillerSales Marketing May 30, 2020 at 6:33 pm -

    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

  55. Landscapers Clearwater May 31, 2020 at 7:24 am -

    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!

  56. David R June 7, 2020 at 12:18 am -

    These tips and tricks have really helped my group grow. The constant learning we do with this blog has really catapulted us

  57. Fresno Landscaping Contractors June 7, 2020 at 8:22 pm -

    As landscaping pros, we want to thank you for the tips. Highly appreciate the great information provided!

  58. Rob Johnson June 7, 2020 at 8:56 pm -

    Landscaping is so important! I wish I had more time to focus on it. This article had some great tips!

  59. Mark W. June 8, 2020 at 8:11 pm -

    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!

  60. Arborist Gloucester June 19, 2020 at 11:12 am -

    I am glad you included planting trees into your article. Often gets overlooked.

  61. Roofing 78250 June 23, 2020 at 3:21 am -

    Locally owned and operated roofing business, we are dedicated to quality craftsmanship and outstanding customer service. Our integrity and thoroughness will make your roofing experience a rewarding one.

  62. Kevin June 23, 2020 at 8:28 pm -

    Great work best blog on Landscaping, keep sharing awesome content

  63. well pump repair July 9, 2020 at 7:35 pm -

    This is amazing. Please keep sharing this awesome information!

  64. Roof Inspection July 12, 2020 at 10:25 pm -

    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!

  65. Nicholas Shane Phillipus July 24, 2020 at 11:51 am -

    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.

  66. Landscaping Killeen TX August 4, 2020 at 5:51 am -

    I gotta favorite this website it seems invaluable extremely helpful…

  67. Lawn Care Kalamazoo August 4, 2020 at 3:16 pm -

    These are great tips and suggestions. It might be worth looking into a quality landscaping company to help with these projects.

  68. Landscaping in Monroe LA August 17, 2020 at 1:48 pm -

    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!

  69. landscaping companies August 24, 2020 at 2:53 am -

    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.

  70. Join Forsage September 5, 2020 at 10:05 pm -

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I love the ideas you are talking about, but I am still learning all of this.

  71. Jeff- Hampshire Fencing September 7, 2020 at 12:25 pm -

    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.

  72. Mark Smith September 14, 2020 at 9:09 pm -

    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.

  73. Landscaping In Madison, WIsconsin September 15, 2020 at 5:48 am -

    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

  74. landscaping Tauranga September 16, 2020 at 8:50 am -

    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.

  75. Amarillo Sprinkler Repair September 22, 2020 at 3:55 pm -

    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.

  76. Fayetteville Lawn Mower Repair September 22, 2020 at 4:16 pm -

    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!

  77. Josh September 23, 2020 at 1:12 pm -

    There’s a huge value to be gained from even the most basic bit of landscaping work, great piece!!

  78. Erika September 23, 2020 at 1:14 pm -

    Even something as simple as taking a few hrs to edge your grass will have a dramatic effect on the property value!!

  79. Landscaper Sacramento October 12, 2020 at 2:16 am -

    Loved the article. Great info to share with everyone. Cheers!

  80. Lafayette Tree Care October 13, 2020 at 3:42 am -

    Hi Rick Ryan, This is really good article! Keep it up the good work!

  81. Deck construction October 13, 2020 at 6:36 pm -

    These are great ideas, Rick. Thanks for the inspiration.

  82. Patio Covers October 13, 2020 at 6:40 pm -

    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.

  83. Tree Care Lafayette October 14, 2020 at 1:31 am -

    Hi Rick. Thank you for sharing this great work of yours’s to us! Keep it up!

  84. Tree Guy October 19, 2020 at 11:44 am -

    Thanks for the info! I always tell my clients how important a good landscape is for the value of their homes.

  85. Jeff davidson October 19, 2020 at 11:45 am -

    Thanks for the article, I read that a beautiful landscape can help boost home value by 5%!

  86. Marian @ Klamath Landscape October 29, 2020 at 5:19 pm -

    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!

  87. https://treeremovalsavannahgeorgia.com/ November 9, 2020 at 1:33 pm -

    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!

  88. Cambridge Property Management November 12, 2020 at 2:30 pm -

    Thats a great article! Very informative, House flipping is the thing to do. in 2020

  89. Homeadvisor November 15, 2020 at 1:51 pm -

    When you find a good landscaper, you will work with them for years to come. A good landscaper will make your properties look brilliant!

  90. Landscaping companies in Tucson November 26, 2020 at 1:43 am -

    These are good landscaping tips.

  91. Joe Small December 13, 2020 at 9:08 pm -

    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.

  92. Greenville Foam Insulation Service February 11, 2021 at 9:54 am -

    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!

  93. Madison Wilson March 20, 2021 at 7:14 am -

    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.

  94. Josh March 25, 2021 at 12:05 pm -

    Great tips!

  95. Santa Fe Landscapers April 6, 2021 at 1:15 pm -

    Great Landscaping tips for every home owner. Love this blog!

  96. Liam Chinnery April 10, 2021 at 8:24 am -

    Nice Article…Very interesting to read this article. I have learned some new information. Thanks for sharing.

  97. Fresno Landscapers April 18, 2021 at 7:34 pm -

    This is an awesome article! Great tips!

  98. Brett Watts May 7, 2021 at 7:30 am -

    I always like this post and thank you all for learning how to upgrade my skill and handle lawn care.

  99. Elsa Craig May 18, 2021 at 10:13 am -

    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.

  100. Gilbert Baker May 26, 2021 at 3:45 am -

    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.