First impressions are everything, and making sure you create a lasting one when selling your home is crucial. One of the first things prospective buyers will notice when they tour a home is the landscaping. Whether it’s featuring trimmed hedges or maintained flower beds, it is important to make thoughtful decisions when working on exterior home and yard renovations to help increase home value. If you don’t know where to start, check out these 8 landscaping considerations to up your curb appeal.
1. Design based on your home’s architecture and build
Before making a landscape renovation, examine the architecture and style of your house. If installed well, landscaping can complement your home’s details and facade. Ask yourself:
- What material is my house made of?
- What is the style of my home?
- Does your eye get drawn vertically or horizontally?
- What are some architectural features I want to highlight?
These questions will help you begin to layout your design.
For example, if you own a Victorian, too much landscaping can take away from the details and natural beauty of your home. Consider complimenting your Victorian with a few large trees and surrounding its foundation with shrubs and brightly colored flowers.
If your house is Cape Cod style, going with a mirrored, symmetrical landscaping renovation can certainly bring out its charm and boost your curb appeal. Planting cottage plants, hydrangeas and roses, and shrubs match well with distressed wood, walkways, and shutters.
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2. Incorporate curves and height in your landscaping renovation
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When planning out your landscaping renovation, bring in curves and height throughout your lawn to increase curb appeal. Adding curves and height can help create balance in your yard and further enhance surrounding fencing or retaining walls to make your landscape look modern and fresh. This can be done by separating flowerbeds and grass with retaining walls or edging.
If your roof is lower, consider small trees that do not cross above the roofline. Planter boxes in the windows can also elevate greenery above ground level. All of these landscaping renovations can help create a natural, flowing feel for the outside of your home.
3. Go with a style that works all year round
First, start by researching plants that thrive in your local climate. If you live in Tempe, AZ, a cactus surrounded by single-standing shrubs may be a great option for a year-round look that won’t wilt away. Or if you live in colder areas such as Gander, NL, shrubs such as dwarf pine varieties look good year-round despite being covered in snow. Get in touch with a local nursery and consult which plants work best in your region.
4. Install an irrigation system to maintain curb appeal
Let’s face it, sometimes we don’t always have enough time to water our plants. Irrigation systems equipped with timers, water gauges, and moisture sensors can keep your lawn looking pristine without the hassle. Installing one in your yard provides many benefits such as consistent watering, eliminating uneven water distribution, and timed watering. This is especially helpful in places with hot weather where the summer months can cause the grass to wilt.
5. Consider the privacy of your home
If you’re looking for additional privacy, landscaping can provide great seclusion for your home. There are many ways to increase privacy including:
- Large shrubs around the perimeter of your property
- Wood lattice fences coupled with vines
- Privacy hedges and long trees
- Gates in front of a pathway
- Trellises
Installing walls, fences, and vegetation can also act as great outdoor sound barriers if you live near a major road or construction.
6. Make a statement through different pathways
Pathways come in many different forms and help connect your garden. There are many ways to modernize your pathway based on the look of your house, such as:
- Cement slabs with varying degrees and shapes
- Traditional brick inlays
- Casual garden paths laid with stone and moss
- Curved walkways
- Mulch, woodchips, and gravel
- Colorful concrete
- Stacked stone steps or dynamic pavers
All of these can draw movement towards a specific space in your yard. Assess what type of pathway would look best based on your home design and curb appeal.
7. Lighting is key
Once the sun sets, landscaping renovations can easily get lost in the dark. Keep your landscaping a focal point of your house by installing lights to illuminate your home. Lighting not only provides a premium feel but also can serve as a safety feature to make your home appear lived in. More so, if your home has features such as a pool or a fire pit area, lighting can extend outdoor usage time.
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8. Highlight water features
If you have the extra space, installing a water feature can bring tranquility and peace into your landscaping renovation. You can create a sunken garden surrounded by shrubs and flowers or a pond with a fountain in the center. There are even pipe-shaped fountains that can compliment yards that are in desert climates to look like ornamental rocks. Or if you own a million-dollar listing with a swimming pool, having well-maintained landscaping around its base can potentially increase your home’s value depending on the location of your home.
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