You never get another chance to make a first impression. What kind of first impression is your home making to potential buyers?
The “curb appeal” is the first impression your home can make to visitors, neighbors and potential buyers. Your home’s exterior combined with the lawn, garden beds, front door and porch or entryway create a home’s curb appeal. Curb appeal can add character and charm to your home, making it attractive to others and potential buyers.
Your landscaping can have a major impact on the curb appeal of your home. In fact, good landscaping can help increase your home’s perceived value anywhere from 10 to 12 percent. A $150,000 home can be perceived to be worth $8,250 to $19,000 more than its actual value with the help of sophisticated landscaping.
Good landscaping can really help your home make a good first impression, especially in neighborhoods where homes have similar or identical styles. A landscaping that is eye-catching for the right reasons can help your home stand out among others which is especially helpful in a competitive housing market. Poor landscaping can make your home unattractive to buyers who may choose not to even view the inside of the home.
Here are a few ways you can improve your landscape to increase your home’s value:
Identify what needs to improve:
Take the opportunity to look at your landscape with a whole new perspective to identify which areas in your lawn can be improved. Start by viewing it from different angles. Look at it from down the road or across the street. Like what you see? What needs to change? Write down what you see and start brainstorming how you can improve your landscape.
Add color:
Color is one of the major design elements that can help your landscape stand out. Whether its colored flowers or colored planters for those flowers, a couple pops of color can help improve the feel of your landscape. Use a color palette that accentuates the unique features of your home’s exterior like the stone or brick work. Repainting patio furniture or adding cushions to seating areas are also great ways to add color!
Define borders:
Defining the borders of your lawn can help create the illusion of an clean landscape. Look at the grass line of your lawn. Is it infringing on other garden beds and creating an uneven line? It’s time to trim it. Chip away at the lawn to create a new line and add stone work or mulch to help create a clean new border between your grass and garden beds. Adding mulch or decorative rock to your garden bed after this is also another way to define borders within your landscape.
Maintain shrubs:
Shrubs are great for establishing a sense of privacy or creating some levels to your landscaping allowing the eye to travel. However, an unruly shrub can be a huge distraction. Care for your shrubs by giving them a little prune or trim to help it maintain its shape. A well-shaped shrub can help contribute to a well-liked yard!
Add some visual levels:
If while looking at your landscape you notice your eye maintains the same line, it might be time to add a few plants to create some levels in your landscape. Trees, small bushes, hedges or flowers can create new levels and add interest to your outdoor space that can help to increase your overall curb appeal. The best part about adding plants is that your lawn will continue to improve over time as the plants grow and mature!
Add lighting:
Lighting the exterior of your home can help your home stand out after the sun goes down. Use lighting to highlight particular elements of your landscape like shrubs, trees and gardens. Even if potential buyers visit your home during the day, seeing that lighting is available lets them know walkways are safe at night.
Keep it simple:
When planning your outdoor landscaping update, remember above all to keep it simple! Adding plants and color can be overwhelming so don’t put too much stress on yourself. A landscape should be interesting yet pleasing to the eye. Too many plants or fixtures can create too much visual noise and appear cluttered. Your landscape should be attractive but not high maintenance. While landscaping can help sell your home faster and increase its value, a yard that appears high maintenance can turn buyers away.
Give us a call:
No matter how much work you need to do to improve your landscape, we’re here to help! Whether it’s adding lighting, planting new flowers, or even repaving your walkway, we can get the job done! Give us a call at (573) 803-0046 to set up a consultation and see how we can help you increase the value of your home!