Front yard landscaping makes the first impression on visitors to your home–including realtors and potential buyers. Expensive-looking and well-maintained landscaping encourages the perception that the rest of the property–including the house–is well cared for.
Keep Your Lawn Clean and Mowed
Well-manicured weed-free lawns are one of the least expensive landscaping improvements you can make. Regular mowing and maintenance like aerating, overseeding, and weed removal produce beautiful lawns that invite visitors into the house.
Fences
Fences left in disrepair usually turn off potential buyers. They see painting costs and time, repair costs, and/or replacement costs. Make sure your fence is straight, solid, and painted. Buyers do not have to factor fence repairs into an offer to purchase.
Any fenced property attracts buyers with children or pets. Professionally installed fences can increase property value by up to 10%. Wood fences are the most popular option. The return on investment is usually around 50%.
Evergreens
Evergreen trees, hedges, and shrubs add color and texture to your property year-round. Some deciduous trees in northern climates only have leaves for six months of the year and fallen leaves make a lawn look messy and unattractive.
Planting evergreens around the perimeter of your yard increases privacy. They can also be used to privatize or delineate areas of the yard–such as dividing outdoor eating areas from outdoor kitchens.
Landscaping For the Front Entrance
After the front yard landscaping, visitors focus on the front entrance. Give it an expensive look and feel by painting the walkway in different colors or adding a design. Make it feel wider and richer by planting colorful flower beds on each side. The beds should be at least one foot wide and run the entire length of the walk.
Complete your grand entrance with potted flowers or ferns on each side of the door, on the steps, or on the landing. Ensure the door, frame, and handles are well maintained to complete the effect. Keep every part of the entrance clean. Don’t let flower beds get weedy or out of control.
Lights
Outdoor lighting is essential for after-dark parties. Zone lighting controlled with an app on your phone or Alexa allows you to highlight and enhance your landscaping. Light strings and mini spotlights are very affordable and provide lots of light. Equip them with dimmer switches to make light “just right”.
Outdoor solar lights are inexpensive and available in multiple designs and colors. Use smaller ones to light pathways. Use larger lights to focus attention on your most interesting landscaping projects.
Water
The sound of running water provides a relaxing environment. You don’t have to overspend on rock piles and pools. Recycling patio fountains are inexpensive. Many cost less than $300.00 and include soft LED lights. They provide soothing background sounds or can be used to highlight a landscaping feature.
Firepits
People are naturally attracted to fires. A firepit on your deck or in the backyard adds value to your property. Buyers are usually impressed by the installation and your attention to detail such as fire codes, permits, and safety. Ensure your firewood is stacked neatly, sheltered from the elements, and easily accessible.
Patio Covers and Pergolas
Patio covers and awnings are necessary additions in some sunny hot parts of the country. They make decks more usable and attractive to visitors or prospective buyers.
Many pergolas are not attached to the house and can be used to define an area of the yard–such as seating areas, eating areas, or even a fire pit. Installing a lighted pathway and lighting to the pergola makes it the backyard’s focal point.
Restrain Yourself
You and/or your spouse may love playing in the dirt, raising flowers, and keeping perfect lawns. Prospective buyers could be the couch potato types and see too much work maintaining flower beds, mowing, and trimming. Or they are calculating the cost of a yard maintenance firm.
Smaller flower beds filled with vibrant colors are just as impressive as large beds–without being intimidating. Spend extra money on edging to create a richer feel. Metal, stone, faux stone, gravel, bricks, and flagstones all add bulk and definition to flower beds. Avoid plastic and poured concrete. Plastic breaks easily and can look cheap and shoddy. Poured concrete is difficult to reposition or remove and dispose of.
Maintenance
Great landscaping adds nothing to the look and feel of a property if it is not maintained. Dead or dying plants, straggly grass, and dirt buildup on decks all give the impression that the house also lacks care and attention. Many jobs are easy to overlook because deterioration happens gradually or you do not have the time to devote to yard work. Hiring a yard maintenance or landscaping company is worth the cost to keep your property looking great.
