Landscaping for Beautify and Profit
Landscaping is a great way to increase property value. A beautiful landscape not only adds to the appeal of a house but shows that the people who live there care about their yard. It stands to reason that this spills over and means that they care about their home as well.
A landscaped home gets a higher asking price and gets sold. The landscape is what first attracts the prospective buyer and gets them into your house. People like to see decks and patios. They also enjoy privacy and something nice to look at. If the house accomplishes these two ideals the perceived value goes up.
Landscaping involves a lot more than plunking shrubs down in front of a building or putting up a fence. For a landscape to be valuable, it needs to be perceived as a “good landscape,” which means that it must be of high quality and it must blend harmoniously with the style of the building itself.
An upscale design is something that is not to be taken lightly and might not be something that you can plan without professional help. If you are planning on selling in the near future you will need to factor in how others will perceive your design. Unusual design elements can actually become a deterrent to selling and can decrease property value. And let's not even discuss cutie-pie forest creatures, pink flamingos and trolls.
Factor that first impression into your plan (being pleasing to the eye is a high priority). A knowledgeably buyer will be looking for something that isn’t going to need a whole crew of yard maintenance staff to maintain.
The design needs to be functional and safe. Are the walkways too narrow, steps too high, are the benches comfortable?
Consider the visual flow or how the eye moves through the landscape. The eyes should be drawn to the most attractive areas and there should be a feeling of continuity with depth, color, balance and contrast.
There are certain elements that most people find appealing in their home landscape. Taking a walk through a botanical garden or an arboretum can spark your imagination. Consider features like annual flowers, arbors, birdhouses and feeders, decks and patios, fences, foundation plantings and ground cover, benches, lighting, walkways, or a hot tub and/or a swimming pool.
Water features are popular gardening touches. People always seem to prefer a garden space with some type of water, whether it is a river view or a recirculation fountain. The house and garden should blend into each other.
A porch, a deck, or a patio will seem to invite you into the yard. The house should serve as a backdrop and be an integral part of the design. Hanging baskets, trellises, planters and window boxes can create this illusion.
Before beginning, look into factors that you might not be able to change. The cost of installing landscaping should not exceed the benefits gained. Consider the general condition of the neighborhood and the location of the neighborhood itself, and what the value of the house is before landscaping. Good landscaping doesn’t hold much value from a tax standpoint but it can increase the value of an otherwise unimpressive house.
Home Improvement Ideas Blog | Remodeling Articles