When people are looking to upgrade their home, they often spend a lot of time fixing up the most-used rooms in the house, such as the bathroom and kitchen. These updates, while often worth it in the long run, aren’t the only valuable options when it comes to improving your property.
In fact, there’s a whole outdoor space that you could invest in, and that can bring you more of a return than most think.
Landscaping the outdoor space of your home will not only improve how you view and enjoy your property. It’s also a potential selling point if you plan to move to a new property in the near or far future.
Why investing in landscaping is important and what to focus on
You should invest in landscaping for the same reason you invest in any other updates: it will improve your property's value and appearance and increase your overall satisfaction with your home.
Before you jump in with both feet, though, it’s important to have a plan in place. Think of the big picture of how you want things to look and build on or subtract from that big picture. You can choose to do a focal point, such as a water feature, but be sure to consider the size of the space. You want to maximize it as much as possible.
It’s also important to think long-term regarding how the landscaped plants will grow and change over time and how much upkeep will be required to keep them where you want them to be. Functionality, along with beauty, is the goal, so creating a space that offers both is the best way to go.
Worthwhile updates
According to research outlined in Landscape Ontario, a well-landscaped yard can increase the sale price of your home by roughly six to seven per cent. When broken down into categories, there are a few specific additions that you may want to pay attention to. For example, hedges are thought to bring a property’s value up by 3.6 per cent, whereas a patio can improve value by 12.4 per cent.
Trees are worth the most when it comes to a resale, enhancing your property value by anywhere between five and 20 per cent. That said, any type of aesthetically pleasing and functional landscaping can improve your home value by up to 15 per cent. The costs you put into a beautifully landscaped outdoor space can also lead to a fully recovered investment.
Non-monetary gains from a well-landscaped outdoor space
Aside from the monetary gains you will see from great landscaping, there are also benefits that you can enjoy while living in the home until you’re ready to sell. If you have the proper landscaping, you can create an oasis by blocking out unpleasant street noise or views, reducing the chances of being the victim of a crime and lowering internal costs, such as heating and cooling. It’s all about using the space to hit various boxes.
Landscaping may cost upfront, in some cases up to five to ten per cent of your home’s overall value. But that investment will always yield a return, so now may be a good time if you haven’t yet gone for it.