Adventures in homeownership: How landscaping boosted my home value
As first-time home buyers, my husband and I were a bit narrow-minded during the house hunt. We focused almost exclusively on the indoor space of each house we looked at, completely ignoring the rest of the property. While we ended up in a great home, it quickly became apparent that the outdoor space was lacking. Here's what we did to change that and how landscaping could affect the quality of your lifestyle and your home's resale value.
The upgrade rationale
When we first moved in, the landscaping on our property was almost non-existent. The front yard had some basic hostas and a couple azalea bushes, while the backyard had a few small rose bushes and one plucky but feeble hydrangea that always seemed to linger on the precipice of death. There was also a koi pond (yay, right?), but it had become a mosquito breeding ground by the time we moved in.
Our backyard just was totally not a chill place for us to hang. So we decided to make some major changes. Big time. After the fierce (but totally fun) deliberations on what needed to be done, it was time to find some professionals to actually do the landscaping. We considered taking on the job ourselves, but if you saw our pitiful excuse for a ‘tool shed’ or knew of our lack of skills, you’d understand why we ultimately decided to take the easier route.
Sticker shock
Like every homeowner embarking on a new project, I was surprised to discover how much it would cost to give our backyard a makeover.
I called the local landscaping company that our neighbor had worked with. They drew up a plan based on our desire to have native pollinator plants in our backyard.
We ended up paying $1,200 in total, which included the following:
Removing lava rocks from the front yard and replacing them with mulch
Removing the koi pond, filling in with soil and plant perennials
Removing the weeds and dying plants from the planter areas and replacing them with perennials
Removing leftover concrete blocks from another, abandoned project
How landscaping boosts your home value
My husband and I upgraded our landscaping partially because we were sick of looking at weeds, but also because we knew the project would likely increase our home’s future resale value.
In a 2018 report from the National Association of Realtors, an overall landscape upgrade had an 83% ROI. When it comes to which outdoor features appeal most to homebuyers, landscaping work ranked ahead of adding a new deck, installing a patio, or building a pool.
The gist
Because my husband and I still plan to spend another decade in this home, we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy this new, revitalized back yard. As time goes on, the perennials will grow and mature, which will also increase the home’s value. Plant size is an important factor in what buyers think of a back yard, and bigger plants have more of a positive impact. Go big and stay home! Isn’t that the new expression?
If you have remodeling insight you would like to share, feel free to drop us an email at hello@getplunk.com or tag us @getplunk #plunktip on your next Instagram post! Plunk blogs are for informational and educational purposes only, and in no way is any of the data contained herein to be construed as financial, investment, or legal advice.
