In 2017 alone, more than 5.5 million homes sold in the U.S. If you’re hoping to sell your home in the next few years, you’re probably wondering how you can add as much value as possible. Are landscaped yards the answer to getting the highest price for your home?

Landscaping to sell a house remains a popular technique for homeowners to add curb appeal. But before you make the investment in landscaping, it’s worthwhile to know if landscaped yards offer a solid return on that investment. 

In this guide, we’ll go over the things you need to consider so you can decide whether or not to landscape before selling. Read this before you contact a landscaper near you!

Does Landscaping Add Value to Your Home?

The short answer to this question is yes. Landscaping helps potential buyers see more value in your outdoor space, which can translate into more money for you. However, the exact ROI you’ll see depends on a number of variables.

Every outdoor feature of your house forms the first impression a visitor gets. Much like you’d want to wear nice clothes to a job interview, you want your home’s exterior presentation to be the best it can be. Landscaping helps you achieve that by showing off your yard and outside features of your home to their best advantage.

Your home may look beautiful on the inside. But if the outside is drab and uninviting, you’ll have a difficult time getting people to tour the inside. That said, landscaping can be more valuable for certain homes in certain areas than for others. 

No matter where your home is or how it looks, though, you can find a landscaping method that will help add value. Below, we’ll show you how to landscape your home for the best possible ROI. 

Landscaped Yards: How to Get the Most Value 

Each home is unique. Good landscaping practices take that into account and accentuate or complement your home. Try one of these ideas to boost your home’s value as much as possible.

1. Strive for Simplicity

When you start showing your home, you’ll soon learn that it’s best to keep the interior as simple and neutral as possible. This means removing things like family photos and extra-unique furniture, so potential buyers can envision themselves in the space.

The same rule applies to the outside of your home. When you’re thinking of selling, simple landscaping works better than elaborate designs with lots of character. You want a neutral look that will appeal to as many buyers as possible.

Also, if your landscape design looks busy, people will get distracted from the home itself. Like a great haircut or nice accessories, the landscape should accentuate the home’s best features, not distract from them.

Try adding picturesque lighting, pleasant walkways, and bright flowers — things that have an almost universal appeal. Make sure whatever you add is easy to maintain, too. Great lighting won’t work so well if a number of bulbs have burned out and you have yet to replace them. 

2. Stay Within Your Budget

It’s easy to get so excited by the possible ROI that you overspend your budget on landscaping.

However, there are many budget-friendly landscaping options, so there’s no reason to drastically overspend. You’ll keep more of your money, and often get a similar ROI, even with very simple landscaping strategies.

Simply mowing and maintaining your lawn well can go a long way. It doesn’t cost much to plant bright perennial flowers or pressure-wash your walkways. (You can rent a pressure washer if you don’t already have one.)

More extensive projects, like adding new walkways, will cost more. But it’s a good idea to start small and work your way up to the bigger projects. You might be surprised by how good your home looks with just a few small changes.

3. Try Virtual Reality

Interested in adding a new landscape element to your home, but not sure how it will look? You can actually try virtual reality to see it in action before you buy.

Landscaping companies like Dreamscapes by Zury recommend trying their virtual reality software before you commit to new landscape design, especially if it’s pricey or elaborate. This is also a great way to try out different custom designs for your home.

4. Customize for Your Home

Speaking of custom designs, landscaping that’s matched to the style of your home also works better than completely generic designs. You can hire Folsom landscaping and tree planting experts to customize your landscape design.

The above advice to keep it simple still applies. However, you can highlight some of your home’s most desirable features by using landscaping elements that sync with them. 

For example, specific landscape designs, like a zen garden, have a certain style that will clash with home designs that don’t fit that style. Professional landscapers can help you see which landscaping styles will fit best with your home.

5. Keep it Low-Maintenance

If you’re planning to sell sometime in the future but not right away, it makes sense to invest in landscaping that you can maintain easily at a low cost. The lower you keep your costs, the more money you’ll have when you sell.

Not only that, but many buyers are enticed by a yard that’s low-maintenance but beautiful. For example, if your yard uses natural water sources to thrive with minimal extra watering, you can sell people on the money they’ll save (and the environmental benefits). 

Landscaping can actually help you reduce maintenance costs, versus having a simple lawn. Lawns take a notoriously large amount of water and care to thrive. Many other plants are easier to care for, in addition to complementing your home nicely. 

Ready to Reap a Landscaping Return on Investment?

Landscaped yards offer a surefire ROI for your home. The only question is how big that return will be.

With these steps, you can maximize your ROI while minimizing your upfront costs. Wondering which landscaping feature to start with? A well-maintained pond always works well — learn more here!