Out in the Open - Landscaping is Key to Your Home's Value

You don’t have to get away to the great outdoors. The best outside spaces could be in your own back—or front—yard.

Landscaping and curb appeal are crucial to a home's value - and the equity in your home might be just what you need to create an attractive, well-maintained outdoor space. Read more to see how landscaping might be worth considering.

The outdoor evolution

Today’s outdoor spaces are varied, intricate, and personalized. It’s not unusual to see combinations of decks, patios, water features, and even fire elements, says Rick Meinzer of Platinum Landscapes and Pools, in Provo, Utah. “Some of the best hours to enjoy the environment are not in the heat of the day,” he says.

Evolving material selections also offer homeowners choices. For example, composite decking can eliminate splinters and maintenance. Pavers and retaining wall components fashioned from concrete offer uniformity in color and appearance, making them an attractive alternative to natural stone.

First looks

Curb appeal remains the foundation of that critical first impression when selling a house. An attractive, well-maintained front yard invites prospective buyers to take a closer look and conveys confidence that current owners paid as much attention to the inside of the house as they did the outside, says Lisa Morano of Morano Landscape, in Mamaroneck, N.Y.Homeowners without a deck or patio are wise to consider installing one before sale, says Kathleen Birkel Dangelo, vice president and general counsel of The Ohio Valley Group, a landscape and tree service contractor in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. “Some kind of deck or patio is essential to resale,” she says.

The professional approach

Frugal homeowners often tackle their own landscaping projects to stretch their dollars. Dangelo encourages individuals to at least meet with professionals before taking on a significant landscaping project. “Do-it-yourself projects always tend to look like you did it yourself,” she says. If budgets are limited, Dangelo recommends developing a phased plan to implement over a series of years to spread out costs.

Money talks

Setting a budget is a smart step for homeowners who want to control cost and outcomes. Dangelo says landscapers can work with homeowners to review options in broad strokes and then together can home in on a plan and budget that meet the client’s goals.

Considering a home project? Your home equity might just be the tool you need to get the job done.