How to increase your property value with some simple landscaping ideas
Landscaping can add a tremendous amount of value to one’s home. It is a general guide line that a home owner invests around 10 percent of the home price into there landscaping. With this amount invested you will see a decent return when selling your home depending on the modifications you have chosen. Landscaping has an advantage over many other home improvements when adding value to your home. Styles change less frequently and as shrubs and trees mature they appreciate in value!
Now with the recent jump in house prices 10 percent may seem a little daunting to most so here are a few landscaping ideas that are cost effective that are guaranteed to increase the value of your home.
Tree’s
Everyone loves to have some privacy and shade in their backyard and trees are the perfect way to achieve this. Use trees to block unsightly objects improve the aesthetics of your yard or block views into your backyard from your neighbors.
A pro-tip for getting tree’s is to get them as soon as possible for several reasons. As stated earlier trees appreciate in value as they get larger and this is often because purchasing and installing trees large enough to cover neighbor's windows or fully cover unsightly objects may not be possible. For most backyards it can be difficult to install a tree much larger than 12-15 feet. Therefore if what you want blocked is higher than that it may take a few years for the tree to have the desired effect.
Tree’s can also have a positive effect on your heating and cooling bill. If your house has a lot of south western exposure planting some trees in this area of your yard can both block the hot sun on your house in the summer and cold winds from the winter.
Landscape lighting
Landscape lighting can be a simple and cost-effective way to increase the value of your home. It can bring your landscape to life in the dark and it extends the amount of time you are able to use your outdoor spaces during the evenings. Having a landscape professional install lights into the landscape or purchasing some lights yourself afterward to place around your yard can both have the desired effect. If you want lights in steps or pillars however it is best to consult a landscape professional about this before hand as it can be a challenge installing them afterward.
Water features
The sound of running water in your backyard can be very soothing and many people enjoy watching the water fall from a fountain or waterfall much like the flames of a fire pit. There are many different options you can chose a bubbling rock, Fountain or pond. The prices on each of these vary as well as the maintenance and space required but which ever you chose will have the desired effect.
Native plants
There are more and more people these days that are environmentally conscious and this can influence their choices in home they buy having native plants to your area can help make sure that these people love your home. For everyone else where this may not be an influencing factor in a purchase native plants are in fact the easiest to market. They will have the easiest upkeep. Native plants are perfectly adapted to our environment so they will need less water and special care compared to other plants you can have in your yard. Landscape Ontario has a short blog post on this subject which lists several options for a tree's shrubs and ground cover.
A Fully landscaped front entrance
Curb appeal is a real thing and your first impression matters. I have written about front entrances for optimal value in a previous post which you can check out here.
Finally, a well planned and maintained landscape.
The only people who want to see your yard a mess are fixer-uppers and that is because they expect a discount. Having a plan for your landscape before starting can help with this as you will understand where everything should go before starting. Even if you do your landscape in stages having an idea of the final product before starting ensures nothing you want in your yard is put in a sub ideal position. Finally, without maintaining your lawn, garden and patio. All the effort you have spent in increasing your homes value will be wasted. Be sure you are spending some time outside doing some maintenance each year or hiring someone to do it.
Daniel Hogenbirk
Landscape Foreman
Birk’s Landscaping Inc.
(905) 404-0602
birks@rogers.com