You might be planning to put your home on the market. Or you might be aiming to enjoy living in the ‘best house in the street’. Either way, adding value to your home via outdoor landscaping is always a winning idea.
The ‘curb appeal’ of your home is as much about outdoor landscaping as it is about the appearance of your home itself. In fact, great landscaping can add significant value to your home. And this will increase your own enjoyment of your home and put extra money in your pocket when it does come time to sell.
Today we’re exploring how to add value to your home through maximising your outdoor space. So – what’s on the ‘do’ list?
How to add value to your home – it’s not only the interior that counts
Outdoor living in southeast Queensland is a way of life. A well-considered and maintained outdoor space has become an essential part of our homes, enhancing both our own lifestyle and our home’s value. So, it’s important to think beyond your home’s interior, and even your home’s exterior, to the surrounding outdoor spaces.
Outdoor landscaping is a home improvement project that will immediately add value to your home now. And as your lawn and plants grow, bloom and thrive with your ongoing maintenance and care, so will your home’s value.
Improve your curb appeal
We all know that first impressions count, particularly in a competitive property market. A home that is visually appealing from the street will create a great, lasting first impression. Improving curb appeal can include:
- Custom or solar-powered lighting to draw the eye along pathways or to focus on feature areas. This will also improve the security and functionality of your front garden.
- Landscaping your front patio or entry way creates a welcoming feel and will integrate the outdoors and indoors. If your entry way doesn’t allow for garden beds, adding planters to the space is a great way to add greenery and floral colour.
- Garden beds or hedging in front of your home can create a green visual barrier, soften the appearance of your home, reduce street noise and provide shade.
Create or optimise your functional outdoor living space
When you increase the functional liveability and enjoyment of your home by integrating the indoors and outdoors you’ll certainly add value to your home. A well designed and considered outdoor living area – whether a traditional wooden deck or a modern outdoor kitchen – will create a space where you can relax, entertain and enjoy the southeast Queensland climate.
If your outdoor space isn’t big, a paved area need only be big enough for a small table and chairs. An area four metres square is enough to create something functional and gorgeous.
Create an outdoor sanctuary
Creating a relaxing, outdoor sanctuary is another way how to add value to your home. A water feature or garden pond creates an atmosphere of tranquil calm, for your own use and enjoyment, as well as that of potential purchasers.
Update your lawn
Over 93% of real estate agents recommend updating your lawn prior to listing your home for sale. A lush, green lawn will significantly increase your own enjoyment of your home and draw the eye of passers-by and potential buyers.
If your lawn is a little brown and patchy, it could be time to sow lawn seeds to help improve its health and appearance.
If bare patches have taken hold, it could be time to consider replacing your lawn by laying new turf. Sir Walter DNA Certified is a good choice. It’s a well-known low maintenance buffalo lawn, and is shade and drought tolerant for a range of backyards.
Define your lawn
If your budget won’t stretch to a new lawn – or you simply don’t need it – it’s a good idea to define your lawn edges. Edging your lawn will improve the look of your outdoor space, suggesting it’s well maintained. Creating a lawn edge can be as easy as using a sharp spade to neatly separate your lawn from the adjacent garden bed, path or fence.
Alternatively, a physical lawn edge can bring a fantastic aesthetic to your yard, whether in metal, brick, or concrete. You can carry on an existing aesthetic from paths and garden beds, or introduce a new element to define your lawn edges.
Go low maintenance
Landscaping to introduce low maintenance elements to your outdoor space is a fantastic idea. As well as improving the look of your yard, you’ll widen the pool of potential purchasers if agents can advise your outdoor space is ‘low maintenance’.
This can include:
- Mulching your garden beds. This will significantly improve and unite the look of your garden beds, as well as prevent the spread of weeds. Mulching also helps to retain water, keeping your soil moist and its temperature consistent.
- Reducing your lawn area to limit mowing and ongoing maintenance. This can be a great option if you have a particularly problematic area of lawn. You could replace it with a paved area or even a hardscape ground cover. Using rocks to do this adds interest, colour and texture to your outdoor space, as well as reducing your ongoing lawn care.
Time to get started!
Working to add value to your home through outdoor landscaping is very satisfying. Plants, turf, edging, rocks, mulch – and a little know how – can significantly add value to, and enjoyment of, your home.
Keep an eye on our how to and product info pages for more outdoor landscaping ideas to make your area absolutely fantastic. Think curved garden walls, DIY ponds and even fire pits! And if those don’t take your fancy, our expert team is always on hand to help with other ideas. Just get in touch!