What you do with your garden could not only affect the price you get for your home, but also how long it sits on the market.
Landscape Ontario lists a number of reasons why gardens are a great investment, including the fact that landscaping builds equity for your home.
By planning out improvements to your garden over a period of time, you can benefit from not only enjoying a great outdoor space but also an increase in your house value.
Plants and Trees
Most people love to see healthy trees, flowers and shrubs in the garden. What they don’t like to see is hard work. Designing a garden that is easy to maintain will be more attractive to buyers than one that is daunting to busy people who lack green thumbs.
Some people suggest sticking to native plants for easy maintenance. They naturally thrive in your environment and won’t require as much special treatment.
Walkways
Walkways can be a very attractive addition to your garden, and if they feature in the front of the house they’ll also add to your curb appeal.
Water Features
Water features such as ponds and fountains generally don’t wow buyers enough to increase the value of the home, however, they can be useful if they help to disguise traffic noise.
Fences
Adding a fence to your home will certainly increase the appeal for families, people with pets and those looking for more privacy, but they won’t necessarily have a significant impact on house value when compared to construction costs. Ultimately, the style of the fence and the trends in the neighbourhood will determine whether your fence stands out enough to add value when it’s time to sell.
Decks
Decks are practical, and if they are well built, require very little maintenance, which makes them a favourite with buyers and a value-add for your home.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are typically one of the more costly garden additions, but they can transform hilly yards into functional spaces. Retaining walls also need to be done properly, or they will soon begin to lean, and then they will turn into a problem in the eyes of buyers, not an asset.
If you’re preparing to spruce up your garden, remember that any feature you add needs to be well executed for you to get a return on your investment. A poorly positioned deck or trees planted too close to the house could do more harm than good and deter some buyers.
If you don’t feel confident enough to tackle your garden alone, give a local landscape architect a call.
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