Curb appeal – that all important exterior lure that gives prospective buyers their first impression of your home – can do more than just make interested buyers even more curious about the inside. A great outside can actually boost your home’s value on its own. Nowhere is this more true than in the yard.
Here are a few outdoor home improvement upgrades that every homeowner should do to beautify their home while boosting its value – all without the services of a home contractor.
Good landscaping does more than just add curb appeal – it can boost the value of your home
Plant Trees
As discussed in 4 Actions Every Homeowner Should Take Right Now, planting trees is not only practical, shade-bearing and beautiful, but it can increase your home’s property value by between 8 and 15 percent over time!
Resist the Urge to Change Frequently
Landscaping adds the most value when your yard features large, mature plants. This tells buyers that the yard has been tended to and maintained over long periods of time. If plants outside have been tended to so well for so long that they’ve reached maturity over the course of many winters, summers and everything in between, it stands to reason that the inside has also been well maintained.
Lighting
Yard or garden lighting boosts asking price for several reasons. First of all, it beautifies the yard at night. But it also throws light on the house itself. This serves two purposes – aesthetics and security. Sure, a home illuminated with soft, ground-based light looks nice, but study after study proves that burglars avoid well-lit homes. Lighting can be a major selling point.
A little yard work can add curb appeal – and asking price.
Good lighting, strong trees and old, mature plants are just a few of the landscaping home improvement jobs that you can do without a home contractor to increase the value of your home while making it more beautiful for yourself. Get creative, don’t overcrowd the yard and always do basic maintenance on infrastructure like paths and walkways.
Did you find this article helpful but you need a little help putting these tips to use? Be sure to use the eieihome directory of landscapers to find the right pro for the job.
