A beautifully designed landscape will be the envy of any neighbor, and a carefully created backyard living space is guaranteed to add to the buyer's desire to make your house their home. Not only does a perfectly designed landscape add to the beauty of your home, in most cases it will increase the value of your home.

In this article we are going to try and answer a question we receive a lot: "Does Landscape Design Increase Property Value?"

There are several considerations to take into account when deciding to hire a landscape designer. In this article, we will cover how much your property value increases with designed landscaping, how much to invest, return on investment, curb appeal, mature vs. new gardens, the value of long-term gardens, types of outside elements, and greenery.

Property Value Increase

According to a 2018 study conducted by Virginia Tech researchers, a home's value can increase by as much as 15% with a properly executed landscape design. The three design aspects that increased the value the most were: (1) design sophistication; (2) plant size; and (3) diversity of the plants. While it is hard to put an exact number on your properties increase in value, research all leads to significant increases in value after well formulated landscape design.

How Much Should I Invest in my Landscape Design Project?

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends investing 10% of your home's value in outside design space. Not everyone is able to invest $20,000 - $60,000 on landscape design. Experts suggest the best way to save on spending is to really focus on the front of the house, around the door, and walkways.

Make sure weeds are trimmed, preferably using non-toxic chemicals, your lawn is mowed and well maintained, plant a few color flowers around walkways, and around the front door. According to the Washington Post, painting your door with a fresh coat of paint and replacing your address numbers can do wonders.

Return on Investment (ROI) in Landscape Design

According to the SF Gate, property investment returns can average between 5.5 – 12.7%. If you own a home that is valued around $300,000, the return can range from $16,500 - $38,000. This is a significant return considering most homeowners are able to improve their landscape design for 10% or less of their property value.

Another source featured on HGTV's Curb Appeal, John Gidding, states that the homeowners invested $20,000 and were able to sell their house for $200,000 more than previously listed. The best advice Gidding gives is to understand your home's architecture and base your landscaping design on that.

However, landscapers are wary of giving exact numbers. The industry standard currently is about 150% on your return, however, there are instances where the return is lower. Landscape design specialists do their absolute best to ensure at least at 5-20% return.

Curb Appeal

If you plan on selling your home, the first impression a new buyer will see is the landscape as they drive up to the front of your house. This is where a new buyer begins to feel whether this house speaks to them, whether they could see themselves sitting outside on the front porch or in the middle of a garden full of fragrant flowers.

This first impression is often driven by emotions. Many buyers, according to Jill Chodorov, as associate broker, states that many buyers are willing to buy a fixer-upper if the landscape is inviting. You want to evoke emotions of warmth and let the seller imagine they are arriving to their new home.

Mature Gardens

By far, one of the biggest draws for buyers when it comes to landscapes is the maturity of the plants. Most buyers want to see a well established garden. For sellers, this means planning your landscape design before you even consider selling.

If a homeowner is interested in selling and does not have a landscape design well established yet, plan for at least a year in advance to allow the plants and trees to mature. Being about to convey to the buyers the maintenance involved is also a huge plus and reassures the buyers that the landscape is able to be properly maintained.

Best Outdoor Elements and Greenery

The number two elements buyers are most interested in when viewing a landscape is a sophisticated design and the type of outside elements and greenery used. Another consideration is the plant size in the landscape and the maturity of the plants within the landscape.

Many homeowners make the mistake of planting and planning their elements piecemeal. One year they decide to plant a tree, and maybe the next year they add some flowers. Planting in this fashion will not create a coherent design and can look disorganized for potential buyers.

Adding color with perennials, flowering shrubs, mulching, edging, and making sure all weeds are pulled is a great first step, with an overall landscape plan in mind. Diversity of flowers and shrubs was also a huge feature that buyers looked for in overall design.

Does Landscape Design Increase Property Value?

In most cases, yes it does. Accent Landscapes will do their absolute best to ensure at least at 5-20% return.

We hope you gained more knowledge on the great importance of landscape design so you can try to maximize your return on your investment. You now know valuable information on how landscape design can increase your home's value and help you sell your new inviting home for more than you could before employing the use of expert design landscapers.