Increasing Property Value Through Landscape Design
When homeowners think about increasing the value of their homes, their minds usually jump to interior renovations—a new kitchen, a new bathroom, a finished basement—you get the idea.
Those are all great ways of increasing your home’s value, but don’t forget the exterior! There are a lot of ways you can boost curb appeal and get a great ROI through landscaping. We’re going to show you how. You may also want to check out our post on sustainable landscaping ideas for additional inspiration.
How to get the most value out of landscaping
Before we get into the features that will provide the best return on investment, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Plan all your landscaping in advance to ensure a cohesive look—don’t just randomly add a tree here and a flower bed there.
Location matters—different features sell for more in different regions.
Maintenance is key—it doesn’t matter how beautiful your lawn and trees could be if you don’t take care of them.
We’re located in Winnipeg, Manitoba; this article is focused on the landscaping features that work best in our climate. If you live somewhere like California—well, hello from the Great White North! Sorry, some of these tips won’t be right for you—but the general principles will still apply.
Plant trees
This advice is practical in almost any area—and it’s a particularly great idea here in Winnipeg. Trees offer an incredible return on investment. Planting a tree can cost well under $50, while mature trees can add $1000 or more to the value of your property. Be sure to plant trees far from sewer lines, though—otherwise, you might hurt the value of your property!
Winnipeg is a city of trees—Maple, Oak, Fir, and even more exotic trees like Japanese Lilacs perform well in our climate. You can use trees to beautify your yard and for privacy. They’re great!
Install lighting
Lighting along your front walkway is a great way to add value to your property—lights are inexpensive, and they can highlight the most beautiful features of your property. They can also help visitors navigate at night. You can expect great ROI through lighting installed in your hardscaping or along your walls. Be sure to shovel your walkways in the winter so that the lights can keep shining brightly year-round!
Get a fire pit
Is it even summer in Manitoba if you can’t smell the smoke from a crackling fire in your neighbour’s backyard? Be that neighbour.
Fire pits offer great value—they’re relatively inexpensive to install, and they’re a much sought out feature in our market. Combine them with other hardscaping features like lighting and a patio, and you’ve got yourself an outdoor space that can dramatically boost the value of your home.
Spruce up your lawn
When your lawn looks pale, yellow, and patchy, it sends some less-than-positive signals about the state your home might be in.
Sometimes, you can’t recover a lawn through rigorous maintenance—you’ll need to replace it. Laying new sod, replacing some of your lawn with rock and mulch beds, or even opting for a prairie grass-based yard can all boost the value of your home. Landscaping with an eye for using local plants is big right now— something to consider!
Improve your drainage
Not the sexiest landscaping feature, we know. Great drainage is important, though. Bad drainage can drain your home’s value away, as your lawn (and maybe even your basement) becomes flooded during our infamous spring deluges. (For those outside our city, we get a lot of snow each year.)
Landscaping with the Bulger Brothers
As you can tell, we love landscaping, we love Winnipeg, and we love helping homeowners increase the value of their homes. With our Winnipeg landscaping services, you can get all of the above—and more. We even have an option to 3d design your landscape first. Those were just some of the best landscaping choices in terms of ROI—but can you really put a value on having the neighbourhood kids play in a hockey rink in your backyard?
We don’t think so—and we’d be happy to build you that rink.
