When buying or selling a home in the Sutherland Shire, first impressions matter. And when prospective buyers visit your property, they will first notice your landscaping.
If you plan to sell your home in the near future, you are likely pulling out all the stops when it comes to increasing its value. You can increase the value of your home by up to 39 percent through landscaping design. In addition to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your home, landscape design provides numerous environmental and health benefits. Here are some ways that landscaping can increase the value of your home.
A well-kept, low-maintenance garden with a touch of wow factor can add thousands to your home’s value and expedite the selling process.
What Is A Good Budget For Increasing The Value Of Your Home?
If you invest 3 to 5 percent of your home’s value in a low-maintenance, high-quality landscape, the resale value of your home could increase by 9 to 15 percent. Returning a significant portion of your landscape design budget! We recommend examining the types and levels of landscaping on neighbouring properties. Then, endeavour to plan within these limits; doing so provides a guideline so that you are less likely to overcapitalise.
How And Where To Invest In Landscape Design
Front or rear? The front yard should provide kerb appeal, but the backyard is where money should be spent. ‘She’s a big job,’ and you may not be able to do everything immediately, so prioritise tasks that have a significant impact and that your family will enjoy.
What do you and prospective buyers desire? The garden is an extension of your living space, so take your time, consider your lifestyle, and make a list of the features you desire. Your list could include a children’s play area, a shady area with garden seats, an entertaining/relaxation area, paving or decking, a vegetable and herb garden, and functional storage.
Choose a style that complements your home and way of life, then adhere to it. We cannot emphasise this enough in terms of plant selection. The ‘hodge-podge’ effect can be avoided by utilising fewer varieties in greater quantity.
Best Value for Money – Trees
The best home improvement investment is to plant trees. Consider planting some 2.5-meter-tall trees if you intend to remain in your home for only two or three more years. Staying longer? Choose young trees that will add value in the form of shade, privacy, and potential security as they mature.
Exterior Living Areas
It’s essentially in our DNA to enjoy the sun and the outdoors; it’s an Australian trait. A landscaped patio or deck can add up to 12 percent to the value of a home. Buyers will value anything you can do to incorporate the outdoors with the interior.
Water is an attractive element in a backyard landscape design, but we’re not talking about a swimming pool! A fountain, small pond, or spa pool will suffice. The objective is to create a comfortable place to sit and unwind.
Fire is another element to enhance outdoor living, whether in the form of a fire pit, barbeque area, outdoor kitchen, or wonderful heating to extend the number of comfortable nighttime hours.
Landscape Lighting
Solar-powered lights are an even simpler option than solar-powered outdoor lighting, which is easy to instal or, better yet, is a quick job for an electrician to complete. The lighting of your landscape can create silhouettes of trees, illuminate the garden, keep visitors safe by illuminating the path, and deter potential intruders. Additionally, it makes the outdoors more habitable during the darker months.
Reconsider the Pool
As appealing as swimming pools are, investing in a pool solely to increase the property’s value is uncommon. In some instances, every home in the neighbourhood may have a pool, which could be a selling point. However, an in-ground pool costs upwards of $60,000 (the sky is the limit) and does not provide the same return on investment.
From the perspective of some homebuyers, a pool entails maintenance and additional costs, and could be a deterrent if they dislike additional upkeep.
If you are installing a pool, DO NOT install an in-ground pool for investment purposes. Put in a pool for the enjoyment of you and your family, and be sure to landscape around it!
The Concrete Patio Does Not Live Up To Its Reputation
Patios are a great idea, but they cannot be constructed by pouring a concrete slab. Concrete is considered to be very basic and obsolete. Creative pavers or a wooden deck is more desirable (even though it does have a limited lifespan).
Remember that concrete cracks, collects water, and does not look as good as a wood deck, landscape bricks, or pavers, particularly in the eyes of prospective buyers.
DIY or Professional Service?
DIY is very Australian, and with so many online resources and helpful teams at landscape design and garden supply retailers, you will be able to achieve wonderful results by tackling your own landscaping projects. But if outdoor manual labour is ‘not your thing,’ you’re in a hurry to sell, or you believe it’s best to hire professionals, then by all means seek professional assistance.
Remember that garden design plays a significant role in enhancing the kerb appeal of a property, and although hiring a landscape designer is expensive, consider it an investment rather than a cost. A professional ensures that the appropriate plants are placed in the appropriate locations, that the available space is maximised, and that the final result is appealing and proportionate. With some well-planned landscaping, you’ll add thousands to your home’s value, which will benefit both you and potential buyers.
Contact us if you have any questions regarding the landscaping design of your Sutherland Shire property.
