Landscaping Tips For Selling Your Home

When it comes to selling your home, you’ll want to get the most value out of it as possible. You may have painted it, done touch-ups here and there, and meticulously decorated it so as to increase its appeal. Have you really looked at the outside of your home though, specifically the garden?

What do buyers look for when it comes to deciding on a new home?

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions that you’ll make in your life. So, when it comes to viewing and eventually choosing a property to call home, naturally buyers are picky. Homes that are well cared for will certainly attract more interest and help to push up the price. If a home needs some love and attention, it may deter buyers who are looking to move right and enjoy it without having to put any time, effort, or money into it.

Make sure you put enough effort into the upkeep of these specific areas in your home:

• Kitchen: Consider the tiles, countertops, and of course the cupboards. It may be worth investing a little more into your kitchen if you are looking to attract the right buyer.
• Bathroom: As with the kitchen, take a close look at the tiles and general decor in your bathrooms. If there is mold, you’ll very quickly get a no from an interested buyer.
• Bedrooms: Are your carpets in need of replacement, or is your flooring dated? Consider a revamp if so.

When it comes to increasing your home’s value, there is another area that is critically important to attracting buyers. This is your garden of course.

How landscaping adds value to your home

If you invest in landscaping your garden before putting up your home for sale, it will pay off. A garden that is well-maintained will not only be attractive to buyers, but can actually increase the price of your home.

Don’t take our word for it though. A survey by Virginia State University revealed that a landscaped garden actually adds more value to a home than what was thought, between 5% and 12.7% in fact. This means that you can significantly increase the sale price of your home by simply putting effort into your garden.

17 landscaping tips

Here are our landscaping tips to help drive the appeal of your home and to secure the right buyer, at the right price.

Be prepared

First up, don’t leave it until the last minute before you start looking at your garden in detail to make sure it looks as good as it should. We recommend beginning the process at least 30 to 45 days before you plan to put your home on the market. This will allow for any areas that need work a chance to regrow and give you enough time to do whatever touch-ups are required.

Being prepared will mean far less stress and scrambling as you get closer to inviting people into your home to view it. Trust us on this one.

Set your budget

Next up, before you start to bring your garden to life again, consider what your budget is. You may have grand plans to create the dream garden, but if you don’t have the budget you’ll need to be smart with what you do.

When setting your budget, consider what extra value a landscaped garden will bring. If you believe that the work will add value, then factor that into what you are willing to spend on it.

Keep Your Lawn Green

Your lawn is the most noticeable part of your garden, so make sure you keep it in top condition if you are selling your home. Vigorous growth indicates healthy soil. The best way to achieve a good lawn is to make sure it gets plenty of water and that it is adequately fed with the right fertilizer.

Make sure you look after your perennial beds

It’s important that you tidy up your perennial beds, especially those plants that aren’t in their best shape. Less is often more here, so trim back where needed and avoid having a garden that seems overcrowded with perennials. If a certain plant is beyond saving and needs to be removed, then do so. Replace it with another or with something decorative, such as a rock.

Trim and prune bushes

Now is the time to trim back and prune the bushes around your home. To our earlier point on less is more, aim to create a clean and organised garden, one that is appealing to the eye.

When it comes to trees, prune them back and give them their best shape possible. They’ll not only look good, but healthy as well.

Moving to hedges, who doesn’t like the look of a well-pruned hedge that creates green borders or walkways around a home. Aim for the box shape, with sharp edges. You can also consider softer edges to your hedging.

Add potted plants

Consider adding stylish potted plants to your garden and to your patio areas. They will add a fresh dynamic to your garden, breaking areas up with raised foliage. Try to be consistent with the color and themes of your home, both inside and out. If your home is more neutral, don’t add too many bright colors as it may overwhelm the garden and be distracting to the eye. Rather, let the plants themselves add the color you are looking to introduce into the space.

You should also consider hanging baskets. These are a great way of adding some color to your walls, or if you have a patio area with a trestle roof they will look great.

Irrigation system

Consider investing in an irrigation system if you don’t already have one in place. It’ll help you water your garden and will save you plenty of time in the future. These are two important factors that buyers will consider when looking at the landscaping.

You’ll want to bring in the experts here. They’ll know exactly where to install each component of the irrigation system for optimum watering. It’s also advised that you have your system serviced at least once a year. If you are drawing water from a borehole, it will over time collect sediment in the system which may block some of the piping.

Add stone aggregates

Stone aggregates is a great way to add a bit of depth to your garden and parking areas. You can also use it to define different areas, for example, create paths around the garden, either leading to various areas of your garden or just along the perimeter.

It’s not something that many people think about when they are looking at improving their home’s curbside appeal, but it can make a big difference. Consider the right type of gravel to match the aesthetics of your home.

Another option is to add peach pips to the entrance to your home. There is something satisfying about driving into a driveway covered with peach pips. It’s also quite sustainable if that’s a message you’re trying to get across to your potential buyers.

Create visual boundaries

Creating visual boundaries is an important part of creating a visually appealing garden. Consider defining your garden using walls, fences, or hedging. You could consider hedging off certain areas if you have the space, to created themed areas. For example, a rose garden in one section with a lavender garden in another.

Add mulch to your garden beds

Mulch is a great way of adding depth and texture to your garden beds. This will help to keep the soil cool and moist, which will allow your plants to thrive (especially in the warmer summer months). It’s also a great way to naturally refresh your garden beds. By adding different colors of mulch or varying depths, you can give your garden an entirely new look with not much effort.

You can also consider using wood chips. These are a preferred option over bark chippings as they hold moisture better.

Light it up

By adding lighting to your garden, you can create an ambiance that will certainly be attractive to interested buyers. While they may not see the garden during the night, you can talk them through what it looks like and even show them photos. Make sure you take a few snaps the night before you are expecting a viewing.

If you don’t want to put in expensive lighting, consider solar lights. These are a great and affordable option and will certainly still add appeal and show interest. You can also speak to the sustainability of your garden, something which is very much topical at the moment.

If you have an outdoor hot tub, you’ll stand out if you have the area decorated with elegant lighting. Consider taking a picture of the tub at night with the lighting on and hang it in a frame in your home. When you are taking prospective buyers through the home you can point it out. It’ll certainly make a statement.

Get the power hose out!

The same way you keep the inside of your home clean and sparkly when you are expecting a viewing, you need to do the same for your outside areas. Spray down your patio and any tiled areas around your garden. You may need to get a garden brush out for those persistent little bits that can’t be removed by the hose.

If you have artificial grass, a power hose is a great way of cleaning the area, especially if you have pets! Be careful not to put the pressure on too high a setting as if it’s a particularly powerful hose, you may cause damage to the grass or tiled areas.

If you are looking to be sustainable while you’re doing this job, consider collecting the water from the paved areas you are cleaning and use it for your garden beds and pot plants.

Be gone ants!

An ant infestation can be a serious deterrent when it comes to considering which home to buy. If not managed, these pets can quickly take over a space. If you have an ant problem, consider the right measures to manage the problem. If you need to call in an expert, it will be money well spent.

The trick with ants is making sure you don’t have food lying around and that your outside areas are clean.

Add a water fountain

Adding a water fountain with a motorized system to your garden will add an element of elegance to the space. It’ll also introduce a sense of calm in your garden, with the sound of water gently trickling against a backdrop of greenery.

You could opt for a simpler option and add a standard water fountain to attract birds into the space.

Bring the wildlife in

As per our point above on attracting birds, a garden with wildlife, whether that be birds, squirrels, or even a chameleon or two, will most certainly create the wow factor that you are after.

Install feeding stations around your home for birds to nibble on, while they fly between the water fountain and their new source of food. This will add not only wildlife sounds to your garden, but it’ll create fresh flashes of color, depending on what animals you attract.

Repair faucet leaks around your garden

If a prospective buyer notices faucet leaks around your home, they may wonder what else is wrong. This can be a deterrent so make sure they are repaired before inviting people in to view your home. They are simple to fix, even if you do have to get a plumber in.

Make use of the senses

Consider adding plants to your garden that have a strong and favorable smell to them. This is especially effective if you are placing your home on the market during Spring, when most flowers start to bloom and exude their fragrances.

Jasmine is a popular option, with an abundance of beautiful flowers and a sweet and rich smell during the spring months. There are plenty of other plants to consider though, so think about which is best suited to your garden and get planting.

Selling your home in Nashville

When it comes to offering guidance around selling a property and getting the best possible price, our experienced team is perfect for the job. Whether you’re ready to sell, or just looking for answers on how best to add value to your home, our data and expertise specific to your home and neighborhood will help guide you.

Get in contact with a member of the team today.

Considering A Home Sale? Our Clients Net More Money With Less Hassle. Tell Us About Your Home.