Increase Your Property Value With These 13 Popular Landscaping Trends

If you’re looking to raise the value of your home, leveraging your yard is an easy way to get up to 20% more when you sell. There’s no shortage of landscaping options for making your yard look well maintained and inviting. These designs can boost your curb appeal, add aesthetic features, and attract many potential buyers—even on a budget.

Read on to learn 13 popular landscaping trends for you to enjoy while you’re still in the home, and will get you top dollar when you sell.

Trend #1: Boost Your Curb Appeal

The first thing your potential buyer sees when they pull up to the house is the exterior of your home and the front yard. Naturally, you want to impress them with what they see outside, so they’re excited to get inside to see the rest of the beauty you’re offering.

Refreshing the look of the exterior of your home can be as easy as:

• Power washing the siding
• Adding a fresh coat of paint on the trim
• Painting the front door

A surefire way to boost your curb appeal is by adding a pathway to your front door or replacing a cracked or uneven one. This type of hardscaping is just as critical as the greenery in your yard because it’s the path your buyers take to get inside your home. Make the walk to your front door look and feel amazing!

Speak with your agent about which tasks you should focus on to get more potential buyers, higher offers, and earn a better ROI.

Trend #2: A Healthy Lawn

It doesn’t take much to maintain a healthy lawn:

• Cut the grass regularly
• Pull unsightly weeds
• Patch and repair dead spots
• Fertilize in spring, mid-summer, and fall
• Watering is essential for lush green grass

If you just don’t have the time or energy to take care of your lawn yourself, consider hiring a professional lawn-care company—the expense is well worth the gain.

Trend #3: Well-Maintained Shrubs & Bushes

Anyone who cares about their yard will notice when shrubs and bushes are left unattended—especially potential buyers. Trim, shape, and get rid of any dead branches and overgrowth. This not only looks aesthetically pleasing but encourages new growth and ensures a healthy, ongoing landscape feature for years to come.

Trend #4: Investing in Water Features

Meditation and yoga are popular trends that pair nicely with water features like small ponds, fountains, and waterfalls that create a calming and serene atmosphere. Adding any of these features is sure to pique interest and increase the value of your home.

So will installing an in-ground sprinkler system for easy lawn watering—no more lugging a kinky hose and sprinkler all over the yard.

Considering an in-ground or above-ground pool? This idea is iffy. Often, it can deter potential buyers because of the maintenance involved with the upkeep and potential liability issues.

Trend #5: Building a Patio or Deck

Patios and decks have become more popular since COVID19. After spending more time at home, many people started appreciating the outdoors right in their own backyard. So whether you want to sit and relax, entertain guests, or have a quiet place for two, a deck or patio paired with a fire pit or fire table makes for a perfect ambiance.

Trend #6: Adding Privacy to Your Landscape Design

Most people prefer a little privacy in their backyards. Some landscaping features that add privacy are:

• Fencing
• Trees
• Shrubs and bushes
• Hedges
• Trellises

Trend #7: Planting Trees

Potential buyers like mature trees or at least trees that will soon mature. If you’ve got a space or two, plant a couple of trees. Keep in mind that some trees take three to eight years to reach maturity, so planting sooner than later is best.

You have the option of hiring a landscaping company to plant mature trees, but that can get costly.

Trend #8: Creating a Garden With Little Maintenance

Beautiful gardens are very attractive to potential buyers with green thumbs. Choosing plants and flowers native to the area ensures drought and pest resistance. Stay away from planting anything that needs special care. The more perennials you have, the fewer annuals needed every year.

Trend #9: Freshening the Mulch

Looks are what we’re after, but putting fresh mulch down does more than just look nice. Freshening the mulch:

• Protects the roots
• Provides essential nutrients to keep plants healthy
• Keeps the soil temperature cooler in the summer
• Insulates the roots in the winter
• Helps hold moisture and prevent evaporation when in the hot sun
• Deters pests

Trend #10: Investing in an Impressive Play Structure

If your neighbourhood is popular for potential buyers with young families, think about purchasing a play structure. Seeing one already set up in the backyard rather than the potential buyer trying to picture one is a great selling strategy.

Trend #11: Creating An Outdoor Kitchen

Join the growing trend of outdoor kitchens. Besides adding value to your home, it’s a great entertaining feature. The amenities are endless:

• Built-in BBQ
• Sink with running water
• Countertops
• Cabinetry
• Fridge
• Wood-fired oven
• Smoker

Trend #12: Accentuating the Yard With Lighting

Adding light to your landscaping features has become more popular in the last decade, with solar and LED options advancing to keep costs down. Light up exterior features of your home and specific landscape elements like:

• Gardens
• Trees
• Fountains
• Waterfalls
• Ponds
• Statues
• Walkways
• Driveways

Not only does the lighting add value to the property and curb appeal, but it also adds an extra layer of security and safety. Illuminate higher-risk security areas like:

• Side doors
• Sliding doors
• Low lying windows
• Garage

And higher-risk safety areas such as:

• Walkways
• Driveways
• Paths
• Stairways

Trend #13: Building An Outdoor Space You (and Everyone Else) Will Love

Outdoor settings are becoming more and more desirable to home buyers. There are many outdoor living spaces you can create:

• Outdoor kitchen
• Deck
• Patio
• Firepit area
• Pergola
• Gazebo
• Outdoor tv and movie area

Get Top Dollar For Your Home With Trusted Advice From Joel Cooper

Want to add up to 20% more to the resale value of your Toronto or GTA home?

Get in touch with Joel Cooper. I’ve been working with sellers just like you for over 14 years. Staying on top of current trends and all things that add the most significant value to homes are just a couple of my specialties.

Together, we can work toward getting top dollar for your home, even if you’re on a budget. Sometimes all it takes is a few small tweaks and the trusted advice from a local realtor who believes in full disclosure, transparency, and open communication.

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