Use landscaping to help sell a home

Key insights

• 98% of REALTORSⓇ believe curb appeal is key in attracting buyers, and many outdoor home projects have a high return on investment.
• Start with standard lawn care by cleaning up the yard, weeding and removing clutter.
• Keep your yard looking top-notch with consistent landscaping.
• Consider adding or replacing some features to improve the look of your yard and home exterior.
• If you have the time and money, take on a bigger project like adding a patio or outdoor kitchen.

You’re probably familiar with the importance of first impressions, and that goes for your home, too. According to the Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features by the National Association of REALTORSⓇ (NAR), 92% of real estate agents suggest sellers improve their curb appeal before listing their houses and 98% of agents believe curb appeal is important to buyers.

Getting the exterior of your property ready for sale doesn’t necessarily have to cost you lots of money. In fact, with just a few household supplies, time and some elbow grease, you can accomplish many of your landscaping tasks yourself.

Start with a cleanup and lawn care

It may sound obvious, but the first step to getting your landscape open-house ready is to give the space a good declutter and cleanup. This can include:

• Removing toys and tools from the yard.
• Cleaning up any debris, animal excrement and spiderwebs that have accumulated in your outdoor spaces.
• Power washing sidewalks, decks and siding, and giving more delicate areas and furniture a good washing.
• Mowing the lawn and laying fertilizer.
• Pruning trees, shrubs and plants.

Keep in mind that this isn’t a one-time task. Just like your home, you’ll need to keep up and maintain your landscape. Water your grass and flowers, reapply compost or other fertilizer and designate a hidden space like a shed or garage for tools and toys.

If you’re too busy for lawn care, you can always hire out a lawn service company to fertilize and weed your space—according to the NAR report and input from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), you’ll see a 217% return on investment (ROI) for the costs of standard lawn care.

Act on any landscape maintenance

Now that the space is cleaned up, you’ll have a better sense of what issues stand out and what areas need some extra TLC. Check this list to see what tasks apply to your space:

• Replace any missing sod or fill empty areas with a garden, flowers or decorative grass.
• Reapply mulch or add pebbles.
• Fix or replace any items that have seen better days, like a broken fence segment or burnt-out light bulbs in your sconces.
• Throw out damaged decorative items like planters, welcome mats, bird baths, etc.

While you’re at it, try to think about staging your outside as much as your inside using our curb-appeal checklist. While you might enjoy garden gnomes and wishing wells, your potential buyers may not. Keep your space clean and uncluttered for ultimate exposure. (This includes holiday decor—you’ll be able to set up your inflatable Santa another year.)

Most of these tasks can be done on your own, even if you’re a beginner gardener. But you can also hire a professional to plant your flowers or lay your mulch and enjoy a 104% ROI.

Consider implementing updates and upgrades

If you find areas of your landscaping lacking, smaller improvement projects may be just the thing to give your home’s exterior new life. A few common projects you could undertake:

• Replace uneven walkways or upgrade pebble paths to flagstone ones.
• Repaint or stain any fencing, archways or other structures.
• Switch out plastic planters for more aesthetically pleasing ceramic, stone or terracotta versions.
• Add decorative features such as a bench, swing or patio table, or include small touches like a bird feeder, hanging planters or decorative lighting.
• Plant additional trees, shrubs, decorative grass or flowers.

Pro tip: Go on neighborhood boards and webpages to see if anyone has been splitting plants and is willing to give some to you—it’s a super-cheap (or even free!) way to build out your botanicals. This extends to other landscaping items, too. Look for planters, patio furniture, extra materials like stone, wood and staining, light fixtures and more at estate and garage sales, thrift stores and online forums.

Landscaping professionals can lend you a hand with the more labor-intensive projects and give you valuable insight into what will best highlight your home. The average ROI for services like these is 100%.

Think about adding new features or taking on larger projects

For those who plan to stay in their home for a while, larger landscape initiatives can increase the enjoyment of your home while you get ready for a move.

• Add an outdoor kitchen.
• Install a new patio or deck.
• Get tech-smart with automatic lighting, security and irrigation.
• Create a space for a fire feature.
• Go big with a new in-ground pool.

The ROI for these projects can be lower and most REALTORS would not recommend making these updates before selling, but an overwhelming majority of homeowners who completed these projects reported high amounts of enjoyment.

Seek expert advice before starting any outdoor projects

Real estate demands differ greatly from region to region, so it’s imperative you speak with a licensed real estate agent to learn what landscaping will get you the most bang for your buck in your area. Reach out to one of our expert agents today for personalized recommendations on where you can increase your curb appeal.