If you’re thinking about selling your house, you may not realize how important it is for your home to have a good level of curb appeal to potential buyers. The best way to do this, aside from making improvements to your home’s exterior, is to invest in landscape design and lawn care. A study by RealEstate.com suggests that landscaping and hardscaping can deliver a return on investment as high as 150%.
Hardscaping refers to the man-made features used in landscaping and architecture. Rock walls and brick foundations are just a few examples. Landscaping with man-made materials is often more efficient and requires less maintenance than a landscaping design with a lot of plants like trees or grass. If you want to get the most out of your landscaping, though, it’s a good idea to have an equal balance of both plant life and hardscaping.
Your driveway is also considered an aspect of hardscaping. If you’re putting your home on the market, having an evenly and freshly paved driveway is a great way to get viewer’s attention and make them want to see the rest of your home. If you have a stairway that leads to your front door, consider replacing the concrete with something easier on the eyes, like gravel or stone. A stone walkway adds a level of curb appeal that is unmatched by almost all other hardscaping aspects.
In the midst of hardscaping your front yard, your backyard should not be neglected. Anyone who comes to see your home at an open house will inevitably want to catch a glimpse of your backyard. If you’re stumped for ideas, consider building a stone wall or a partial stone wall along the edge of your yard to better display the other aspects of it. Building a stone wall may be expensive, but the return you’ll get on the investment is well worth the money, time, and effort of building the wall.
Finally, if you have a garden area, consider outlining its features by adding medium sized stones around the edges. This will create a natural and smooth flowing look that will make potential buyers feel like they are taking a scenic walk through nature. Putting in these landscaping efforts can also attract small animals to your property, which can aid in the scenic nature look.
Hardscaping is an aspect that most people ignore, but putting in effort while preparing your house for sale will result in a faster sale of your home.
