Right now, in the Hudson Valley the housing market is a bit insane due to the recent pandemic and houses are selling for sometimes a hundred thousand over asking price. Are you thinking about selling and wanting to get the most bank for your buck? Especially in a few years when the housing market calms down a little bit and you still want to get a good deal on your house, lets talk about how landscape can increase the value of your home. Similarly, not having any landscaping outside can decrease the value of your home as well.
When we say landscaping can increase the value of your home were not just talking about planting a few flowers and mowing the lawn, we mean patios, walkways, properly maintained flower beds, pools, pergolas, outdoor dining areas, outdoor seating areas, and the list goes on and on. This can sound a bit intimidating especially if your getting ready to sell right now and want to put in a lot of landscape elements all at once quickly to get it on the market, but if you work on it over time, you’ll be surprised when you are ready to sell years down the road. Also keep in mind that landscapers are often extremely busy and might not be able to get to your house for another 6-8 months after you first inquire about the work. So why not plan out some landscape ideas early on, work on them over time and enjoy them while you live there before you go to sell the house in a few years.
When starting a landscape project, it is important to sit down and think about it and come up with a plan before beginning the work. If you start planting flowers and shrubs and then later decide to ad in a walkway and then eventually a fireplace, it could begin to look disorganized and not all fit together. Come up with a plan for everything you want to do before getting started. This doesn’t mean you have to do all the work at once but having a plan will ensure all the elements fit together coherently at the end. Something else to keep in mind is that not everything is appealing to everyone. Bringing in a landscape expert to help with the landscape design and plan can help as they will know what is popular and what is not, which can help you down the road when future buyers are looking at your house.
Another reason to start on landscaping early on is as trees, shrubs and flowers grow in over time they can increase the curb appeal when they start to look more naturally fitting and not as such tiny seedlings like they started as.
IDEAS OF WHAT CAN BE INCLUDED IN A LANDSCAPE PLAN:
- Flowers
- Shrubs
- Trees
- Stone Pathways
- Garden Walls
- Mulched garden beds
- Windmills
- Waterfalls
- Statues
- Water features
- Lighting features
- Boulders between plantings
- Retaining Walls
- Steps
- Railings
- Patios
- Back deck
- Grilling Area
- Seating Area
- Swimming Pools
- Picnic Table
- Fencing
- Ponds
- Terraces
- Pergolas
- Gazebos
- Fire Pits
- Outdoor Living Area
- Vegetable Garden
LANDSCAPING CAN SERVE AS FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS TO YOUR HOME AS WELL:
Retaining Walls prevent erosion and create spaces that otherwise would be an unusable hill. They can create seating areas, or space for a set of stairs to go on.
Outdoor Living Areas create a better quality of live and can be extremely attractive to new homebuyers.
Trees can help with erosion as well when their roots branch out they can help keep the ground around them in place. They are also great for shade which can allow for more enjoyable time outdoors in the summer as well as lower energy bills if they are near the house and keep some of that hot sun off the house.
Water Features can make your landscape one of a kind. Adding some peaceful tranquility to your yard is an aspect often forgotten about and requires almost little maintenance.
Lighting will provide additional time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors after dark especially if you have an outdoor living area or patio.
If you are ready to begin your landscaping journey and would like some professional input, give Masseo Landscape a call and we would be happy to come take a look and get you an estimate on your project.