How to Increase the value of your home with Curb Appeal Landscaping
Curb appeal landscaping is landscaping that frames the house and leads the eye to the front door, creating a unified, balanced look. Lawns are neatly manicured, shrubs trimmed and flowerbeds are free of weeds. A well-designed front yard can add 10 to 12 percent to the value of a home, particularly in a subdivision where the homes resemble each other in other aspects, according to a survey published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture. The landscape designs that added the most value were those that used a sophisticated design scheme with a thoughtful combination of deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Mulch
- Edging
- Grass seed
- Lawn mower
- Edger or trimmer
- Pruning shears
Instructions
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Step into the street and take a good look at your home and front yard. Analyze its curb appeal as objectively as possible. Make a list of the yard's good points, as well as any drawbacks. Perhaps the sidewalk leading to the home makes a sharp entrance that would benefit from the softening effect of landscape plants. Old, tired evergreens or shrubs may need renovation or even removal. Shrubs may be too large or small for their allotted space or look out of balance with other plants.
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Consult landscaping books or look at other yards for ideas. Plan to visually soften the hard surfaces of the home and driveway. Consider building mixed beds that wrap gracefully around the front of the house, perhaps extending along the driveway.
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Draw up a plan for your home landscape based on your site evaluation and research. Place trees and shrubs in the plan first because they act as the foundation for your landscape, giving it vertical depth and substance. Select deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees for year-round interest, but don't use too many different types of plants. Mass groupings of one shrub or perennial is usually most effective. Plant shrubs or perennials in odd numbers for a unified effect.
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Remove sod if necessary and build the new beds. Plant shrubs, trees and perennials, using annuals as filler plants. Add edging and mulch to finish the look and reduce maintenance chores.
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Repair any bare spots in the lawn and mow it weekly to a height of 3 inches. Trim around beds with a trimmer or edger to maintain a neat, manicured look and water it as needed to keep it green.
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Prune shrubs and trees annually to keep them looking neat and tidy, and divide perennials when they become large and unruly. Pull weeds and maintain an overall neat appearance.
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Tips & Warnings
Add solar lights or other lighting to illuminate the front yard at night. Replace worn or cracked cement or brick hardscapes. Clean out the gutters, replace or paint worn shutters and doors and add decorative elements, such as an attractive door knocker or kick plate.
Add a few hanging baskets or planters of colorful annuals as accent pieces.
Choose plants that are hardy for your area, require little maintenance and complement each other in terms of form and color. For example, white flowers are best as an accent, while red and purple are somewhat jarring when they appear together. Lavender, pink and white is a calming combination.
Consider the style of your home when designing curb appeal landscaping. Cottage-style perennial beds are charming in front of a period home but look out of place next to a modern, suburban house. Use mostly evergreen and deciduous shrubs for the front yard. Add a few large rocks or ornamental grasses for focal points.
References
Resources
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