6 Garden Ideas That Will Boost the Value of Your Home

6 Garden Ideas That Will Boost the Value of Your Home These simple outdoor upgrades can benefit your home's curb appeal and resale value. By  Wendy Rose Gould     Published on February 2, 2023   There's compelling data about interior design upgrades that can instantly boost the value of your home. These range from single-day projects—like switching up the color of your front door—to more in-depth home renovations that require a longer lead time, such as removing carpet, updating the kitchen, and giving your bathroom a makeover. But this concept of boosting home value translates to outdoor spaces, too. "Just as important as choosing the right paint colors, a cohesive plant palette brings a level of sophistication and balance, and a well-designed landscape increases a home's value," notes Amy Hovis, the principal of Eden Garden Design,an Austin-based landscape design company. "It elevates a property as a whole and creates a magical element that is hard to achieve in any other way." COURTESY OF GREG THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY To that end, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) purports that professional-level landscaping can add 15 to 20 percent to a home's overall price tag. With that said, if you plan to resell anytime soon, note that there's a balance to strive for when it comes to beautiful design and the amount of upkeep required. When in doubt, the most important things to focus on are clutter-free presentation, easy-to-care for plants, and simple features that pack a punch. "Any landscape or garden will need regular upkeep, but a well-designed landscape full of native and adapted plants can be relatively low in maintenance needs [and require less water]," notes Hovis. "There's innate beauty in celebrating what occurs naturally in nature, the change in seasons, and embracing the ebb and flow of plant cycles." Whether you plan to sell your home in the near future or simply want to boost your existing curb appeal, consider these impactful outdoor upgrades.  6 Affordable Renovations That Will Increase the Value of Your Home GETTY IMAGES Add Solar Powered Lighting Lighting can instantly add a heightened level of sophistication to your outdoor space, but electric wiring is often labor intensive and expensive. Should something go awry, it can also be costly and difficult to fix. As an alternative, consider solar powered lighting. "Solar power lighting has grown in popularity, so you can find a wide variety of styles," says Danielle Nash, project director and designer at Freemodel. "For a more minimalistic look, you can find solar lighting that is smaller in size and can easily be placed out of sight while still serving purpose." Bring solar lighting to your walking paths (they should be out of the way of foot traffic) or place fixtures around your yard to strategically show off garden features; they also work as sconces on wall exteriors. Pro tip: Make sure to routinely wipe your solar lights' surfaces to ensure they capture enough sunlight during the day. JULIA DAVILA-LAMPE / GETTY IMAGES Create a Simple Front Entry Courtyard An enclosed courtyard at your front entry creates an extension of your interior living space while offering an inviting, intimate outdoor reprieve. It sounds intimidating, but it's possible to pull it off with little trouble. "You can create a private courtyard to your entry by making a little fenced-in area with pea gravel and plantings," says Hovis. "Within the enclosure, a simple steel arbor creates an outdoor room." Here's a step-by-step guide, courtesy of Hovis: Level the area and make sure to address any drainage concerns. Add compacted road base to the entire area to create a firm substructure. Tamper down the road base before adding pea gravel. "This step is crucial in order to avoid having a courtyard with mushy gravel that's difficult to walk on," says Hovis. Add the pea gravel to the area and leave out areas for planting. Planting pockets may be added throughout the space by digging large holes and adding in good soil prior to planting. "Once planted, top dress planted areas with a layer of pea gravel to create an overall consistent look," says Hovis. GETTY IMAGES Add Beautiful Planters Whether your exterior space has a limited amount of acreage to work with or you're seeking a simple way to add color and vibrancy, planters filled with native plants are an easy go-to. "Apart from bringing color to your yard, these flowering plants will also give local bees and other insects food in the form of nectar and pollen which grass doesn't do," says Anton Ledin, an in-house plant expert with Planta. Ledin offers a few suggestions for ways to seamlessly incorporate planters into your exterior space: Choose three to five pots or planters that look similar in style and arrange them together. Align pots on either side of an entryway. Add pots to corners of a deck Consider rectangular planters that create more of a garden bed aesthetic. "You can choose different plants, but keep one plant type in each pot," says Ledin. "The options are seemingly endless when choosing annuals, but remember to choose those suited to the light levels the pots will be placed in." Not a fan of flowering annuals? Opt for interesting foliage types or grasses, which are a good choice for low light scenarios. Succulents are another excellent choice, since they require low maintenance and minimal water. KEITH GETTER / GETTY IMAGES Incorporate a Large Feature Plant Along with flower beds and potted plants, incorporate one or two larger feature plants into your yard if space allows. Sticking to just one or two larger plants naturally spotlights each—plus it doesn't create a burden of maintenance. "Sometimes, one single tree or big plant can be enough to make a big difference in an otherwise rather blank space," says Ledin. "A small growing tree or a large bush can be an alternative, and there are many to choose from depending on your hardiness zone and climate." Some options include Japanese maples with their golden, variegated, or red leaves, flowering trees such as magnolias or dogwoods, and trees that put on a spectacle of color in the fall such as oaks, aspens, sassafras, and hawthorns. Smaller fruiting trees are a beautiful option, as well, says Ledin. MTREASURE / GETTY IMAGES Build a Beautiful Deck Building a deck is another way to "add" to the square footage of your home. It doesn't have to be a grand space or huge project, either. "A small deck with a trellis—that will soon be covered with vines—offers a comfortable space to coexist with the natural world," says Hovis. Consider your hardscape needs and preferences (decks, patios, and walkways) and let this be your guide. Once those aspects have been tended to, fill them in with native plants that require minimal maintenance and attract birds, bees, and butterflies. GETTY IMAGES Lay Mulch or Rock Laying mulch or rock quickly nixes yard "clutter" and chaos. Best of all, this DIY project is inexpensive, easy to pull off, and actually helps minimize yard upkeep. "First, it helps to lock in moisture while also blocking out the sunlight. This helps keep weeds from coming to the surface," says Nash. "Second, [it] creates a clean and cohesive look, making the overall landscaping look uniform. This will appeal to potential buyers because it is a low maintenance alternative to grass." You can lay mulch or rock in key areas, like within garden beds, around pathways, and against fences. Rock is best for dry or desert climates, but can work anywhere. Mulch should remain somewhat moist and can attract bugs and termites in arid climates where it tends to dry out; it is best utilized in areas that receive consistent precipitation.

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What Home Trends Will Buyers Be Looking For in 2024?

What Home Trends Will Buyers Be Looking For in 2024? February 1, 2024 What’s “in” this new year? We’re providing insight on what your buyers will be looking for and what your seller and landlord clients could consider to make their spaces more appealing. Check out some top trends that could define 2024. Smart Home Integration Think: safety and convenience. If your clients are looking to give their home an edge over others on the market, the addition of a few smart devices may help. In addition to allowing a smart tv to convey; smart thermostats, garage and door openers, and exterior cameras that can all be controlled from an app can put a new homeowner at ease when moving in. Check out our Rooflines podcast for more information on the latest technologies. Nooks and Crannies Along with neutrals, the open-concept floor plan is continuing its way out. Buyers and renters are looking for unique rooms with character and spaces that have a multitude of uses. Office by day… guest room by night? Yes, please! Buyers are looking for less space but flexibility in how it can be used. Additional built-in storage in some of these areas could be a huge bonus. Have you heard of the stove-nook trend for kitchen storage? Adding shelving nooks on either side of a range that’s surrounded by an alcove is a popular way to gain useful (and stylish!) storage. From 2023 Neutrals to 2024 Bold Neutrals and “millennial gray” were staples during the last few years, but be on the lookout for bold color and design choices in homes this year. From moody, charcoal walls to playful and color-filled rooms, clients and designers alike are looking to change it up. One trick clients can try to refresh a large space: paint one wall a darker color and give the surrounding walls a lighter color from the same paint color swatch! Continuing the Earthy & Sustainable A connection with nature continues to remain a top priority for homeowners, from decorating with Earth-inspired objects to keeping design choices sustainable. Have your clients consider shopping for unique home decor at a thrift store or online marketplace. Other top sustainable home design options may include furniture made of bamboo or recycled materials. Indoor plants will remain a staple, providing both a pop of color and a fresh outdoor aesthetic.

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Are Home Builders Optimistic About the 2024 Housing Market?

Are Home Builders Optimistic About the 2024 Housing Market? January 8, 2024 One of the biggest themes for the housing market in 2023 was “lack of inventory.” Low supply is one of the primary issues in the housing market that needs to be addressed to achieve a healthy market. There aren’t enough homes being built nationwide based on the demand that is out there in the market. Let’s take a look at how the home building industry is feeling about the market in the coming year. According to the National Association of Home Builders, 36% of builders stated that they cut the cost of new construction by 6% on average to help bolster sales in December. Roughly 60% of builders offered incentives such as assistance towards closing costs to try and attract more buyer clients amid the elevated mortgage rates. Each month, the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo publish a housing market index report analyzing the builder sentiment for that given month. “The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) is based on a monthly survey of NAHB members designed to take the pulse of the single-family housing market. The survey asks respondents to rate market conditions for the sale of new homes at the present time and in the next six months as well as the traffic of prospective buyers of new homes.” The HMI rose for the first time in four months to 37 as the average weekly mortgage rate declined throughout December. This indicates that home builders are starting to feel more optimistic about conditions in the 2024 market, and much of this is likely driven by the pent-up demand that is out there in addition to falling mortgage rates. Virginia The housing market plays a huge role in the health of the economy. The number of building permits is an economic indicator to determine how the construction industry will perform and meet the current demand. According to the recent Census data, Virginia had 2,673 approved building permits in November, 1,640 being single-family homes and 1,033 multifamily. From January to November 2023, there have been 32,871 total building permits. This is 9.7% lower than this time last year, which reflects 3,547 fewer building permits. Home builders were pretty optimistic about market conditions throughout most of the summer season in 2023, but when rates began to reach near the 8% mark, many became uneasy about what would unfold in the future. Another reason why home starts and building permits have slowed is because of the lack of skilled labor. Many contractors have job availability but struggle to fill the positions. According to the Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry needed 546,000 additional workers to meet the demand for labor. Despite all the turmoil in the real estate industry, many home builders across the nation are optimistic about the industry in 2024 as there are signs that rates may slowly decrease, which will likely fuel potential buyers to enter the market.

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