Your Curb Appeal Appeals to Everyone

 

You have undoubtedly heard about a thing called “curb appeal.” This is the terminology used to describe the appealing landscaping that goes with a house or a business. If they are done right, landscape designs can add an enormous amount of value to a home or place of business.

Landscaping isn’t just something you could do or not do. You know, take it or leave it. Any quality landscape designer will accurately tell you that it can raise the value of your property by as much as 12% and can increase the resale value of your home by 14% or more. Those are some pretty big numbers, which means that if you were thinking about moving anytime soon, you should look very closely at the idea that bringing in a landscaper to do a fix up or, if need be, a complete overhaul of your landscape needs.

If you spend as little as 5% of your home’s value on a landscaping project to give your home the curb appeal that it is currently lacking, you can look for as much a 150% ROI from that work. That should seem like a no-brainer to you. Any kind of project that gives that kind of return on investment is well worth looking into.

If you are not looking to move anytime soon, or ever for that matter, a yard project might just be the thing you need to give you the joy in your home that you might be lacking. Harris Poll recently conducted a small survey for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. They polled 2,034 adults 18 years of age and older and found that 75% of them felt it is important to spend time outside in their yards.

There is something about a yard that can be either infuriating and depressing or extremely peaceful, like a little getaway just beyond the front or back door. If you have ever seen the movie “The Karate Kid” (the good one, from 1984!) then you might remember how Mr. Miyagi’s house didn’t look like much from the front, but the sliding door in the back opened up into this amazing garden. That garden was where Daniel learned the ways of Karate by peacefully learning to care for that garden like it was his own.

Landscaping has grown into a multi-million dollar industry, but not without good reason. If you take a look at two identical homes, one with a nicely landscaped yard and one without, you are much more likely to find the well maintained and landscaped house much more desirable. That is what curb appeal means. When you are out looking for a home to buy and you drive up to the address, the landscaping is the first thing that catches your eye. It certainly isn’t the kitchen tile or the mother-in-law suite off the back of the house.

The next time you’re out when you come back home, drive by your house and have a look. Is your home giving off good curb appeal?