Like many Alexandria, VA homeowners, you’re probably very tuned in to the importance of curb appeal. Driving around here in Northern Virginia, you know there are many well-maintained properties that homeowners proudly show off.
Like these other homeowners, you want your landscaping to showcase your home and increase the value of your property.
That’s why we’re discussing landscaping curb appeal ideas to boost your home’s aesthetic and monetary value. After all, as you probably know, your landscape is directly linked to your property value….there’s simply no way around it!
The better the outside of your home looks, the more its value shoots up.
In this article, we’ll share some of our best advice, answer some of your common questions, and share our tips for curb appeal.
We will cover:
After reading this article, we hope you will have plenty of ideas for upgrading your landscaping to boost curb appeal.
Any landscape that makes your property more attractive and usable will add the most value. There’s no question that more people are looking to spend time outside. They want to see outdoor spaces that are an extension of the home.
Landscaping to add value will look slightly different in the front yard than in the backyard. In the front, it’s largely about wow factor and curb appeal (what we’re primarily discussing in this article). But in the backyard, it’s about family and entertaining space.
For the front of the house, consider landscaping curb appeal ideas like functional and attractive walkways and steps, beautiful plant beds, and a well-maintained lawn.
Outdoor living spaces in the backyard have been shown to have a strong ROI for landscaping projects. Research and surveys of homeowners over the years have consistently revealed that people increasingly value outdoor space where they can spend time with family and friends.
If you are considering landscaping to sell a house, you want to focus on projects that immediately impact curb appeal. The front lawn, plant beds, and walkways give a first impression.
These are areas to focus on to improve your property's wow factor. Let’s examine them a bit more closely.
If you’re looking to sell your home, you know that the first thing people will notice when they pull up is your front lawn. It sets a tone.
If it’s a great-looking lawn, potential buyers will automatically assume that if you put that much pride into your lawn, the house will be fantastic.
Having your front yard’s plant beds spruced up before listing your home is an important step in landscaping when selling a home. Adding some color is a simple and inexpensive way to give your home the wow factor.
You should also add a layer of expertly installed mulch with professional edging. This will make your home even more appealing.
Finally, you want to ensure that the hardscaping in your front yard is functioning properly and not in disrepair.
Cracked or crumbling walkways or steps can give a bad impression of the state of your property and can also be trip and fall hazards.
Projects focused on the front of the home are best for improving curb appeal. People will see this when they drive by or visit your home. This type of landscaping is responsible for people’s first impression of your property, so it’s linked to a home’s value.
We’ll share some of our favorite tips for curb appeal in the next section.
The front of your home is everyone’s first impression. Landscape design ideas focusing on curb appeal should emphasize the landscaping at the front of the house.
Many tips for curb appeal don’t have to do with landscaping.
Things like freshening up the paint on your front door, power washing the siding, cleaning the windows, fixing gutters, and putting away any clutter can make a big difference in giving the front of your home a fresh and appealing look.
However, landscaping is also one of the best ways to maximize curb appeal. Here are some of our expert landscaping tips for an attractive front yard.
It sounds so simple, but doing yard clean-up is imperative to boosting curb appeal. If you have fallen branches, leaves, or other debris in your yard, it will look messy (regardless of any other landscaping ideas you implement).
When debris is left in your yard, it also invites pests like landscape bugs and even rodents to reside. Most pests do not like being out in the open and will hide under the cover of leaves and branches.
If you want a landscaping idea that will have an instantaneous impact, consider container gardens. Beautifully arranged planters can be strategically placed on your front porch or around your front yard to add color and interest.
If landscaping to sell a house, you can also plan to take the planters. This is a way to “stage” the property without making a permanent change.
If you aren’t landscaping to sell a house in the immediate future but are focused solely on improving curb appeal, consider your plant beds. Upgrading your beds by adding new plant material or extending the space can significantly enhance the wow factor of your home.
Many homes have a cookie-cutter, builder-grade plant bed with just a few standard plants. These small beds lack creativity and often look exactly like everyone else’s. You might consider extending or adding new beds to your property to enhance the look.
Many homes in Alexandria, VA, have sloped front yards, and people assume there’s not much they can do regarding planting. But there are ways to get creative in sloped yards with terracing and retaining walls, which can add great value.
If you have a sloped property, like the one we discussed above, a retaining wall might be warranted to help hold back erosion and allow you to install beautiful plants.
But adding an accent wall, even if you don’t need it for retention, can boost curb appeal in many ways.
Adding an accent wall with dry-stacked stone can be another aesthetic enhancement that separates your property from others. You don’t have to incorporate an accent wall across your front yard—even adding a wall to a portion of a landscaped area can tremendously impact curb appeal.
Most driveways and walkways are built as cheaply as possible when homes are built. That means builder’s grade concrete walkways and probably an asphalt driveway.
But if you’re considering landscape design ideas that will boost the value of your home and set you apart from every other house in the neighborhood, you might want to consider upgrades.
Pavers are a popular way to upgrade hardscaping.
There are also many great walkway ideas featuring pavers. With so much variety, many possibilities exist for creating walkways with borders and patterns. Pavers are set on top of a compacted gravel and sand base, which makes shifting and settling very unlikely if appropriately constructed. Pavers can also make an appealing choice for driveways.
Natural stone, such as flagstone or travertine, is also an excellent walkway choice. It is durable, attractive, and low-maintenance.
Another landscape design idea that will have a huge impact on curb appeal is to incorporate outdoor lighting. Landscape lighting has several significant benefits.
In the front yard, landscape lighting is important for curb appeal, safely navigating walkways, and security.
You will want to work with the right landscaping professional to incorporate any of these landscape design ideas. It helps to partner with a pro who will listen to your ideas and bring their skill and expertise. Together, you can develop a landscape design that will maximize the curb appeal of your property.
We recommend choosing a landscaper who can handle everything in-house. That includes the design and installation of any landscaping project and the ongoing maintenance, which is critical for curb appeal.
By handing the work and the worries over to a true professional who can create a fantastic landscape design and provide maintenance services to keep it looking its best, all you’ll have left to do is enjoy your landscape.
If you’d like to discuss creating a stunning landscape, request a consultation, get your customized plan, and relax while you watch a dream landscape take shape right before your eyes.