7 Landscaping Moves That Will Hurt Your Home’s Value

The pandemic made many people appreciate their outdoor space more than ever. Buyers also place a high value on landscaping, so it’s important to make smart landscaping moves that will boost the value of your home.

In fact, 79% of Americans believe a lawn is an important feature when renting or buying a home, according to a 2020 study conducted by Engine’s CARAVAN Omnibus on behalf of the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Not sure where to start with your landscaping projects? GOBankingRates spoke with several real estate agents to find out which landscaping moves will help your ability to sell, and which will hinder it.

As a homeowner, one of the worst ways to turn away buyers — and decrease the value of your home — is to allow the landscaping to become overgrown, said Jason Gelios, a Realtor in Southeast Michigan.

“One of the most important features a home has is curb appeal,” he said. “If that part is lacking, then homebuyers won’t be interested in viewing the inside of the home.”

He recommended finding ways to make your curb appeal pop.“This includes trimming up hedges, bushes and trees, power washing the walkways and driveway, and even adding nicely planted flowers and pathway lighting,” he said. “Curb appeal is the number one way to increase a home’s value.”

Having a pool that’s a bit of an eyesore can take away from an otherwise well-maintained property, said Bill Gassett, a Realtor with Maximum Exposure Real Estate, based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

“Some owners have done an awesome job with having a well-manicured lawn and beautiful plantings but have neglected to keep up with their pool and pool deck,” he said. “Cracking and staining on the pool decking and an old-looking liner are can take away from the beauty of any property.”

Another major issue Gassett noted is obvious drainage issues on the outside of your home.

“Signs of erosion around the foundation, with bark mulch out of place and large divots in the ground, are sure signs of significant run-off,” he said.

He said major issues like standing water will lead to penetration in the basement, which could potentially cause the foundation to crack — especially in colder climates.“Nothing can stop a home sale dead in its tracks more than water penetration,” he said. “A significant percentage of buyers will walk away from a house with water problems.”

Therefore, he said it’s important to take care of any drainage issues before investing in shrubbery and other plants.“There is little point in trying to beautify before tackling the basics,” he said.

While an attractive and efficient sprinkler system can increase your home’s value, a poorly designed one can decrease it, said Vicky Noufal, owner of the Platinum Group Real Estate team at Pearson Smith Realty, based in Leesburg, Virginia.

“Examples of improper design include visible lines and poor functionality,” she said. “If you fail to take such poor design into account, it will ultimately affect the plant’s longevity and curb appeal.”

You might be tempted to spend a ton of money on a custom improvement for your backyard, but Noufal said it won’t necessarily be worth the same to a potential buyer.

“Projects like pizza ovens and built-in fire pits are quite enticing, [but] they can cost a great deal of money and do not often provide you with a good ROI,” she said. “Spending a big portion of your budget for a single landscaping project like this does not make much sense at all.”

She said investing a lot of money into a single feature can ultimately cause you to be left with an incomplete landscaping project.

Water features can add an extra touch of perfection that makes your home stand out, said Dustin Fox, a Realtor and owner of the Fox Homes Team, a group serving Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland and West Virginia. However, some of these features require constant maintenance that might be hard to keep up.

“Koi ponds are one of those water features that require regular and costly maintenance,” he said. “If you leave them untouched, they become an eyesore pretty soon.”

When landscaping your home, Fox said to be cognizant of the materials you choose.

“It will be wise to avoid a concrete jungle effect. You can think of breaking up the monster patio with some softscaping,” he said. “It would be better to do so along the rear foundation of the house.”

Concrete might seem like the durable choice, but it’s not the easiest on the eyes — and buyers care about aesthetics.