Ways You’re Hurting Your Curb Appeal—and How to Fix Them
Did you know that good landscape design can improve your home’s value by five to 11 percent? If your garden looks a little overgrown and worse for the wear, now is the perfect time to let the professionals take over. You could be hurting your curb appeal and driving your home’s value down without even realizing it.
Unfortunately, landscaping takes time and dedication to keep up—which is why it’s smart to hire a team to help. Professional landscaping designers can help you create a beautiful, low-maintenance yard that won’t take too much time out of your weekly or monthly schedule. You’ll love the way your home looks, and so will potential buyers or appraisers:
Overgrown lawns: Is your grass out of control? Maybe you meant to get around to mowing, but there never seems to be enough time to get the job done. Unfortunately, messy yards can make your home look unkempt, unattractive and neglected. If you can’t commit to mowing as needed, why not take out your lawn altogether? Talented landscape designers can create a rock or mulch-based front yard with drought-friendly plants. Not only will your yard look better with less effort, but you’ll use less water to maintain the yard. That’s a smart choice in drought-stricken California.
Bad lighting: What does your yard look like when you pull up at night? If there’s bad lighting—or no lighting at all—your home will look more like a rundown Haunted Mansion than a well-kept and inviting haven. You can install solar-powered landscape lighting for very little investment these days. It’ll save money on electricity and make your yard look more welcoming at night. Consider highlighting a few features (such as your favorite plants or trees), or installing recessed walkway lighting. This will not only improve your curb appeal, but will also make it safer to get to the front door in the dark.
Damaged decorations: If your garden gnomes look more sinister than charming, it’s time to ditch them or fix them up. The same goes for cloudy, dirty bird baths and other decorative features. Failing to remove or maintain these decorations makes your yard look like the homeowners simply don’t care—and that will drive down your curb appeal. Instead of relying on decorations, have your landscapers make your garden itself the focal point.
Dying trees: Dying trees in a front yard look sad. They’re also dangerous. Trees or branches can fall, harming humans and damaging property. If the tree is diseased, the disease may spread to other trees on your property—or to your neighbors’ yards. Have your landscapers suggest a hardy, low-maintenance variety, or skip trees altogether when you redesign your front yard.
Curb appeal is important, so make sure you choose a landscape design that works with your schedule and capabilities. The team at RainforestLA, Inc. can help you create an outdoor space that’s both beautiful and functional, and we specialize in green, energy-efficient options that are perfect for California properties. Get in touch with us today to get started.