The Importance of an Attractive Landscape

What does your home's landscape look like? Even if you've designed a cohesive and attractive interior, you may overlook your home's exterior, resulting in a lackluster landscape. As a result, it will offer little or no value to your home's aesthetics. But if you're willing to touch up your home's landscape and keep it tidy, you may notice the following benefits.

Easier to Maintain

While creating an attractive landscape takes time (and usually money), you'll find that it's an easier to maintain that a messy, neglected landscape. When neglected, your landscape will become overgrown with grass and weeds, the latter of which can quickly take over virtually any bare section of exposed ground. By mowing your lawn once a week during the spring and summer -- as well as adding mulch to flowerbeds and around trees -- you'll have an easier time keeping weeds out of your landscape.

Increased Home Value

Another benefit of designing an attractive landscape is increased home value. According to a report published by SF Gate, homes with an attractive landscape sell for an average of 5.5% to 12.7% more than similar-sized homes in the same area with a poor landscape. Therefore, you should think of an attractive landscape as a financial investment. It may not pay off immediately. When you get ready to sell your home, though, prospective buyers should offer you a higher price.

Encourages Outdoor Activities

You may discover that you and your family members spend more time outdoors if your home has an attractive landscape. When it's warm and sunny outside, you can lounge on your patio or in your yard while marveling at your landscape. Of course, you can still use your home's outdoor living space even if you have a messy landscape, but you probably won't receive the same level of enjoyment from it.

Enhances Curb Appeal

Of course, an attractive landscape will naturally enhance your home's curb appeal. As motorists drive by your home and pedestrians walk by it, they'll see your tidy, well-kept landscape. Far too many homeowners neglect their landscape, resulting in poor curb appeal. To prevent this from happening to your home, you must create an attractive landscape that's characterized by a uniform lawn, clean flowerbeds and a general sense of aesthetics.

As you can see, an attractive landscape offers several benefits, including ease of maintenance, increased home value, more time spent outdoors and better curb appeal.