Landscaping ideas to boost your curb appeal: Transform your home's exterior with these 12 tips

When it comes to selling your home or creating a welcoming atmosphere for guests, curb appeal plays a vital role. A well-designed and maintained landscape can significantly enhance your property's exterior and make a lasting impression on potential buyers. In fact, you can boost your home’s value by as much as 3% to 5%, according to Consumer Reports.

But not all landscaping ideas are created equal. Stick to these 12 tips to ensure your home improvement project gives you the most ROI and enjoyment.

1. Make a plan

Re-landscaping your home to boost curb appeal is an exciting home improvement project, but without a well-thought-out plan, it can quickly become overwhelming or over budget.

A plan helps you articulate your vision for your outdoor space, define your goals, understand your preferences, and identify the elements you want to incorporate into your landscape. Whether you desire a vibrant garden, a serene retreat, or a low-maintenance design, a plan helps you stay focused and ensures your final result aligns with your vision.

Your plan will also help you stay on budget. As a part of your planning process, outline the necessary materials, labor costs, and ongoing maintenance requirements, to avoid any unexpected expenses and make informed decisions about how to allocate your resources effectively.

2. Revitalize your lawn

Few things have as significant an impact on your curb appeal as a vibrant and well-maintained lawn. Think of it as a lush green welcome mat that sets the stage for the rest of your landscape and home. As such, revitalizing your lawn can breathe new life into your property and create a welcoming and attractive first impression.

Start by preparing the soil, removing any debris or weeds, and addressing any drainage issues. Reseed or sod bare patches, and choose a grass variety suitable for your climate and light conditions. Regularly water, mow, and fertilize to ensure that your lawn remains vibrant and lush.

If, however, you can’t commit to taking care of your lawn or hiring a service to do it for you, think about replacing your lawn with a lower maintenance option. Just as a well-maintained lawn can boost curb appeal, a poorly maintained one can hurt it.

3. Create captivating garden beds

Garden beds add color, texture, and personality to your landscape. They signal to passersby that this isn’t just a house, it’s a home.

Start by defining the borders of your garden bed. Use edging materials such as bricks or stones to create clean and distinct boundaries. This provides a sense of structure and helps prevent grass and weeds from encroaching on your plantings.

Then, choose a cohesive color scheme, and layer plants of varying heights and textures. Keep in mind that some plants will last a season (annuals) while others will bloom year after year (perennials). For best results, use a mix of both and plan to update your annuals every season. 

Just like with a lawn, though, don’t add garden beds if you can’t commit to maintaining them. Overgrown or dying garden beds will act as a deterrent to potential buyers, just as much as a thriving garden bed acts as an incentive.

Learn how to protect your garden from animals

4. Add eye-catching planters and containers

If you don’t have the room for a garden, or you simply want to bring more life into areas of your yard that don’t have the space for a garden bed, try adding planters. Planters and containers offer versatility and visual interest without the work of putting in a garden bed.

For the most impact, use a variety of planter sizes, shapes, and colors. This will help add depth and create an inviting look. Then, fill your planters with diverse plant combinations of varying heights, colors, and textures to match.

5. Install outdoor lighting for nighttime appeal

Outdoor lighting enhances your home's curb appeal after dark. Highlight focal points like trees and planters, illuminate pathways, and consider uplighting and downlighting options. Energy-efficient LED fixtures are particularly popular for outdoor lighting, as are solar powered lights.

6. Incorporate water features

Water features create a sense of tranquility and elegance while attracting friendly wildlife to your yard. Boost your curb appeal and create an inviting area for local birds by adding a fountain or birdbath to your garden beds. If you have the room and are up for the maintenance, add a pond, water garden, or cascading waterfall. Solar-powered options offer an additional layer of eco-friendliness, and help keep maintenance costs low.

7. Maintain a neat and tidy yard

Regular home maintenance is an essential part of home ownership, and it can have a huge impact on your curb appeal. Keep your landscape neat by mowing the lawn, pruning shrubs and trees, removing weeds, cleaning pathways, and maintaining clean edges. For drier climates, sweep your carport and rake away any detritus from your landscaping. 

Read our ultimate home maintenance checklist

8. Enhance the front door and outdoor entryway

Elevating your entryway with strategic landscaping ideas can significantly boost your curb appeal by creating an inviting first impression. Start by making your entryway the focal point of your front yard. Install an attractive front door or add a fresh coat of paint to your existing one. Give your home a fresh face with modern new house numbers and attractive light fixtures.

If you really want to boost your entryway appeal, consider adding an arbor, pergola, or trellis near the entry to provide shade and vertical interest. These features can be adorned with climbing plants or hanging baskets to add a touch of natural beauty.

9. Upgrade hardscaping elements

Hardscaping elements refer to the non-living features and structures incorporated into a landscape design. These elements are typically made of durable materials such as stone, concrete, wood, or metal. Hardscaping plays a significant role in enhancing curb appeal by providing structure, functionality, and aesthetic appeal to outdoor spaces.

To upgrade your hardscaping, start by repairing or replacing damaged pathways and driveways. Consider adding stone or brick borders, or decorative fences or gates, and rejuvenate your outdoor seating areas.

10. Prioritize native plants

Native plants are plants that are, well, native to your specific climate or region. They’ve evolved to live there without human intervention, and can thrive in the local climate, soil, and ecosystem. Native plants have grown in popularity over the years for their low-maintenance and natural appeal, making them an ideal choice for anyone re-landscaping their home.

Ask your local nursery for native plant recommendations and incorporate them into your landscape to enhance biodiversity, attract local wildlife, and create a low-maintenance, harmonious, and sustainable environment.

11. Incorporate vertical landscaping

Vertical landscaping, also known as vertical gardening or vertical greening, refers to the practice of utilizing vertical space to grow plants, whether it be on walls, fences, or other vertical structures. Instead of relying solely on traditional ground-level gardens, vertical landscaping maximizes space by utilizing vertical surfaces.

Vertical landscaping can add visual interest to your yard and maximize your outdoor space. To boost your curb appeal with this gardening technique, install trellises or vertical gardens to grow climbing plants and vines. Not only does this create a stunning backdrop, but it can help add some privacy.

Pro tip: If you have an unsightly outdoor air conditioning unit or similar, use vertical gardening techniques to cover it with welcoming greenery.

12. Create a welcoming front porch

Your front porch bridges the gap between your home’s exterior and interior. As such, you don’t want it to feel neglected or dirty like other high-traffic outside areas. Instead, think of it as an extension of your family room.

Create a welcoming look with inviting furniture and colorful cushions or outdoor rugs. Hang potted plants or flower baskets to add a little greenery, and make sure to top it off with a homey welcome mat.

By implementing these 12 landscaping tips, you can dramatically enhance your home's curb appeal and boost your home’s value. Just be sure to carefully plan your re-landscaping project before embarking on it to stay on budget and on task. Once your project is complete, remember to maintain a neat and tidy appearance with regular maintenance. Doing so will allow you to enjoy your work and get the most value-boosting effects whether you're preparing to sell or simply want to enjoy a stunning outdoor space.

FAQs

Here are more details about landscaping for curb appeal.

Q: What is curb appeal in landscaping? How can I improve it?‍

Curb appeal refers to the attractiveness and visual appeal of a property as seen from the street. In landscaping, it involves enhancing the front yard's aesthetics, incorporating design elements, and maintaining a well-groomed appearance to create a positive first impression.

Q: What are some low-maintenance landscaping ideas that still enhance curb appeal?‍

Opt for drought-tolerant plants and native species that require less watering and upkeep. Implement mulch or ground covers to minimize weed growth, and consider installing automated irrigation systems for efficient watering.

Q: How can I make a small front yard appear more spacious and inviting?‍

Use vertical gardening techniques with tall, slender plants to draw the eye upward and create an illusion of height. Incorporate mirrors strategically to reflect light and make the space feel larger. Install a well-defined pathway to guide visitors towards the entrance.

Q: What are some budget-friendly landscaping ideas to boost curb appeal?‍

Investing in landscaping curb-appeal doesn't have to break the bank. You can start by decluttering and tidying up your front yard, an adding a fresh coat of paint to your front door and trim for an instant facelift. Try to use inexpensive materials like gravel, bark chips, or recycled materials for pathways and borders.