A question is always asked by homeowners looking to take on a landscaping remodel. How can a Toronto landscaping company add property value to my home? It’s a valid concern as you’re planning to invest in your home with such a project. You’ve also heard answers time and time again that landscaping can raise your home’s property value by X percent, giving you an extra value of Y thousand dollars come resale. But these bold statements of inevitable success are more complex than other articles make them out to be.
The decisions you need to make when landscaping need to take into account several things, all of which may positively or negatively affect the total outcome of your proposed project. We must know what these considerations are so that you can make an informed decision on the landscaping projects that you’re thinking of pursuing. Below, we’ll detail the biggest consideration you should have when doing landscaping: Is this landscaping project meant to satisfy you, or is it an investment for a future sale? After that, we’ll talk about the different parts of a landscaping project that need to be considered when thinking about a project that aims to increase your home’s marketability and value.
Is this Landscaping Project for you, or Your Future Buyer?
Your landscaping selections provide the ideal platform to share your distinctive style with the world. It’s a chance for you to express your uniqueness, so as long as your choices are within your means, you shouldn’t feel constrained. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that what you find attractive might not always appeal to a customer, which is why making the right choice is so vital. Both you and your landscaping contractor must give considerable thought to how to balance your vision with the potential for resale value throughout the design stage. This option will ultimately affect the scope and magnitude of your project and direct your future decisions. If necessary, you might also think about getting a renovation loan to assist in paying for your landscaping.
Thinking like a Buyer
Adding high-end landscaping features like pools and curated gardens will raise the overall property value of your home. But there is an important distinction when it comes to assessing the value of your house. There is a difference between its physical value, as in how much in actual dollars your entire home with the landscaping could sell for, and its salability or how attractive your property will be for potential buyers. Now while there are always those few buyers who are willing to buy your home as-is for the most you can sell it for, more often than not, a buyer will have their own needs when they look at listings.
You vs. the Neighborhood
While this applies to your home as a whole, it’s still important when considering how to proceed with your landscaping project. If you’re planning to eventually sell your home, take a look around your neighborhood. Normally, buyers will compare the value of your home relative to the homes around it.
When considering your landscaping project as an investment to attract buyers, it may be a good idea to have your landscaping be somewhat at par with the homes around you. This doesn’t just mean keeping with the general aesthetic of the neighborhood, which increases your property value. It also means that you shouldn’t go overboard. Increasing the value of your home too much relative to your neighbors may make it look overpriced in comparison to the surrounding homes when potential buyers take a look at your listing.
What Buyers Might Want
What you put into your landscaping is a reflection of what you want. But a buyer may have completely different needs when looking for a new home for themselves. Below are several major landscaping areas that you’ll need to consider when planning a project with resale in mind.
Pools
Pools are the perfect way to add a centerpiece to your backyard landscaping while also providing a functional space to entertain your guests. They’re a good way to raise the property value of your home.
However, some buyers will only see negatives with a swimming pool. A swimming pool comes with it a litany of long-term costs, having to deal with maintenance and cleaning between seasons, as well as future repairs that may be needed. A swimming pool can also be a safety concern for some home buyers. For buyers who are looking for a home to raise a small child, the pool presents a hazard.
It’s important to remember that if you’re going to install a pool, you will be alienating a segment of potential buyers come selling time. However, that is true for most decisions regarding your home.
Garden
Gardens are the perfect way to brighten up your landscaping project. Adding colorful flowers and tasteful shrubbery are surefire ways to increase curb appeal and make your home stand out from the rest of the neighborhood without completely breaking the aesthetic.
Plants are the most cost-effective way to increase your property value through landscaping. A very good choice is to plant trees on your property. It’s a small investment upfront but in a few years, you’ll have a tall tree that can provide shade in the backyard as well as a good windbreak for your home. Evergreens are a good choice for Toronto homes as they stay green all year round, providing color for your yard. As for the smaller plants and flowering bushes, it’s good to choose local species as they are already used to the climate of the area and thus will require less maintenance in general. Adding exotic plants to your garden will up the care costs for your garden and may require extra equipment to keep it healthy.
It’s important however not to overdo your garden’s design, however. You don’t want your yards to look like jungles as they can be off-putting for buyers who will see it as a nuisance and a chore to keep properly watered.
Water Features
Water features like ponds and fountains are a good way to pretty up your landscaping if you’re not the type to splurge on a pool. However, much like pools, maintenance costs are a turn-off for the potential home buyer. Not to mention the costs to utilities that come with keeping the pumps moving and the water flowing. Ponds are also liable to scum up eventually as well if not properly cared for and can be a place for mosquitoes to breed in the summer. All of these are important things to consider before adding one to your yard if you’re ever planning to eventually sell your home.
Other External Areas
Several other landscaping additions like outdoor kitchens and sports areas like basketball half courts might also raise your property value. Buy only for buyers already looking for such additions. These types of things carry with them significant costs and maintenance for a space that has only one or two very specific uses.
Outdoor kitchens come with a lot of additional plumbing and gas works that will need to be kept in proper working condition and sports court materials will break down eventually as well.
Keeping a Classic Look
As you can see above, maintenance is a significant consideration buyers take into account when choosing a new home. But probably the best way to create marketable landscaping that will draw eyes to your home come the time to sell is to keep your aesthetic clean and simple.
You can do this by keeping the landscaping clean and uncrowded. Provide a bit of negative space between the major eyecatchers of your landscape to provide clarity and a space for your buyers to imagine their additions. An overly designed landscape may end up looking outdated as trends change. Using classic materials like stone and wood will give your home a timeless feel.
This doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice your vision to make your home as marketable as possible. It’s just important that you align your expectations properly between what you want out of your landscaping and what a buyer might want in the future. Besides, a good landscaping contractor can take your plan, work it out with you, and execute it in a way that can balance both your desires and your aim for the home to appeal to as many buyers as possible. Communicate with your landscaping team about what you want out of your project and how much you are willing to compromise to balance one need with the other.
But no matter the scope and scale of your landscaping projects, be assured that you’ll be in good hands with the expert team at M.E. Contracting. Call us at (416) 238-6700 and our expert team of landscape designers, builders, and craftsmen will come and provide you with in-home consultation and estimate. We are Toronto landscaping contractors who offer complete landscaping solutions including Pool Building and Installation, Deck Building, Sport Court Installation, Paving and interlocking, Outdoor Kitchen Installation, Woodworking, and many more, These landscaping services can be tailored to every budget. At M.E. Contracting we are proud to call ourselves a one-stop-shop for all your outdoor landscaping needs. We also own the only landscaping showroom in Ontario with over 7,000 sft of landscaping items & accessories such as Interlocking tiles, stones, Railings, decks, pergolas, several outdoor kitchens, and outdoor furniture, Concrete pools, and even a full-size fiberglass pool!
Author Profile
'M.E. Contracting is one of Toronto’s premier outdoor solutions company. Founded by owners Keren and Eitan Abu, with a desire to change the face of Toronto through the revitalization of outdoor living space, M.E. Contracting was established. The “M” and “E” stand for Keren and Eitan’s daughters, Mika and Emma; from the start these two girls have inspired the vision of innovation and creativity that M.E. embodies today. Want to see for yourself? Our 7,000 square foot landscaping showroom is the only showroom in Ontario dedicated to landscaping and outdoor transformations'
