4 Elements of Landscape Design That Help Sell Houses

Today, we will take a moment to examine some key elements of a good landscape design so that you can begin to identify what your project may need before calling in the pros.

Choose a landscape design that complements the home.

The first element of a good design is that the landscape complements the home. You do not want your landscape to steal the show, so to speak. The landscaping should be inviting and attractive, but not over-the-top or more striking than the house itself. If after looking at the landscape you find yourself disappointed by the home itself, then something is out of balance.

Incorporate complementary colors into your landscaping.

The second element to a good design is color. You want to incorporate colors that not only draw interest, but also complement the house, each other, and the nature surrounding the house. Keep in mind as well that the colors of many shrubs change throughout the year and many flowers last only for a brief period, with the exception of annuals that usually bloom all season but need re-planted each year.

Also, remember that just because a plant is attractive, it does not mean that it will work for your project. Take the purple leaf sand cherry, for example. It starts the spring with bright red foliage, followed by white flowers in May, purple-black leaves for the remainder of summer and a magnificent reddish purple for the fall. This sounds great, and it can be – but if incorporated in the wrong surroundings, it may take away from the overall attractiveness of your home. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to gather information about landscaping loans, a resource of significant value that essentially functions as a comprehensive guide.

Use landscape design to “soften” your home.

The third job of the landscape is to “soften” your home. This term may be unfamiliar to some, so let me explain a bit further. Think of a home with no landscaping, you have a horizontal plane (the ground) slamming into a vertical plane (the house) and it sticks out like a sore thumb. The landscaping is used to bridge this transition or “soften” it.

Think of a thoughtful landscape going from the 20’ height of the roof down to a 16’ tall evergreen, down to a 10’ flowering tree of some sort, then down to low shrubs, and finally, the flowers. You can envision how much more attractive this is than a house plopped onto the ground as if dropped from a helicopter.

Landscaping should lead your guests to the front door.

The last big element in a good design is what I call “leading your guests.” From the time your guests enter your driveway, you want to lead them on a “journey” up the drive to the front door of the home. One way to simplify this is to think to yourself, “If I were driving up here for the first time, would I know exactly which door to go to as a guest?”

On some homes, this is harder than others, and sometimes it is not a feasible problem to solve. But people will feel more comfortable and the home will be more attractive if they know when they come up to your front door as a guest that they are going to the correct door.

 Any home can be made beautiful and attractive with good landscaping. You do have to consider costs and re-sale values, but the time it takes to sell can matter as much as the ROI. I recommend that you landscape before doing the interior rehab to begin to draw attention to the home long before it is ready to sell.