How to Improve your Curb Appeal with Essential Landscaping

Guest Blog #160, Entry #635, August 30, 2011

If you know you’re moving in a few years and want to raise the curb appeal and value of your home, you have a number of different options. Some of these home improvement projects are easy enough for the average DIYer, but some landscape designs and home improvement are best left to professional landscaper designers and home improvement contractors.

Curb Appeal Landscaping

When landscaping your yard for curb appeal, there are plenty of things you can do without going overboard and drawing too much attention in a bad way!

Upgraded front entries

You are sure to increase curb appeal with a front door or, better yet, full front entry upgrade. You can do anything from painting your front door to adding a walkway leading up to the front door to incorporating landscaping lighting (unique light fixture on your porch ceiling, two lamp posts on either side of your front stoop, etc).

Upgrade your front entry with plants, lighting, and walkway pavers

Image courtesy of Moving Gal

Landscape lighting

Not only can landscape lighting boost the curb appeal of your home, but it also allows your summer parties to continue long into the night. When it comes to landscape lighting, you literally have hundreds of options, from lamp posts and tiki torches to flood lights, interesting fixtures and more!

Retaining walls

Retaining walls can add distinct beauty to your yard, whether you opt for a brick or stone retaining wall. A retaining wall that leads to your front porch from the driveway, lines part of your driveway, surrounds the small circular garden in your yard…you have a wide variety of choices. Not sure where to put it? That’s what professional landscape designers are for!

Retaining walls can add beauty too!

Spectacular stairways

If your home is on a slope, don’t feel limited in your landscape design options! In addition to retaining walls, stairs are a great landscaping solution if your front yard is on a steep hill. You can go a step further increase curb appeal by incorporating a railing.

Patios

If your backyard is visible from the street, adding a patio is one of the best ways to enhance curb appeal and the value of your home. Flagstone patios, brick patios, concrete paver patios, slate patios…the sky is the limit! Any kind of patio – whether it has two levels, a mini fountain and retaining wall or is simpler with potted plants and two chairs – will add value to your home.

Your patio can speak volumes about your curb appeal

Beyond landscape design, there are other things you can do to boost the curb appeal and value of your home. Some of these many home improvement projects include:

• Replacing your old windows with bay windows
• Installing new roofing (copper roofs and roof cupolas are particularly good for improving curb appeal the re-sale value of your home)
• Adding shutters to your windows
• Giving your garage a makeover

Some of these home improvement and landscape design projects fall in the realm of the DIYer, but for major renovations and landscaping, professional landscapers and home improvement companies can help enhance your home’s curb appeal and value.

Four Seasons is a landscape design company that has been providing all types of landscaping services – patios, driveways, water features, plantings, outdoor fireplaces and kitchens, etc. – in the Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia area for more than 15 years.

For more landscaping ideas on Stagetecture, click here.