If you’re looking to unlock the real potential of your home, then it’s important to not just focus on the interior, but the exterior as well. This is especially true if you’re looking to improve the value of the property, as curb appeal is often what can sink its hooks into potential buyers. People might want to ensure the rooms indoors fit their needs, but improvements to your exterior can feel like a whole new lifestyle unlock. Of course, they can greatly improve your quality of life, as well, so let’s take a closer look at some worth considering.
Flatter It With Some Landscaping
A well-landscaped yard offers one of the best ways to boost the value of the home. People are attracted to green spaces that are vibrant and well-kept. Trimmed lawns, colorful flowerbeds, and options like strategic lighting can do a lot to make the home much more attractive from the outside. Whether you opt for a simple refresh or a full redesign is all up to you, as you want to make sure that you’re able to keep up with maintaining any work you get done, as well.
Adding A Functional Patio
Patios have become increasingly popular over time as a natural extension of the living area, making it a lot easier to gather friends and family for outdoor entertaining and relaxing. Whether you opt for a raised deck of wood or more durable materials such as stone or concrete, it immediately sparks ideas of how more time can be spent outdoors. More durable materials do tend to boost the value due to their long-lasting nature, as does a comfortable design, providing seating areas, shade, and even some ambient lighting. If your patio has options to make it more usable throughout the year, such as shelter from light drizzles or a fire pit, that’s even better.
Enjoy Some Al Fresco Dining
The usability of the space around your home is going to be one of the things that adds the most value, and there are few things more appealing than a place to both cook and eat. Adding an outdoor kitchen to your home can make the garden the perfect place for family meals, birthday parties, BBQs, and all kinds of get-togethers. These additions are particularly popular in areas with warmer climates, where people get to enjoy them for more of the year. Whether it’s a simple built-in grill or a full setup with sinks, counters, and everything you need to prepare and serve meals, outdoor kitchens can be a big value booster in the right areas.
The Importance Of Good Lighting
As we’ve mentioned, outdoor lighting can work well with patios and other usable areas, but that’s not the only way it can be used, either. Aside from their excellent aesthetic quality, outdoor lighting improves safety and visibility, guiding guests along paths, highlighting steps or changes in level between walkable surfaces, and making sure no one bumps into anything at night. Outdoor lighting can also be great for security, as it brings a level of visibility to the home that makes it less likely to be targeted by would-be criminals, who tend to avoid anything that might draw attention to them. Beyond that, good outdoor lighting simply makes your home look a lot warmer, more attractive, and inviting, and can be great for uplighting showcase trees or architectural elements that deserve it.
A Warm Place To Gather
While they can be great additions for patios and other gathering areas, a big, freestanding firepit or outdoor fireplace can do a lot to bring warmth, ambience, and all-year usability to your garden. There are plenty of different options to consider, such as built-in stonefire places or simple metal fire pits that can be moved (when not in use), and you should choose based not only on budget, but you prefer to use your outdoor space. You want to make sure that you choose materials that suit the surroundings, too, as a firepit that doesn’t match the aesthetic of the yard can look out of place.
Hot Tubs And Saunas
If you want to provide warmth and comfort, but with an extra touch of luxury, then a good water feature can go a long way. Hot tubs are the more traditional option, but saunas are becoming much more popular lately, offering people a way to provide a spa-like experience in their own home. It’s worth noting that, like any water fixtures, these do require ongoing maintenance and investment, which might make them less of a draw in some areas where buyers aren’t going to want the extra investment that comes with them. However, in higher-end or luxury property markets, where the expense isn’t as much of a worry, they can be a major draw.
A Little Privacy Goes A Long Way
For those who are looking for a place where they can relax in peace, or rest assured that their children are able to enjoy their yard to its full potential, privacy can be a very attractive feature. Whether it’s with fencing, lattice panels, or shaded structures like pergolas, adding some intimacy to your garden can help you bump the value of the home, especially if they’re in keeping with the architectural character of the rest of the exterior. Climbing plants and outdoor curtains can also provide additional privacy, while softening the aesthetic in a way that hard fences often cannot. Buyers love spaces that feel open enough to enjoy, but secluded enough to provide peace of mind, so finding that balance is important, especially in busy neighborhoods.
Which of the upgrades above will have the biggest impact on the value of your home may depend on factors like who you plan to sell to. A couple nearing retirement age might be looking for something different from a young family, of course, so always consider your likely audience. More importantly, consider making improvements that work for you and your lifestyle, not just how much you might potentially sell the home for..
