Landscaping Choices That Can Hurt Your Home’s Resale Value

When preparing your home for sale, your landscaping can be a powerful asset-or a hidden liability. While attractive, well-maintained yards boost curb appeal, certain landscaping features can actually reduce your home’s value or make it less appealing to potential buyers. Here are four landscaping choices to approach with caution:

High-Maintenance Gardens

Lush, intricate gardens filled with specialty plants, elaborate flower beds, or extensive vegetable plots may look stunning, but they often require significant upkeep. Many buyers see high-maintenance gardens as a burden, not a benefit. Unless your buyer is an avid gardener, the thought of hours spent weeding, pruning, and watering can be a major turnoff. Studies show that buyers overwhelmingly prefer low-maintenance, easy-to-care-for yards that offer beauty without demanding too much time or expertise.

Artificial Grass

Although artificial grass is marketed as a low-maintenance, evergreen solution, it doesn’t appeal to everyone. Many buyers-especially families with children or pets-prefer natural grass for play and relaxation. Artificial turf can be expensive to remove, and some buyers worry about heat retention, environmental impact, or local restrictions. In fact, installing artificial grass can reduce your home’s resale value by as much as 5%, as buyers may factor in the cost of replacing it with natural lawn.

Too Much Concrete or Hardscaping

While patios and walkways can add value, excessive hardscaping, such as large concrete slabs or sprawling paved areas, can make your yard feel cold and uninviting. Buyers often want a balance of green space and hardscape for both aesthetics and usability. Overly large or poorly designed concrete patios may limit outdoor activities and reduce the overall appeal of your property. In some cases, a big concrete patio can actually hurt your home’s value, especially if it leaves little room for grass or gardens.

Highly Customized or Niche Features

Personal touches like koi ponds, elaborate fountains, oversized fire pits, or themed garden structures may reflect your tastes, but they can alienate potential buyers. Highly customized landscaping features often require specialized maintenance and may not suit the needs or preferences of most buyers. These niche additions can limit your buyer pool and rarely offer a good return on investment. Buyers may see them as projects to remove, not perks to enjoy.

Key Takeaways

• Keep it simple: Opt for classic, low-maintenance landscaping that appeals to the widest range of buyers.
• Balance is best: Ensure there’s a mix of greenery and hardscape, with plenty of usable outdoor space.
• Think resale: Avoid features that are costly to maintain, difficult to remove, or tailored to very specific tastes.

Final Thoughts on Landscaping

By steering clear of these landscaping missteps, you’ll help ensure your home makes a great first impression-and retains its maximum resale value. Of course, your home and yard should reflect your own tastes and lifestyle, and you should feel free to create the outdoor space that makes you happiest. 

Looking to buy, sell, or invest? As your REALTOR®, I’ll guide you every step of the way. Contact me today to schedule a free consultation and let’s turn your real estate dreams into reality!

For more information, contact:

Susan Moffat, REALTOR® with Century 21 In-Studio Realty Inc., Brokerage
519.377.5154
susan.moffat@c21.ca