You can think of your landscaping as your home’s first impression. You can have a gorgeous house inside, but it won’t have the same impact. The industry refers to it as your property’s curb appeal. Over three-quarters of realtors identified it as the single best thing a seller can do to improve their home’s resale value.

However, you don’t have to break the bank to make a difference.

What It Takes to Stand Out From the Rest

You can get a significant uptick on your home’s value by investing as little as $1,000, according to the HomeLight Top Agent Insights Report. Even routine lawn care can make a profound difference in your curb appeal.

However, like many elements of pop culture, landscaping also has its ebbs and flows. The 2018 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) identified the top three requested projects as:

• Native plants
• Drought-tolerant plants
• Low-maintenance landscapes

Interestingly, all three go hand in hand. Species adapted to an area with a challenging climate, such as the American Southwest, can thrive with plants suited to the extreme conditions. Varieties like Monstrose Cactus and Peruvian Apple Cactus are excellent choices that won’t fight the elements. However, landscaping has come to the forefront in another arena.

Making the Environmentally Friendly Choice

We can look at the survey results as homeowners choosing a less labor-intensive plan. Nevertheless, it goes beyond how much weeding or mulching you must do. It’s also about the environment. Consider these facts.

Lawns make up 2 percent of the total land use in the United States.

The amount of water used to irrigate these green spaces makes them the top irrigated crop in the country, exceeding any agricultural product.

These facts only scratch the surface of the environmental impact of a lawn as part of your landscaping. Not surprisingly, homeowners realize the consequences of their choices. A 2021 survey by the ASLA found that over 75 percent of landscape professionals have experienced an increase in demand for climate change-focused solutions.

Individuals living in areas of extreme heat are requesting landscaping elements, such as shade trees and greywater reuse. These projects can help homeowners deal with the challenges of their environments better.

Final Thoughts

All this information comes back to our starting point. Curb appeal increases the market value of homes. However, a seller is wise to follow the trends to fit the demand. That means native plants that offer exceptional drought and heat resistance instead of ornamental ones that are more maintenance and less able to withstand local environmental challenges. That’s how you can get a better price for your house.