Landscaping upgrades that will give you the best return on investment in the long run

If you plan on selling your home in the next 5, 10 or even 15 years - landscaping is a must. While good, professional landscaping can cost 10-15% of what your home costs, that doesn't mean you have to do it all at once. You can spread it out over a number of years. In the end with well-maintained landscaping, you could earn double what you’ve invested once you sell! Gardening expert Owen Reeves reveals the landscaping projects you can do and that will be a great return on investment!

Trees

To plant a large tree yourself, which isn't difficuly to do, would realistically cost around $400-$500. Having it installed professionally could be around $700-$800. Did you know that mature trees can add $1000-$10,000 to the value of a home? While this is a wide spread number, it will definitely add thousands, especially as the tree matures over time. Well-situated, mature trees can also reduce other costs, like cooling in the summer.

If you live in a larger city, try looking into their urban tree programs – it’s possible your city will come plant a tree on your property for almost nothing, or even for free!

Integrated water features

Don’t confuse an integrated water feature with a decoratieve water feature. Integrated means it is a part of your landscaping and looks much more natural. A professionally installed integrated water feature could cost around $5,000 (at the low end) to over $50,000 for a more involved design.

A freshly-installed integrated water feature can give you 125% return on investment if you are selling soon! However it's good to keep in mind that this will decrease over time as the water feature gets older.

Driveway upgrades

Upgrading a gravel driveway to asphalt will cost around $5 per sq. ft. This is a good investment, and you will definitely have a great return on your investment. But an even better return on investment would be to upgrade your drive way to a mid-priced paver. This could cost anywhere from $8 - $15 per sq. ft. The two slabs are great options since they areaesthetically pleasing and can lend both a very modern look or a very classic look to a home and landscape:

We featured: Melville 60 Slabs via Permacon | Mondrian Plus 60 Slabs via Permacon 

Synthetic lawn

Technology has come a long way and synthetic lawns are cost-effective, look real and are virtually maintenance-free. While they cost $5 - $10 per square foot, the return on this investment is 100%-120%! Synthetic lawns have become more popular, especially in urban settings in Canada, and can last 20-25 years. These are some examples of great options you can go with:

We featured: Durablade 95 via Rymar Grass | Durablade 65 via Rymar Grass | Everblade 50 via Rymar Grass