Last modified: 2020-10-01 | Approximate reading time 
4 mins
When thinking of renovating or improving your home, it’s natural to consider spaces such as the kitchen or bathroom. When it comes to devoting part of your budget to landscaping, there may be a bit of hesitation.
Of course, since the purpose of any investment in a property is to add value to it, it’s normal to question the relevance of investing in your property's landscaping. In order to answer some questions on this subject, RenoQuotes has taken the time to do the research for you.
Investing in landscaping: is it a good idea?
Landscaping to increase the value of your property
Any homeowner interested in selling their property knows that arriving visitors will see the property landscaping before they even enter the interior. As this is their first impression of your home, it’s impossible to question the importance of having a quality landscape especially if you’re interested in seducing potential buyers. Moreover, investing in landscaping allows you to increase the resale value of your home from 15% to 20%.
Although stable ground, shrub and flower bed maintenance plays a significant role in the overall appearance of the outdoors, the design of the landscaping, as well as the choice of materials and plants, will be critical to the success of your landscaping layout and design.
How to evaluate the budget of your landscaping project?
Take into account the dimensions of the land
Obviously, the larger the dimensions of your property, the more you’ll have to pay for the completion of your landscaping project. Not only will a larger lot require more plants and trees, but it’s also likely that you’ll need to remodel a larger deck or entrance as well as installing a longer fence. It goes without saying that cutting corners and compromising on the quality of the materials is not advisable.
Determine the value of your property
The value of your home will also have a significant impact on budgeting for a landscaping project. On this point, it should be noted that opinions differ as to the percentage of the value of the house that must be invested in the exterior design.
It can be agreed upon that a sufficient but not excessive investment should be made between 10% and 30% of the value of the property. For a home whose value is less than $225,000, and investment of around 10% would achieve a satisfactory result. This could include a hedge, the development of a courtyard entrance and a set of plants.
If you’re looking for a more elaborate development, then you may be considering a gazebo, a pergola, a terrace, a pond of water or more extravagant flower beds, you’ll need to increase your budget to around 30%. Remember that the types of materials chosen will have a considerable influence on the cost of each of these elements.
For a home valued between $225,000 and $500,000, your budget should be revised to between 20% and 30% of the value of your home. If you’re in an urban area where the land is often smaller, then these rates may need to be adjusted. Remember, with higher home value, it’s normal for people to have higher expectations of the landscaping, decor, and amenities as well as the materials chosen.
Landscaping: where to start?
In most cases, it will be difficult for you to complete all the desired work in a single year. Thus, it’s suggested that you consider the most important issues first and tackle them in order of their priority. You should look to scatter your project over several years in order to avoid having to spend an overwhelming amount in a single summer. In addition, carrying out your project gradually will allow you to make readjustments along the way.
Although we’ve previously mentioned a return on investment between 15% and 20% for a landscaping project, the performance of certain tasks will greatly depend on when it can be performed. We’ve laid out some of the percentages below in order for you to determine which work should be done first:
- The integration of a fence: between 25% and 50%
- The integration of a swimming pool: about 10%
- The construction of an asphalt entrance: between 20% and 50%
- Land development: between 25% and 50%
- The construction of a terrace: between 50% and 70%
Following the presentation of these statistics, remember that it’s essential to consider the return on investment of each of these projects if you’re looking for your landscaping project to be profitable. Though a swimming pool can certainly enhance your family's home life, don’t believe that having one will help you to sell your home.
Tips to make landscaping a good investment
It should first be noted that if you have skills in the field of horticulture, it’s recommended that you take advantage of them in order to limit the costs of carrying out this project. However, if you don’t possess the required skills, we would recommend hiring someone instead of carrying the work out yourself. This is because a low-quality result won’t be profitable.
Secondly, it's worth mentioning that precise standards regulate landscaping work as well as interior renovations. Indeed, the Quebec Construction Code sets out specific rules for the construction of various structures, including their location, their style, and the various materials that can be used for manufacture. It should also be noted that municipalities have the possibility to set certain regulations to this effect.
Moreover, it’s quite possible that you’ll need to obtain permits from your municipality before the work even begins. Staying in line with the standards set at the provincial, federal or even the municipal level may very well compromise your plan for the work to be profitable. Indeed, the resumption of work may be necessary, which, unfortunately, will incur additional costs.
Let’s finish by pointing out that in order to execute certain works such as the construction of retaining walls, the planting of trees or plants as well as the grass will not require you to hold a license. However, the removal of a tree will require one. This is why it’s essential to know when a permit is required and when it’s not.
Looking for ideas on how to set up your backyard? Have a look at our article on the subject
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