Housing

7 Landscaping Trends to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Paul Ausick

Published: April 16, 2017 9:26 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 12:57 pm

Aside from location, location, location, your home’s landscaping is one of the first things to make an impression on a potential buyer. And it’s not just curb appeal, although that is important.

Amenities like an outdoor fire pit or brick barbecue pit are not all created equal. The same goes for trees, shrubs, and outdoor lighting. If you don’t want to spend some real money on dressing up the outdoor space around the house, then don’t spend anything at all.

Jennifer Geddes at Realtor.com has created a list of seven landscaping trends to avoid as you get your home ready to sell. Her list follows.

Landscaping laid out with a ruler
Nice, neat lines used to be the trend for planting flower beds and bushes, but today’s outdoor look is much more natural.

The same cheap trees everyone has
Choose trees wisely, including eastern red cedar, sugar maple, Colorado blue spruce, and myrtle. Steer clear of the ones that rain leaves and needles (pecan, oak, sweet gum, eastern white pine), and your look will be neater and easier to maintain. And when it comes to placement in your yard, think strategically.

Overly bright outdoor lights
Lighting design has become popular, but overdoing this look can be a disaster for your neighbors.

Garishly colored mulch
Some gardening enthusiasts swear that red or black mulch is better for certain plants and may absorb sunshine and keep the ground warmer, but in reality these unnatural hues can be a real turnoff. Your best bet here is to embrace natural bark instead.

Splashy water features
The water trend is definitely appealing to some, but unless you live in a pool-loving state (Arizona, Florida, Nevada), putting one in might not pay off.

Over-the-top landscaping
Elaborate plantings, sculpted trees, and deep flower beds filled with annuals may seem lush and inviting, but a future homeowner will probably wonder how hard he or she will have to work to keep up this look.

Huge lawns
For a better, more on-trend look, plant less grass and more native foliage. A smaller lawn means less mowing and watering, too.

For more details, visit Realtor.com.