Cheap Ways to Improve Curb Appeal

Boost your home's value by sprucing up your yard with these budget-conscious tips.

By Cameron Huddleston, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com

March 2009

Walk across the street from your house, turn around, take a good look at your yard and ask yourself if you're impressed by what you see -- or just plain depressed.

We can't all have yards worthy of being on the cover of a landscaping magazine. Those yards generally come with a high price tag. But a little cash can go a long way to improve your home's curb appeal. In fact, with existing homes selling at the slowest rate in a decade, if your house will be on the market, you can't afford not to spend some money and time on landscaping that will distinguish your house from others.

So we asked landscape professionals how homeowners could get the most bang for their landscaping buck within certain budgets: $100, $500, $1,000 and $2,000. They even threw in a few ideas for ways you can improve your yard without spending a cent.

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Make a plan first

Regardless of your budget, before you grab a shovel or head to a nearby garden center, you need to determine your goals and ask yourself some questions to ensure your money is well spent, says Tara Vincenta, founder of Artemis Landscape Architects, in Brookfield, Conn.

Are you trying to improve your yard so you can enjoy it for years to come or to increase your chances of selling your house? Do you live in the city, 'burbs or countryside? What is your home's architectural style? Do you live in a wet or arid climate? Are deer or other wildlife an issue? "All these considerations can affect your approach," Vincenta says.

You don't want to waste money on plants that require full sun if your yard is in the shade. Nor do you want to try to replicate that cool, modern landscape design you saw on TV with your Victorian home -- especially if you're trying to sell it. The kind of person who would be interested in your home would want a garden that complements it.

"Do research before you go to a garden center and buy at random, or you'll end up with a hodgepodge," Vincenta says.

For $100, you can ...

Create a welcoming entrance with one or two big pots filled with colorful plants. "A plant in a pot looks much bigger than when you put it in the ground," says landscape architect Sam Williamson, owner of Samuel H. Williamson Associates, in Portland, Ore.

Make a significant impact on your landscape with a few 5-gallon trees for about $35 each, if you plan to stay in your home for at least five years, says landscape architect David Keith, owner of Arbor Studio, in Blanco, Tex. Smaller trees also tend to acclimate better.

Buy seeds, such as a mix of wildflowers, and cover much more ground than $100 worth of plants.

For $500, you can ...

Invest in a couple of great architectural pots that make a statement at your entrance, Vincenta says. Add rounded boxwoods for a classic look, or try a seasonal planting of ornamental grasses, and colorful annuals and trailing plants for an eye-catching display.

Add a bench or garden ornament, such as a trellis or birdbath, to a key spot or a nice mailbox and with some plantings for at? the base.

Pay someone to professionally prune or selectively remove (and replace) overgrown bushes.

Spruce up your foundation plantings with a border of long-blooming perennials. Vincenta says to use just two varieties (a dozen or more of each) for more impact and add fresh mulch for a professional look.

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