How Much Does Hardscaping Add to a Home’s Value?

Posted by R&J Landscapes on 18th August 2022 -

When it comes to home improvements, there’s always a lot to think about – especially when revamping your garden or outdoor space.

Primarily, people focus on aesthetics when enhancing their garden, however, it doesn’t hurt to think about the bigger picture. 

If done well, hardscaping is one type of home renovation that can add value to your home, helping boost its kerb appeal, and therefore overall worth if you ever think about selling.

In this month’s article, we’ll investigate the benefits of hardscaping and how it can help boost your home’s value. 

What is hardscaping?

Hardscaping is a landscaping term that refers to your garden’s ‘hard’ or non-living elements. This can be everything from garden paths, patios, decking and artificial grass, to fire pits, water features and much more.

Essentially, anything that is not alive yet plays a part in making your outdoor space the best it can be. Usually, when deciding on hardscaping, it’s a good idea to complement it alongside your existing softscaping elements such as plants, shrubs, trees and flower beds.  

These days, architects place a big focus on hardscaping features, as homeowners value the importance of their outdoor space more highly than ever before.   

How much does hardscaping add to a home’s value?

It’s difficult to attach an exact figure to how much hardscaping will increase your home’s value as it will vary from property to property. However, if it’s done well it will almost certainly have a positive impact.

According to research from the industry, professional hardscaping can boost the value of your home by around 20%.

The main reason why hardscaping can be so effective at increasing value is all about first impressions.

Think about it.

When you make any kind of purchase, first impressions count. These first impressions can impact everything from where you buy your morning coffee to purchasing your next home. Hardscaping can help with this as a stunning garden, elegant decking or opulent water feature could all encourage a prospective buyer to make a higher offer.

What are the best types of hardscaping to increase my property’s value?

The hardscaping possibilities for your property are endless and there are a whole host of options you can choose from. Some of the best hardscaping elements that will help increase your home’s value include:

• Fencing – one of the cheapest hardscaping options around, fences almost always result in a return on investment. Security and protection are often high up the list when people are looking for a new home and fences do exactly that, helping to keep intruders at bay.        
• Patio and decking – allowing homeowners to maximise their outdoor space and spend more time outdoors during the summer months, patio and decking can increase value anywhere from 30%-73%. Bridging the gap between your interior and exterior, materials such as wood and stone are particularly popular for patios and decking. 
• Outdoor lighting – another hardscaping element that is relatively cheap to install is outdoor lighting. Adding a sophisticated and elegant lighting system can decorate fences, pathways and trees, and as well as looking great, they can also help people navigate your outdoor space in the dark, acting as a safety feature. 

Other benefits of hardscaping

Adding value to your property is not the only benefit that hardscaping can bring to your home. It can also make your garden more accessible, with paths and walkways helping make the space easier to move through. 

Additionally, it can extend your living space, offering outdoor areas and even rooms that can seamlessly blur the boundaries between your home’s interior and exterior spaces. Outdoor seating, kitchens and even firepits can all help with this and provide a great place to relax with family, friends and guests.

Aesthetics undoubtedly play a big part in hardscaping, too. Adding variety in the form of different textures, materials and even tiered layers to a garden, can give your outdoor space a modern, vibrant and unique look.

If you’re considering giving your garden or outdoor space a makeover with hardscaping, then get in touch with R&J Landscapes today. Our team has decades of experience in the industry helping enhance gardens across London and surrounding areas. From paving to fencing, we do it all and have built a reputation for being one of the region’s leading landscaping businesses. To find out more about what we do, contact our team now.