Yes – when it’s done well and fits your local market, landscaping can increase a home’s value and improve how quickly it sells. The strongest evidence comes from consumer-perception research and practitioner data from REALTORS® and landscape professionals showing unusually high “cost recovery” for certain outdoor projects.
What the research says about value lift
1) Landscaping measurably increases perceived home value
A Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension review summarizing multi-state consumer survey work (and related published studies) found that moving from no landscaping to well-landscaped increased perceived home value by about 5.5% to 11.4%, depending on the state. It also cites a Michigan study showing up to 12.7% difference between the least- and most-preferred landscapes.
Just as important: the same Virginia Tech publication highlights which landscape attributes drive value most – design sophistication and plant size ranked ahead of simply “more types of plants.”
2) Sale-price premiums show up in real transactions
That Virginia Tech piece also references research from home sales, indicating premiums of ~6–7% for upgrading landscape quality from “good” to “excellent” and ~4–5% from “average” to “good.”
What REALTORS® report: cost recovery can be very high for “maintenance” projects
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), working with the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), publishes project-by-project estimates that combine typical costs (from landscape pros) and “cost recovered” (as estimated by REALTORS®).
In the 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features, the highest estimated cost recovery is standard lawn care service at 217% – a striking result driven by low cost and strong curb-appeal impact. The same report lists landscape maintenance at 104%, and overall landscape upgrade at 100% (as well as several other outdoor projects near or below 100%).
The report also underscores why this matters at listing time: 92% of REALTORS® recommend improving curb appeal before listing, and 97% say curb appeal matters to attract buyers.
How appraisers think about landscaping (and why that matters)
The Appraisal Institute has repeatedly emphasized that attractive, well-maintained landscaping can meaningfully influence marketability and value – and that appraisers can advise homeowners on changes that fit local comparables.
Which landscaping investments tend to pay off most
- A thoughtfully designed “overall landscape upgrade”
- Prioritizing design sophistication and appropriate plant size (not just adding lots of plants)
If you’re choosing design/installation, the evidence suggests composition and maturity/scale matter a lot.
A practical, resale-minded landscaping plan
If your main goal is home value in the next 0-12 months:
- Start with maintenance and “neatness” (clean edges, fresh mulch, prune, remove dead plants). This aligns with the highest cost-recovery items in NAR/NALP.
- Fix the first 30 seconds: front path, entry sightlines, simple color, healthy lawn.
- Keep it cohesive, not cluttered: prioritize design quality and appropriate plant scale – two of the biggest value drivers in consumer research.
- Match your market: look at local listings in your price band and copy what “good” looks like in your neighborhood (appraisal comparables logic).
Landscaping can increase home value as high as double digits in perceived value research, and some of the simplest landscaping spend shows exceptionally strong cost recovery in REALTOR®-based estimates.