There are 3 common mistakes we see homeowners make when planning their landscape design on their own – not considering your climate, drainage/irrigation, and maintenance requirements. To save you time, money, and frustration, we get into it here.
By Alicia Witt | 5/27/22
Like many of us, spending more time at home has probably given you the sudden urge to change your surroundings. You’ve repainted the bedroom walls, hung up some new pictures, and rearranged your furniture one too many times. With summer weather here, and no more indoor space to spruce up, you’ve set your sights on larger grounds: your outdoor space.
Suddenly many great ideas are coming to you – the patio and poolside can use an upgrade and a firepit would be nice. And while you’re at it, why not add an outdoor kitchen since that’s most likely where you’ll be spending the majority of your time? All of these additions seem really tempting, up until you look up pricing. You’re probably starting to wonder: is remodeling a landscape really worth the investment? In this article, we’ll go over a few reasons why a landscape renovation is more than worth it. Let’s get started!
Aside from the obvious and much-needed change of scenery, there are many great reasons to invest in renovating your landscape:
Quality of Life
Creating a beautiful outdoor space can have a significant impact on your quality of life and mental wellbeing. According to a 2018 study conducted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 85% of homeowners reported a greater desire to be home after completing their project, 78% reported feeling an increased sense of enjoyment when at home, and 79% reported a major sense of accomplishment when thinking about their project.
Other studies have also found that spending time outdoors surrounded by nature can reduce stress, decrease blood pressure and increase memory and attention. Simply put, a well-designed landscape remodel will bring you happiness, something that we can all use a little bit of and that is priceless!
Family Living
Are the kids growing up much faster than expected? Or maybe you couldn’t resist bringing home one more puppy. It happens to the best of us. Instead of shopping for a larger home to accommodate your growing brood, why not renovate your backyard for some extra living space? When going this route, you should start by defining the areas you’d like to see in your yard.
Do you want to keep your vegetable garden? Do you want to add a space for entertaining family and friends? Do you have or want a pool with a lounging space? Can you easily keep an eye on your kids and pets from your patio? Properly planning your backyard remodel will ensure that you maximize your space and create a living environment that can be enjoyed by all for years to come.
Home Resale Value
Something often overlooked when performing any renovation is how it may increase the resale value of your home. Improving our living environment is nice, but wouldn’t it be great to also see a monetary return on investment?
As with most things in life, first impressions matter, and the façade of your home is no different. According to 99% of NAR members, your home’s curb appeal will have a large impact on attracting potential buyers. So, what does that mean? Think manicured lawn, blooming flower beds, gorgeous steps, and an eye-catching driveway. Additionally, a well-landscaped home can sell for up to 12% more than a home with no landscaping!
The features you choose to invest in will depend largely on the reason why you are remodeling your landscape in the first place. That said, certain features will increase your home’s value more than others. If that’s a deciding factor for you, we’ve compiled a list based on the NALP-NAR survey mentioned earlier:
Outdoor Kitchen
Barbecues are great, but a fully equipped and personalized outdoor kitchen is even better! If you enjoy hosting get-togethers in your backyard, this is a feature you definitely want to look into. From shelving to mini-fridges and even side burners, there is no reason for you to be running back and forth from the indoors to the outdoors. We offer a wide range of retaining walls, allowing you to build a feature that is 100% you. Should you decide to sell your house, your outdoor kitchen just might seal the deal, and you can expect to recover about 71% of the invested cost.
Concrete Patio
What’s a backyard without a patio? Whether you’re looking for a spot to lounge while the kids play in the yard, a place for your outdoor dining table, or a space for friends and family to gather, a patio is a must. According to the NALP, walkways, and patios with contemporary, geometric patterns are a growing trend! And with our large selection of concrete pavers and patio slabs, designing your perfect patio is made easy. From traditional to modern and everything in between, you will certainly find a product to match the style of your dreams.
Fire Feature
Nothing says summer more than gathering around a crisp, warm fire after a day of lounging in the pool. But when we think about a fire pit, the image of a cast-iron bowl often comes to mind. Luckily times are changing, and options are growing, making it oh so simple to create a feature that will match your home’s aesthetic. Have a modern design in mind? Why not add a more modern fire pit into the mix? Its ultra-sleek design will certainly make it the centerpiece of your yard. Prefer something a bit more rustic? No problem – we can custom-build your ideal fire feature. Regardless of the style you choose, real estate website Zillow reported that homes mentioning ‘’fire pit’’ in their listing sold on average 3.8 days faster, and for 2.8% more – That equates to $8,400 more on a $300,000 home! It also ranked number one in the American Society of Landscape Architects survey on the most popular outdoor design elements. Finally, whether you’re selling or not, you’ll have something to make your space enjoyable throughout the seasons.
Curb Appeal
If you’re thinking of selling, now is a great time to spruce up your entrance! The façade of a house usually tells buyers what they can expect once they come in, and a poorly kept front yard can leave potential buyers wondering what else is wrong with your home. A simple way to refresh your lawn is by keeping the grass green, the flowers blooming and adding garden edging and planters to keep everything in place. If you really want to take it up a notch, now would be the time to redo your driveway and follow design trends by laying pavers in eye-catching and unique patterns! You’ll certainly boost your curb appeal and have passersby doing a double-take.
Landscape Lighting
Often an afterthought when planning a landscape renovation is lighting. But if you’re investing so much in your home’s exterior, wouldn’t you want to enjoy the view even once the sun has set? Not only does lighting increase safety when walking around your property at night, but it can also set the mood for your outdoor space. To really get the bang for your buck, we suggest investing in high-quality lighting that can be set with a timer and is guaranteed to last for years! If you’re in the process of redoing your steps, driveway, or any hardscape project, think about including integrated lighting such as step lights or recessed lighting, and use them to highlight key features of your landscape design. Adding ‘’outdoor lighting’’ to your home’s listing can even speed up the sale by three days. Not 100% sold on the idea? Check out our gorgeous hardscape lighting ideas for inspiration.
In our opinion, a well-planned and thoughtfully designed landscape remodel is always worth the investment. Whether it be an improved quality of life and mental wellbeing, more space for family activities, or a higher resale value, renovating your outdoor space is sure to bring you long-lasting benefits. So, what are you waiting for?
Find out how much your project will cost and treat yourself to the landscape remodel of your dreams!
Serving Austin and its greater areas including Leander, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Marble Falls, Burnet, and Bertram
With a custom putting green in your own backyard, you can improve your golf game whenever you’d like and enjoy hours of family fun. Our putting greens are completely customizable, so we can create the perfect putting green for any size, shape, terrain, or player level needed. We’ll design your artificial turf golf course precisely the way you like it, so you can bring your putting dreams to life.
Synthetic grass-putting greens are the perfect solution for awkwardly-shaped areas of your yard such as a hilled area or narrow side yard. Custom putting greens can be installed to fit any size, shape, or terrain you have to work with, so the design possibilities are virtually endless. We can incorporate features such as contours, bunkers, and tiers to create a realistic and professional putting experience, and our synthetic turf options always simulate the roll and feel of a professional course. Whether you’re a professional golfer or just looking for some family fun, you’ll love having a custom putting green in the comfort of your own home.
If you want to turn your Austin backyard into a golfer’s oasis, call Best of Texas Landscapes for an artificial grass putting green installation. Our team of expert designers will work with you one-on-one in order to bring your imagination to life and create the custom putting green you’ve always dreamed of. Improve your short game from the comfort of your own home or create fun for the whole family with artificial grass putting green. To find out more about the options available or to receive a free installation estimate, give us a call today at (512) 260.1430.
Have you ever seen a backyard swimming pool so nice that it felt as though you were swept off to a luxury resort? We have … in fact, we’ve installed a few! A beautiful and functional backyard pool environment is a pleasure to behold. Not only is a pool the perfect place to entertain guests, but it becomes your own, private oasis to escape to at any time.
When renovating your backyard and adding a pool, you want to take into account both your preference on aesthetics and functionality. Consider all of the elements that will go into your new, private oasis. Your luxury pool will be the focal point of the yard, but feel free to gather inspiration from your home when completing the design. Landscaping and hardscaping always work well together, in order to create an attractive, cohesive space around the pool and your yard.
Plants balance the hard surfaces around your pool, with the softening effects of landscaping. They also add liveliness to your oasis through height, color, and movement. If you have existing trees or plants in your backyard, we will evaluate them and do our best to incorporate them into your new design. Besides, why take out what you already have, if it will work within the space? It is important to surround yourself with plants you love;that way when you are relaxing poolside, you’re all smiles.
The last element to bringing YOUR luxury resort to life… privacy! There are an exuberant amount of ways to add an element of privacy to your backyard oasis. Trees can provide shade for meals or lounging out on the patio. Bushes screen box decks and keep unsightly pool equipment hidden away. Enclosing your backyard with a pergola or walls creates a sense of seclusion and intimacy; keeping distractions and neighbors at bay.
Wouldn’t you love to have your own private, luxury oasis? A place to entertain friends and family? A place to relax and unwind after a long week? If so, give us a call to set up your consultation.
A healthy green lawn, colorful flowers, and lush shrubs and trees are key components in an attractive landscape design. Whether you have just moved into a new build or are wanting to spruce up your existing home, focusing on your landscaping is smart.
Good landscape design not only makes your home more appealing but it also adds value. In some instances, landscaping can add a 215% return on your investment. We understand that choosing what elements to include in your landscaping can be a bit overwhelming. That’s what we are here for: to help you choose the best elements that compliment both your style and your home.
We all know Texas gets pretty hot, but that’s not the only thing you need to think about when choosing the proper trees. Drought is a major concern during certain parts of the year; so you’ll want to consider installing shade producing trees that don’t require a great deal of water
The Lacebark Elm is a small leafed tree that has a unique, exfoliating “lace” pattern bark, which gives it an unmistakable presence. The bark peels off in a puzzle piece pattern, revealing beautiful patterns of multiple underlying colors (grey, green, brown, orange). This tree can handle harsh conditions, including poor quality soils and harsh winds. During the Fall months, the Lacebark Elm tree leaves turn a bright, fiery reddish-orange – perfect addition to any landscape.
If you are looking for an Oak tree look no further than the Monterrey Oak. This sturdy tree is a medium sized oak that is tolerant to Oak Wilt (a fungal disease that makes the foliage wilt and eventually kills the tree.) It thrives on extra sunlight, which is why it’s perfect for Texas summers. The leaves are a bright and shiny green that transform to a soft shade of yellow in the Fall.
Trees are great investments, but shrubs are also important elements when it comes to landscape design. Shrubs can enhance your curb appeal by accentuating the front of your home; all while creating borders and adding pops of color or texture in flowerbed
The Texas Red Yucca is a hummingbird favorite that produces talk spikes of reddish-pink flowers, whichcontinue to bloom all Summer long. It is also one of the most drought tolerant, flowering succulent plants.
When it comes to ersatile shrubs, the Boxwood is as good as it comes. They bring year round color to your front yard landscape; creating bright moments during those dreary winter months. Their ability to bounce back and withstand regular shearing makes them perfect for hedges and topiaries.
Trees and shrubs are beautiful for your yard, but adding some flowers is important for softening up the greenery in your landscape design.
Unfortunately, not all flowers are suited for the sun and heat of Texas; so it is key to know which ones are durable enough to withstand the climate.
Perennial flowers are plants that return year after year. In most cases they die off in the Winter and return to life in the Spring. There is considerable variety when it comes to perennial color; making it possible to have something of interest throughout the year.
For fun and whimsy that will stand the test of time, make sure to include Gerbera Daisies in your flowerbeds or pots. These flowers need full sun; and with proper care, they will thrive.
Columbine flowers are another well suited option. They love the heat, (but will also grow in partial shade) so they work well in flowerbeds with trees and shrubs. They come in many vibrant colors and have an attractive, clover-like foliage.
