A healthy, green lawn does more than just beautify your home: it also boosts your home’s value. It’s true! Much like a new coat of paint or updated fixtures, a well-tended lawn boosts curb appeal and helps potential buyers fall in love with your home – on first sight!

Simply caring for your lawn with proper fertilization and maintenance is one of the most cost-effective ways to boost your home’s value. Even the most popular major renovations – such as kitchens and bathrooms – only offer 75% to 100% returns on your investment. But due to the low costs and high value of lawn care, simple lawn maintenance typically results in a 100% to 200% return on investment for home sellers.

In fact, according to research by the Lawn Care Institute, turf grass alone can increase a home’s value by as much as 15%.

How often your yard is treated with fertilizers and weed-control products is the essential secret to a lush, healthy lawn.

The Best Lawn Projects for Improved Home Value

Here are some of the top lawn care and landscaping projects you can take on to add value to your home:

Lawn Care Projects

• Fertilization: The key to keeping your lawn healthy and green is regular fertilization with nutrient-rich materials. In particular, your lawn needs a steady diet of nitrogen, which fertilizer provides. Without it, your lawn is vulnerable to weeds, disease and dead grass. Because of its low cost and visual appeal, fertilization often has the highest ROI of any lawn improvement project.
• Regular and Proper Watering: Water your grass three times per week (this includes rainfall).

The most effective time to water is generally morning, when you will lose the smallest amount of water to wind drift and evaporation. Keep in mind that too much water interferes with healthy grass growth and makes the lawn susceptible to pests and diseases.

• Regular and Proper Mowing: Take the time to learn how often and under what conditions your lawn should be mowed to keep your lawn at its healthiest. For example, knowing the ideal cutting height for the type of grass you have is very important. Keeping the height in check also means you’re clipping off weed seed heads before they can mature and seed your lawn.
• Weed Control: You want to be able to enjoy your lush, green lawn, without unsightly weeds taking up your view and eating up your lawn’s nutrients. However, one size does not fit all when it comes to weed prevention and removal. You need to know what type of weeds you’re battling, and whether they are annual or perennial. Annual weeds can grow multiple times in one year, while perennial weeds establish roots in your lawn and can last for multiple seasons. Perennials need to be removed entirely, including the full roots, or they will just keep on growing.

Landscaping Projects

• Outdoor Lighting: Few landscaping projects can have as big an impact as installing outdoor lights. Easy to install, low in cost, and pleasing to the eye, outdoor lighting has been named “essential” by 41% of home buyers in a recent survey.
• Trees & Shrubs: Trees and shrubs play a major part in your home’s curb appeal. They also add value to your home in a number of other ways, including protecting your lawn from storm runoff and reducing your home’s energy costs by providing shade.
• Front Garden: A well-kept garden is a great way to beautify your home. While some gardens can be costly and time-consuming to maintain, a good landscaper or garden center can help you choose native plants that can be maintained with little work and at a low cost.

And don’t forget mosquito control! Mosquitoes can be a major turnoff for potential buyers. No one wants to buy a home that appears to be swarming with mosquitoes – for both comfort and health reasons. One simple task you can do to help reduce the mosquito population on your property is to  empty receptacles of standing water, and be vigilant about dumping any standing water every few days.