We can all agree that curb appeal matters even if you are a flipper or a landlord. Having a building with good curb appeal can yield a higher selling price or earn you a little more in rent, depending on what kind of investor you are. With this in mind, there are trends in the landscaping realm that can help. With the ongoing pandemic, there is more of a demand to stay home but be outside and this is where hardscaping has become a popular approach to landscaping.
What is Hardscaping?
For those that don’t know, hardscaping is a component of landscaping that uses permanent, nonliving features in the yard to improve function, create better outdoor accessibility, expand the living space, and reduce the environmental impact over a traditional landscape all while having a magazine-quality look and feel. Now that was certainly a lot of words, so what does all that mean? Simply put, hardscaping can be a patio, deck, paved walkways, water features, or any outdoor living space such as kitchens, living rooms, or even firepit areas. Hardscaping can incorporate garden beds but are generally low maintenance.
Is it Worth the Investment?
There is never an easy answer for this question, obviously. There are many factors that go into answering this question such as the size of the yard, what already exists, what are you adding, etc. Typically, hardscaping requires a professional design (unless you have an eye and a feel for it), and that can cost up to $30,000 depending on the project size. Take this estimate with a grain of salt as a smaller patio can cost as little as $2,000 whereas a bigger deck could cost over $10,000. You can safely estimate out a gravel walkway between $3-$6 per square foot.
Essentially, hardscaping costs should be relative to the anticipated value of the house. For instance, spending $30,000 on a small home worth $140,000 doesn’t usually make much sense, but spending $2,000 for a patio might be worth it on a smaller home.
As an investor, your goal is to appeal to the masses. Creating an appealing outdoor area can help in your marketplace and reduce costs for landscaping. Another perk to hardscaping is you no longer have to factor in water, mowing, or weed removal depending on what you create.
In Closing…
Hardscaping is in demand, and while it is not at the top of anyone’s want lists, you can almost guarantee it will help push your property above the competition when you try to sell or rent a unit. You can increase returns if you play your cards right! If you are unsure what you should do to your property, give us a call. Our experienced team can lead you in the right direction whether you are selling or looking to rent. Put your property management needs in our hands in the Berks and surrounding counties.
I thought it was interesting when you explained that hardscaping is the process of using permanent features to improve the function of outdoor space. Would an outdoor kitchen be something that qualifies as a hardscaping feature? It seems like an outdoor kitchen would qualify as this kind of feature because it allows owners to use the outdoor space to entertain people.