What Are the Best Landscape Upgrades for ROI?
The landscape upgrades that typically provide the best return on investment include improving curb appeal, installing a terrace/patio, upgrading walkways, planting shade trees, adding landscape lighting, solving drainage problems, and replacing high-maintenance lawns with attractive, low-maintenance native plantings. These improvements not only increase your home’s value but also make it a better place for families to live and play.
I’ve watched homeowners spend tens of thousands of dollars on involved landscape features that added very little value. You know, the things that someone purchasing the home in the future will remove immediately. I’ve also seen relatively inexpensive improvements completely transform a property. The difference usually isn’t how much money was spent; it’s how wisely it was invested.
If you’re planning to improve your landscape, it’s worth stepping back and asking one question before beginning a project: Will this investment continue paying me back for years to come? In my experience, the best landscape upgrades don’t just look beautiful the day they’re installed. They improve how your property functions, reduce maintenance, and make your home more appealing to future buyers.
Let’s look at the upgrades that consistently deliver the best return on investment.
Why Landscaping Delivers Such a Strong Return on Investment
Many homeowners think of landscaping as a homeowner box to check instead of an investment. That’s a big mistake.
A thoughtfully designed landscape creates a positive first impression, extends your living space outdoors, manages stormwater, reduces maintenance, lowers energy costs, and makes your home more attractive when it’s time to sell. It’s so much more than pouring a square slab of concrete somewhere in the yard and putting a row of shrubs along your foundation.
I’ve often told clients that landscaping is one of the few investments that pays you twice. You enjoy it every day while you live there, and you often recover much of the cost when your home eventually goes on the market.
The key is investing in improvements that work together rather than chasing the latest design trend.
Start Where Buyers Do: Curb Appeal
Whether you’re selling next month or staying forever, curb appeal is where every successful landscape begins.
People begin forming opinions about a home before they reach the front door. A well-maintained landscape signals that the property has been cared for, while a neglected one can make buyers wonder what other problems may be hidden.
Improve the Front Entry
The front entrance sets the feel for the entire property. Fortunately, it doesn’t always take a complete renovation to make a dramatic difference.
Some of the most effective improvements include:
• A wider, welcoming walkway constructed of decorative pavers
• Weed-free planting beds with well-defined edges
• Fresh mulch
• Updated lighting
• Decorative containers and planters
• A freshly painted front door
I’ve visited homes where the existing architecture was gorgeous, but overgrown shrubs and tired planting beds completely hid its character. Simply opening up the entrance by removing large plants crowding the door and replacing dated foundation plantings made the house feel newer without doing any renovation of the house itself.
Sometimes less really is more.
Refresh Foundation Plantings
Many landscapes still contain the same “builder’s special” consisting of evergreen shrubs installed when the home was built decades ago. They are shrubs that want to be 8 feet tall, planted 4 feet off the ground in front of windows, so they are far beyond their intended size, blocking views and requiring constant pruning.
Replacing those oversized shrubs with a thoughtful mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs; you don’t have to recreate the same boring, evergreen mustache across your foundation.
Mix things up to add interest, then finish things off with ornamental grasses, flowering perennials, and seasonal color to instantly modernize a home while reducing maintenance.
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is cramming a bunch of small plants into a planting bed in an attempt to achieve a mature look. It doesn’t work because plants will eventually start crowding into each other and competing for space.
The only way I know to create a landscape that looks mature day one is to use large, mature plants. Typically, you can’t buy mature plants at a wholesale nursery; they are mostly grown at specialty nurseries that grow replacement shrubs for wealthy estates.
I have seen 6-foot-by-6-foot Boxwoods going for $1,500 apiece. Specialty nurseries charge high prices because it takes several years of care to grow a large, slow-growing specimen shrub.
Most homeowners can’t afford to buy a truckload of mature plants. So, the best way for a homeowner to achieve an awesome landscape for less is to use the right spacing, which allows plants to mature naturally and grow in value over time. Patience is the key.
Once the front of your home makes a great first impression, the next step is to make the backyard just as pleasant.
Create Outdoor Spaces You’ll Actually Use
One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen since the COVID years is that homeowners aren’t necessarily looking for larger houses; they’re looking for better outdoor living.
A well-designed backyard effectively adds another room to your home. Think about it: if you’re a hobbyist, and your favorite craft is messy or creates fumes, why not build an outdoor craft area? It can be a universal space that evolves as your interests change.
Build a Functional Patio
If I had to recommend one outdoor feature that consistently provides excellent ROI, it would be a patio. Most people want a place to grill a hamburger or two.
Whether constructed from natural stone, brick, or high-quality concrete pavers, or even a well-crafted cast-in-place concrete patio, it creates a comfortable gathering space for family dinners, entertaining guests, or simply relaxing after a long day.
As a landscape architect, I’ve rarely heard someone say they regretted building a patio.
What I hear much more often is:
“I wish we had made it a little bigger and/or out of better material”
Designing the patio around how you live almost always produces a better investment than trying to copy something you saw in a magazine or the so-called free design the landscape contractor is pushing.
Add Comfortable Seating Areas
Not every outdoor space needs to be elaborate.
Some of my favorite projects, and the most photogenic, have included small seating areas tucked beneath mature shade trees or nestled beside colorful gardens. The quiet spaces that I create, made of natural materials, often become my ‘clients’ favorite places to enjoy morning coffee or unwind after work.
It’s amazing how often the simplest spaces become the ones families use the most.
Of course, those outdoor spaces should turn into an entirely different experience after sunset.
Add the Details That Make a Big Difference
Some landscape improvements don’t receive much attention until they’re installed. Then homeowners wonder how they ever lived without them.
Install Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting is one of the most overlooked upgrades with one of the highest visual impacts.
Quality lighting can:
• Improve safety
• Highlight architectural details
• Extend outdoor entertaining
• Increase security
• Create warmth and ambiance
The goal isn’t to flood your yard with light. You want to avoid the airport runway look, avoid lining up light fixtures in straight lines, and avoid spacing that’s too close.
Good lighting should almost disappear, quietly drawing attention to your home’s best features without anyone noticing where the light is coming from.
Upgrade Walkways
Walkways do much more than connect one point to another. They organize movement through the landscape while giving the entire property structure and rhythm.
A gracefully curved walkway, wide enough for two people to walk abreast, leading visitors to the front entrance, feels far more inviting than a narrow strip of cracked concrete. Like good architecture, a well-designed landscape naturally guides people without them even recognizing it.
While these visible improvements make a tremendous difference, some of the smartest investments happen below the surface.
Protect Your Investment
Beautiful landscapes don’t stay beautiful unless they function properly. Proper drainage is the foundation for a successful landscape project.
Solve Drainage Problems First
If water stands in your yard after every rainstorm, drainage should become your highest priority. No messing around waiting for a convenient time to address the problem.
I’ve seen homeowners install beautiful patios and expensive plantings only to watch them fail because the underlying drainage problems were never addressed. It’s usually the base material being washed out or improper compaction from varying soil moisture.
Proper grading, French drains, rain gardens, or permeable paving can protect your home while improving the health of your landscape. In some cases, these elements can improve the appearance of a landscape.
Drainage isn’t the most exciting project you’ll ever undertake. It’s not the glamorous part of a landscape project that the garden magazines want to feature. But it may be the one that saves you the most money.
Upgrade Irrigation
Water has become too valuable to waste. Modern irrigation systems equipped with weather sensors, smart controllers, and drip irrigation deliver water only where it’s needed. They reduce waste, lower water bills, and help landscapes remain healthy during dry periods.
It’s one of those improvements homeowners rarely think about until they see healthier plants using less water.
Plant Shade Trees
If I could recommend only one long-term landscape investment, planting quality shade trees would rank near the top. Trees provide benefits that increase every year they grow.
They offer:
• Lower cooling costs
• Summer shade
• Wildlife habitat
• Privacy
• Increased property value
• Lasting beauty
The old saying still applies.
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is today.
Once your landscape is functioning properly, the next step is making it easier to maintain.
Reduce Maintenance Without Sacrificing Beauty
One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is that homeowners want beautiful landscapes, but they don’t necessarily want to spend every weekend maintaining them. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between the two.
Replace High-Maintenance Lawns
Beautiful large lawns require mowing, watering, fertilizing, aerating, and constant attention. Reducing unnecessary turf in favor of planting beds with seasonal interest can dramatically lower maintenance while increasing visual interest.
Some excellent alternatives include:
• Native plant gardens
• Ornamental grasses
• Groundcovers
• Shrub borders
• Pollinator gardens
• Rain gardens
The landscape becomes more colorful, supports wildlife, and often requires less work once established.
Choose the Right Plants for the Right Place
One of the most common mistakes I see is selecting plants based solely on appearance.
Too many people attempt to landscape their property with their favorite plants or the ones that catch their eye during a nursery visit. Beautiful plants installed in the wrong conditions eventually become expensive disappointments.
Before choosing any plant, consider:
• Sun exposure
• Soil conditions
• Mature size
• Water requirements
• Long-term maintenance
Matching plants to the site keeps them healthier, reduces maintenance, and allows the landscape to mature gracefully instead of constantly needing replacement. The other thing is how the landscape looks ultimately.
You see landscapes all of the time with a lot of color in the spring and then nothing the rest of the year. Usually, it’s because the homeowner bought plants in the spring that were blooming at the time.
Avoid One of the Biggest ROI Mistakes
One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that bigger doesn’t always mean better. I once had a client on Long Island who built a giant-sized rear terrace on his home that looked like it belonged to a hotel.
There was no shade structure, so when they entertained in the summer, no one would go out on the terrace during the day. Worst of all, it was so big that when they entertained their normal party of a dozen guests or so, everyone would be scattered all over the place.
I’ve seen homeowners invest enormous sums in elaborate water features, oversized retaining walls, and outdoor kitchens that are rarely used.
Meanwhile, thoughtfully designed patios, welcoming entrances, comfortable seating areas, and healthy planting beds become part of everyday life.
The highest return on investment comes from designing for your lifestyle—not someone else’s.
Think Beyond Today’s Project
The best landscape investments continue paying dividends long after construction trucks are gone.
That means selecting durable materials, solving problems before they become expensive repairs, and choosing plants that will still look even better ten years from now.
Every successful landscape starts with a plan. As a landscape architect, I don’t simply choose plants or draw patios. I evaluate grading, drainage, circulation, maintenance, outdoor living, sustainability, and how all the pieces fit together before putting pencil to paper.
I’ve often been called after homeowners have completed expensive projects that didn’t function the way they expected. They looked nice but didn’t work for their family.
Usually, they are first-time homeowners who fall for the “free” landscape design trap. It starts with a visit from a smooth-talking landscape sales professional who is equipped with compelling marketing materials and images of well-designed, completed projects.
The problem is that very little design time was put into the landscape drawing. A standard landscape package was sold that looks good, is easy to install, and fits the budget, but doesn’t function.
Unfortunately, correcting those mistakes almost always costs more than designing the project correctly from the beginning. Professional planning helps ensure every dollar works toward a landscape that’s attractive, functional, and built to last.
Conclusion
After a few decades of designing residential landscapes, I’ve learned that the projects with the highest return on investment aren’t necessarily the most expensive. They’re the ones that solve real problems, improve the way homeowners use their property, and continue adding value year after year.
Whether you’re refreshing your front entry, building a new patio, planting shade trees, or rethinking your entire landscape, think beyond individual features. The best landscapes work as a complete system, blending curb appeal, outdoor living, drainage, lighting, walkways, and carefully selected plants into a property that’s both beautiful and practical.
In the end, the landscape isn’t just about increasing your home’s value. It’s about creating an outdoor environment that welcomes you home every single day while protecting one of your biggest investments. When beauty, function, and long-term value come together, that’s where the real return on investment begins.
