When you have plans of selling your house, you naturally begin to take stock of all the things that you can improve in order to increase the value of your property. Many people spend quite a hefty sum repainting the interior and exterior walls, renovating the kitchen and the bathroom, and maybe even replace worn out carpets. In the desire to spruce up the house itself, usually, the garden is overlooked, not knowing that landscaping your grounds is one of the most effective improvements you can have on your property that won’t cost too much, yet would give a boost to your property’s market value.

If you think that landscaping involves uprooting all your existing trees and shrubs and importing exotic orchids, trailing vines from the Far East and constructing a wooden bridge over a Koi pond, then you are mistaken (although you can do that). You can landscape a garden without having to go overboard with the details.

Landscaping is an art and it involves the proper arrangement of plants and carefully chosen garden accessories to make your garden a beautiful foreground to an already wonderful house. A well-kept garden adds curb-appeal to your property, and will instantly put your house at the top of the list of buyers who are nature lovers.

Before you even get a shovel and start digging away, it is better if you consulted with a professional landscape architect or landscaper. They will know how what to do in order to spruce up your garden. Show them your property; tell them your budget and your goal. Your landscaper will then work around the limitations that you have set.

Your landscaper will most likely not uproot trees and long-lived shrubs because these add value to your property (generally, in real estate / landscaping, the older and more durable the plant, the higher the value it brings to the property). Instead he will probably design around these by planting a few more perennials, trimming some hedges and installing a couple of decorative items such – perhaps a small fountain, or a quaint little bench to give your garden charm and personality.

Incidentally, give your garden some time to blossom. Don’t have it landscaped a week before you contact the real estate agent and ask for an appointment. Do it way ahead of time (preferably 6 months to a year) so when the real estate agent comes in, she will not see bald patches of soil, which could affect her valuation of your property. Instead, she will be welcomed by a garden that is in full bloom – an appeal that will result to an increase in your property’s value.

Remember, however, that the theme of your landscaped garden should either match or complement the over-all feel of your house. Just as mixed-and-matched clothes detract from the overall image of an otherwise beautiful person, an "un-coordinated" property (i.e. a Japanese-inspired rock garden juxtaposed against a French Colonial house), would most likely turn a discerning buyer off. So, landscape wisely and with caution and you will reap the rewards later on.

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