Plan the landscaping around your house from a custom home builder
One of the main reasons people turn to a custom home builder is to have a house made to suit their needs and lifestyle exactly. But you can add even more value and a personal touch to any home built by a custom home builder by focusing on something relatively inexpensive: landscaping.
Creating specialized landscaping makes your investment—a house built by a custom home builder—more meaningful. With some good planning and the right approach, it can have a big impact.
Before you start digging up your lawn, planting trees or pouring concrete, though, you need to make a plan. And that starts by answering one question: What will you do in your yard?
Find your style
It might seem too simple, but you should consider what your needs will be in the outdoor space you are designing. Do you have small children who need room to run around and play? Do you want playground equipment such as a swing set or slide? Where will these features go?
If you plan a pool in the backyard, you’ll need a fence if your custom home builder did not install one. The pool decision will also dictate other features such as the surface material of the surrounding deck. If you install a pool, you’ll need to select a product that does not become slippery when wet.
What about a backyard grill or fire pit? You have a lot of attractive and creative options beyond the old-fashioned barbecue. If you want to dine al fresco—outdoors—you might consider a covered or uncovered deck or patio.
If you have a green thumb, you might opt for a vegetable, herb or flower garden. And if you’re handy, how about a workshop?
Select the site
Once you’ve decided what you want from the outdoor space surrounding your house from a custom home builder, look at where the sunlight falls. You don’t want to set up your outdoor dining area where the sun beats down at mealtime. You should also consider wind breaks, such as a hedge or trellis. Walk around to find wind tunnels, which are surrounding buildings and other structures that funnel wind no matter which way it’s blowing.
With this information, create a focal point for your front yard and backyard—a feature that draws the eye and around which all your other landscaping naturally flows. It could be a water feature, such as a fountain or a bird bath, or a flower bed showing off your gardening skills.
When it comes to gardening, consider plants carefully. Local native species will grow best because they are adapted to Utah’s dry climate. Also think about whether flowers, trees and bushes will shed flower petals or seeds. For example, maples and beeches are notorious for leaving seeds behind. Do you want more clean-up work?
If you’re considering hardscaping such as a patio or paved walk, choose materials and colors that match those used by the custom home builder. And also consider overall style. If your custom home is ultramodern, a traditional French garden style of landscaping will look out of place.
Don’t forget to check to make sure your plans don’t clash with local bylaws and neighborhood design standards.
Enjoy a return on your investment
Good landscaping adds more curb appeal—the phrase real estate agents use to describe how attractive a house looks on first impression from the street. And it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Although you’ve bought your custom-built home for the long term, if and when you do decide to sell, that added curb appeal could translate into a higher selling price and a shorter selling period.
Good landscaping also has practical cost-saving benefits. For example, many people cover their flower beds with a colorful mulch. It adds visual appeal, but it also helps keep weeds down and helps the soil retain water. In a climate like Utah’s, that’s important.
A fence, high hedges and trees also increase privacy in your property, and good arrangement can even deter break-ins, increasing your safety and security. In short, good landscaping is a practical investment that pays off.
The most important reason, though, is that attractive landscaping adds to your enjoyment of your house designed by Rainey Homes, your trusted custom home builder in North Salt Lake Utah.