More than half of homeowners say they believe a beautiful landscape and exterior can increase their home’s resale value by at least $20,000. Sixteen percent say the increase can be more than $50,000, according to a 2023 survey by Thumbtack and Nextdoor.

Sprucing up the outdoor landscape can be a wise investment for people thinking of selling. In the National Association of REALTORS® 2023 Remodeling Impact Report, real estate professionals estimated that a yard upgrade was expected to recover 100% of the cost for sellers. The 2023 report focused on outdoor projects and defined a yard upgrade as adding a natural flagstone walkway, two stone planters, several flowering shrubs, a deciduous tree and mulch. (The 2025 Remodeling Impact Report focuses on indoor upgrades.)

Here are some ways to add some curb appeal.

1. Accentuate the front porch

Show off the front porch as a place to relax: Stage it with seating areas, such as Adirondack chairs, a porch swing or a bistro set. After all, potential home buyers rank the front porch as one of the top home features they want in their next home, according to a 2024 survey from the National Association of Home Builders.

Bring in more embellishments to highlight the front porch, like flowery hanging baskets and potted flowers in bursts of color beside the front door. 

Photo credit: Ucpage / Getty Images

2. Add a window box

Bring color to your exterior by adding boxes along the bottom edge of the home’s outside windows. It can enhance a home’s colors and architecture. However, not every window needs a flower box. Reserve it just for the large picture window or the windows on a second story, suggests Jackie Mosher, co-founder of Dzinly, a Royal Oak, Mich.-based company that helps homeowners and real estate professionals digitally design exteriors. To fill the flower boxes, consider seasonal floral arrangements combining three different types of flowers: greenery, a taller plant in the center and a colorful accent flower, Mosher says.

3. Bring in texture

River rocks or crushed gravel are lower maintenance alternatives to mulch. Consider using plants with soft, flowing foliage and boulders nestled within a landscape as an accent.

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4. Pay attention to the lighting

Add lighting along walkways to bring curb appeal, even when it’s dark outside. Also, for both sides of a porch, consider on-trend boxed lanterns in a black or antique bronze, Mosher suggests. Or, try an oversized hanging pendant or chandelier above the front door to draw eyes in. 

Photo credit: Ucpage / Getty Images

Also, landscape lighting can make a difference, with spotlights pointed up at the house to highlight the home’s architecture as well as up-lights on your favorite plants or trees. Solar-powered spotlight can bypass the need for installing extra wiring.

5. Don’t forget to edit

Make sure the home’s exterior isn’t suffering from an overcrowded design, like too many plants or sculptures. Settle on a focal point, like the front porch. Ensure that shrubs and trees aren’t blocking walkways or distracting from the home’s appearance. “When it’s time to sell your home, you don’t want prospective home buyers to think they’re entering an overgrown jungle that will cost thousands of dollars to control,” says Jeremy Martin, CEO at Willow Gates Landscaping in Mohnton, Pa.

Learn more ideas to spruce up a home’s curb appeal: How to Add Value and Beauty to Your Front Yard Landscape

Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Melissa Dittmann Tracey is a contributing editor for REALTOR® Magazine. As editor of Styled, Staged & Sold, Tracey blogs about the latest home design and staging trends. She also produces a segment called “Hot or Not?” in home design that airs on NAR’s Real Estate Today radio show. Follow Melissa on Instagram and Twitter at @housingmuse. She can be reached at mtracey@nar.realtor.