Owning a home can seem like one big decision after the other. When it comes to interior and exterior design, painting, decor, and landscaping, you have total control over how your home looks from any angle.
However, one of the most important views of your home is its appearance from the street, as the front of your house and yard are the first things people see. If your home’s appearance doesn’t reflect the personality of you and your family, it is possible that it might give visitors the wrong impression of your home.
If you’re considering landscaping your front lawn, check out this guide for ideas on the best use of your space, the benefits of front of house landscaping, and what to consider when planning your front yard landscape design. With our help, you can have the perfect lawn for your family’s needs that falls within your budget.
Front of House Landscape Designs
While most people choose the traditional lawn with a walkway for their home, there are other options that could potentially decrease the necessary amount of work or water that is needed to maintain your home lawn at a more cost-efficient rate. However, the main point of front yard landscaping is that your lawn adds curb appeal and aesthetics for your family.
Whether you opt for a more eco-friendly yard or a traditional lawn, you can find a front yard landscape design that works with your budget. That is why it is important to consider all of the factors of front yard landscaping before getting started. However, if you’re on the fence about switching up your lawn’s look, remember that there are many benefits to landscaping your lawn.
The Benefits of Front of House Landscaping
In general, front of house landscaping is great for the overall value of your home, the front lawn being the most important determining factor. Unless you live in a neighborhood with streets on either side of your home, the first impression visitors get is from the front lawn. Although, it is important to note that there are several benefits to front of house landscaping.
Curb Appeal
The main reason that most people landscape their lawns is for curb appeal. This is key when someone walks by your house, visits for the first time, or stops to consider purchasing it, as it is their first impression of your home. Any realtor will tell you that curb appeal is one of the main sellers in real estate, rather than the size of the house in many cases.
If your lawn is well-manicured and appealing, it will make your house look nicer. This could cause potential home buyers to be more attracted to it without even realizing it, which means they are more likely to like your house over another house they have seen that has a shoddy front lawn.
Home Value
In addition to the attractiveness of your home, the state of its lawn can have an effect on its value. This means the more up-to-date on repairs your home is, the less work it will need in the future.
If your yard is maintained well and is landscaped in an appealing way, then new owners won’t have to do much to maintain it, if you plan on selling your house. This can add value to your home in the long run. By landscaping now, you can increase the amount of money you will get for the sale of your home when you are ready to move.
Practical Value
Of course, landscaping has practical value as well. With a well-landscaped front lawn, it’s easier to care for, keep it tidy, and have guests over. It can also improve the appearance of your house in the neighborhood and possibly keep up with Homeowners Association (HOA) standards.
Environmental Benefits
Depending on how you re-landscape your lawn, you could be helping the environment. Planting trees and foliage will take up some sun and water, but plants also release fresh oxygen and nutrients into the air. The more trees you plant, the more shade and oxygen you give to future generations.
The environmental benefits of your yard depend on where you live. However, you can use plants native to your area to help increase the bird and bug population. The possibilities for front yard landscaping with rocks and other natural elements are endless, and you can use it to help the local ecosystem.
What to Consider When Planning Your Landscaping
In addition to the benefits of front yard landscaping, you can make your house and lawn more reflective of your personality and values. However, there are some factors you should consider before jumping into designing and planting your front of house landscaping.
Yard Size
Of course, the biggest factor affecting your front yard landscape design is how much property you have. If you live in the city, you most likely don’t have as much lawn to landscape as a country house does. However, no matter what size your yard is, you can still make it look as nice as possible with the right landscaping.
The main thing your yard size will affect is the type of landscaping you choose. If your front lawn is sprawling and takes up an acre or more, your best (and cheapest) bet is likely to be a traditional grass yard. However, a smaller city yard might do well with a seating area or pavers.
Sunlight and Shade
Of course, you’ll want to consider how much sunlight and shade your yard gets, and what the weather is year-round where you live. Traditional yards are great for those who live in the midwest, but a Southwestern home might not have the water resources for a yard full of grass.
When it comes to specific plants, it’s crucial to check their sunlight and shade needs. In order to landscape well, you should look into the plants that will work best for your climate, your yard, and the amount of shade you have available.
Budget
Budget is a huge factor when it comes to landscaping. The costs can rise quickly, especially if you decide to overhaul your yard. Larger yards can cost a lot of money, and smaller yards with fancier landscaping choices might not be that much less expensive.
The best option is to do some budgeting research on plants, pavers, patio furniture, and labor before starting on your dream yard. You may need to hold off on specific decorations or furniture until you’ve bought the right plants and paid for labor.
Care and Maintenance
When landscaping a lawn, it’s easy to want to go for the most beautiful and elegant appearance. However, more plants often mean more work, and the freshly manicured look will not last long if you don’t have regular time to update your landscaping maintenance.
When choosing your landscaping style, look for a yard that will take less work. However, if you have the time and are looking forward to maintenance, you can plant a wider variety of plants and water them and weed them throughout the year.
Front of House Landscaping Ideas
If you are ready to get started but don’t have any solid ideas, that’s okay! There are thousands of different front yard landscape designs, and it can be overwhelming to decide which you like the best. However, there are some design options that can help get you started. You can look into each of these and design your perfect lawn from there.
Lawn With a Walkway
Of course, the most traditional front yard landscaping with rocks is a green lawn with a driveway. Many people also have a walkway leading from the road to their front door. This is a great choice for your home, especially if you want something simple and easy to care for. With a traditional lawn, you can landscape in trees, plants, and mini gardens to beautify your yard.
Trees and Garden
For those who want to move away from the traditional lawn with a driveway or a walkway, planting a variety of plants and trees throughout your front yard landscaping with rocks in a unique garden can give it a whimsical and wild look. Of course, there is still landscaping involved in a garden—you will have to decide where to put the plants and how they will look.
Circles and Seating Areas
Larger front yards look great with trees. However, if you are just planting a tree, it will not be large enough to provide shade for a while and may look silly in the middle of your yard. You can break up the monotony by installing a stone or brick circle around the base of your small tree.
Circles are visually pleasing and easy to mow around or care for. You can use them as planters or fire pits and create paved seating areas for guests. If you have a large patio, installing a seating area is a great way to ease into your landscaping and add an inviting touch.
Pavers and Dry Gardens
If you live in a city or have very small front yard landscaping sizes, it might not be worth it to have a lawn or enough space for chairs. However, you can still use plants and keep weeds away with pavers. A combination of stone pavers and planted areas gives a yard an elegant, museum-like feel and can reduce your water usage.
While you don’t necessarily need a dry garden, places like the southwest corner of America benefit from plants that don’t need too much water. If you live in a less arid climate, you could plant regular plants between your pavers for a change.
Transform Your Home Today
With these front yard landscape design elements and factors, you should be prepared to design your perfect front yard landscaping with rocks. Good front of house landscaping will increase the home value and curb appeal of your house and show off your design skills.
If you keep up your lawn, you won’t regret it when it comes time to sell the house and move. Contact one of our landscaping specialists today to see how they can help make your home look its best.