6 Landscaping Projects That Don’t Pay Off, According to Real Estate Pros

Plenty of landscaping projects have great curb appeal and resale value. Ideas like updating the front walkway or modernizing outdoor lighting are easy, inexpensive, and return good value. But other landscaping projects aren’t worth your while.

We spoke to real estate pros to help you learn which landscaping projects to skip if you want a better return on investment when selling your home.

High Maintenance Gardens

JoLynn Tarantino, a real estate agent at ReeceNichols Real Estate, says high-maintenance gardens are at the top of her list of projects not worth the investment.

“I have shown houses before where the yards and landscaping look beautiful, and you can tell it’s done by someone who is very good and knows what they’re doing,” she says. “But that could be very intimidating to someone else.”

Real estate investor Andy Saintilus agrees: “High-maintenance landscaping is an investment that doesn’t always pay off.”

A yard filled with intricate flower beds, rare plants, or elaborate designs might look beautiful, says Saintilus, but if it requires too much work, it can be a turnoff. Large gardens, topiary designs, or water fountains may seem appealing at first, but they often become more of a burden than an asset.

Stick with landscaping that’s easy to maintain and looks good year-round without constant attention. 

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Unusual Features

Large, unusual, and incongruent features that don’t fit with the property should always be avoided, Tarantino says.

Giant fountains and koi ponds are the two main offenders that Tarantino sees frequently. She can tell that the person has put a lot of money into the koi pond, but the “next owner has no interest in having it or keeping up to date with the maintenance of it.”

Far from being an asset, these confusing landscaping features can turn into major liabilities. The buyer has to factor in the cost of removing the feature, possibly lowering the counter-offer.

Artificial Lawn

Artificial landscaping is another area where homeowners tend to overspend without seeing a return, Saintilus says.

“While artificial turf can work well in the backyard, it doesn’t always look right in the front yard,” he says. “The installation costs are high, and the results often feel unnatural, especially in areas where buyers expect real grass.”

Saintilus expands this landscaping project to include all forms of artificial plants anywhere in the yard, especially in the front of the home.

“Some homeowners also opt for artificial plants and custom-designed outdoor features, but these choices can be too personal, making the home harder to sell,” he says.

Oversized Features

Another landscaping project to skip is when you’ve got something that’s too big, Tarantino says. The item itself is fine, but there’s too much of it.

“So, too much hardscaping, like a patio, pavers, or other things that could get too big, and then you don’t have much yard at all,” says Tarantino. 

You can go too far in the opposite direction, though, she says. For instance, you might not have much outdoor living space, and it’s just a yard with no way to access it. 

“Find a good balance between too much and too little,” she advises.

Above-Ground Pools

Above-ground pools are about immediate gratification. They go up fast, don’t require digging, and many can be installed by the homeowner. Above-ground pools cost from $400 to $4,000, easily beating concrete pools’ average cost of $50,000 to $120,000.

But above-ground pools have poor resale value. Buyers tend to look at above-ground pools as liabilities, especially pools in less-than-perfect condition.

Personalized Projects

“When landscaping is too customized, there’s a good chance that potential buyers won’t like it or will see it as an extra expense to replace,” Tarantino says.

Saintilus seconds this.

“Homeowners sometimes invest heavily in features that reflect their personal taste but don’t appeal to the average buyer, making it harder to recoup those costs.”

Saintilus singles out overly customized landscaping that doesn’t age well. For example, buying a horse statue and placing it outside because you love horses might make a property feel unique to the owner but won’t increase its value. Imported exotic plants that aren’t native to the area are another example.

These features can be expensive to install and maintain, adds Saintilus, with potential buyers seeing them as unnecessary or even a hassle to remove after sale.

“Landscaping should be designed to stand the test of time,” he says.