The numbers
What a good yard is worth.
Three studies, real sales data, one direction: yard work moves home value by more than it costs.
5.5–11.4%
higher home value with good landscaping
Virginia Tech, 7-state study
10–12%
sale premium for an excellent yard vs an average one
South Carolina home sales
217%
of lawn-care cost recovered at sale
NAR 2023 outdoor report
5.5–11.4%: the seven-state study
Researchers at Virginia Tech showed homeowners photos of the same house with different landscaping and asked them to value it (Behe et al., 2005; survey in 1999, seven states). Going from no landscaping to a well-landscaped yard raised the home's perceived value by 5.5% to 11.4% depending on the state. A Michigan comparison found 12.7%.
What moved the number most: design sophistication (about 42% of the effect) and plant size (about 36%). And a minimal landscape (small plants, simple foundation planting) lowered perceived value below a plain lawn.
Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension publication 426-087, "The Effect of Landscape Plants on Perceived Home Value."
10–12%: what buyers actually paid
Perception is one thing; closed sales are another. An analysis of Greenville, South Carolina home sales (1996–97) compared sale prices against landscape quality graded by professionals:
- Average yard upgraded to good: +4–5%
- Good upgraded to excellent: +6–7%
- Average upgraded to excellent: +10–12%
On Chicago's median home price, 10% is a five-figure number.
Source: Henry, M., Greenville County SC sales analysis (2000), as summarized in the Virginia Tech publication above.
217%: cost recovered at sale, by project
The National Association of Realtors' 2023 Remodeling Impact Report (Outdoor Features) estimated what typical outdoor projects return at sale:
| Project | Cost recovered at sale |
|---|---|
| Lawn care / maintenance | ~217% |
| Mulch and flower beds | ~100–150% |
| Front walkway | ~100% |
| Paver patio | ~95% |
| Irrigation system | ~83% |
| Outdoor lighting | ~59% |
The pattern: regular care returns the most. Big-ticket hardscape returns less than its cost. The cheaper the upkeep, the better the math.
The same report surveyed Realtors: 97% say curb appeal is important for attracting buyers, 92% advise sellers to improve it before listing, and 74% recommend a landscape maintenance program pre-market.
Source: NAR, 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features.
One mature tree: $1,000–$10,000
US Forest Service and Arbor Day Foundation research puts a single mature shade tree at $1,000–$10,000 of appraised value, depending on size, species, and placement — before counting summer cooling savings.
Source: US Forest Service / Arbor Day Foundation, as compiled in Opendoor's landscaping value analysis.
Run your own numbers
On a $350,000 home, the studies' ranges imply $19,250 – $39,900 of perceived value between an average yard and an excellent one.
Illustrative only. The figures apply the studies' percentage ranges to the value you select. They are perceived-value measures, not a guarantee; every block, market, and appraisal differs.
The honest limits
- The 5.5–11.4% figures measure perceived value from photos, not every appraisal.
- Sale-premium data is from one South Carolina county in the late 1990s; Chicago's market will differ.
- Where every yard on the block is already manicured, upkeep is table stakes: it protects value rather than adding it.
- The often-quoted "landscaping adds 15–20%" claim is not supported by the underlying studies. We use the verified ranges instead.