Do Gardens Increase Property Value? What Each Yard Upgrade Pays Back (2026)

Updated November 2026. For owners deciding which yard and garden work is worth doing before a sale, with the cost and payback of 10 outdoor projects.

Do gardens increase property value? Often, yes. NAR’s Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features (2023) estimated that standard lawn care recovers 217% of its cost at sale and an overall landscape upgrade 100%, while a fire feature recovers 56%. As of November 2026, no public study puts a figure on a vegetable garden.

Yard ready? List on the major home search sites and the MLS with every photo your MLS allows, so the garden shows, and $0 due to Beycome at closing.

Jump to: 💲 Payback by project · 🌿 Why gardens add value · 🏠 Vegetable gardens · 🪜 Before you list · 📍 Taxes and records · ❓ FAQ

A garden can’t change your square footage or your school district. What it can change is the first photo and the first ten seconds at the curb. That’s where the money is. Here’s which garden and yard projects tend to earn their cost back, and which ones are mostly for you.

Which garden upgrades pay back at sale?

The best public numbers come from the National Association of REALTORS® 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features. Landscape professionals estimated each project’s cost. REALTORS® estimated how much of it a seller could recover.

These are national averages from a 2023 survey. Your region, your lot and your buyer pool will move them. Still, the pattern is clear. Upkeep that makes a yard look cared for beats big features that suit one owner’s taste.

What does “landscape maintenance” mean in the report? Mulch once a year, regular mowing, pruning shrubs and planting about 60 perennials or annuals. In other words, a garden that looks finished.

For indoor projects and bigger remodels, our list of the top 10 home renovations that increase property value covers kitchens, baths, doors and paint.

Does a garden increase property value, and why do buyers pay for it?

Buyers judge a home’s care from the outside first. In the same NAR report, 97% of REALTORS® said curb appeal matters in attracting a buyer. 92% have suggested sellers improve it before listing.

A neat yard also sets up the listing photos. Overgrown beds, dead patches and limbs over the roof show up in the first image online. They make buyers wonder what else was skipped.

Trees deserve a closer look. Dead or leaning trees, or limbs touching the roof, are things an inspector may flag. If storms have left a tree damaged, call an arborist or an emergency tree service near me before photos, not after an inspection report lands. In NAR’s numbers, a tree care package of about $2,875 recovered 87%.

Does a vegetable garden increase property value?

There’s no national study that puts a dollar figure on a vegetable garden. It falls outside the NAR project list. So treat it as a feature that can help or hurt, depending on how it looks and who’s buying.

It helps when it reads as an asset. Think built raised beds, clean paths, a fenced area, a hose bib nearby and good sun. Many buyers like the idea of growing food, especially families and gardeners.

It hurts when it reads as a chore. Weedy rows, sagging netting or a bare dirt patch in winter all look like work the next owner inherits.

Our advice before listing:

• In season, keep it weeded, edged and mulched, with a few healthy plants.
• Out of season, clear it, top the beds with mulch and make the edges crisp.
• If the plot is large and rough, consider seeding part of it back to lawn.
• Mention raised beds or irrigation in the listing as features, without overselling.

Community and urban gardens are a different question, about the neighborhood rather than your yard. We looked at the research in how urban agriculture affects property value.

Do outdoor living spaces add value?

They can, if they fit the house and the area. A patio recovered 95% and a wood deck 89% in NAR’s estimates. Outdoor living spaces like a covered seating area or a simple fire bowl make a yard feel like extra rooms in photos.

Built-in kitchens, pools and large fire features are another story. They cost a lot and suit some buyers only. An in-ground pool cost about $90,000 in the same report and recovered about $50,000, or 56%. Build them because you’ll use them, not to sell.

Want ideas for showing what you already have? Read staging your outdoor space for a home sale.

Should you hire a pro or do it yourself?

Most garden prep before a sale is DIY work. In NAR’s report, 40% of consumers did their outdoor project entirely themselves, and 37% hired a professional for the whole job.

Do it yourself when the work is mowing, weeding, mulch, edging and planting a few pots. Hire out when it involves tall trees, grading and drainage, irrigation, or anything near power lines. Those jobs carry real risk, and a bad result shows in photos.

Get two or three quotes for bigger jobs, and ask for a written scope with a finish date before your listing date. Keep every invoice: some of that work may count toward your tax basis, as we explain below.

Can a garden lower energy and water bills?

It can, and buyers notice lower running costs. Shade trees on the sunny side cut cooling loads. Native plants and drip irrigation use less water than a thirsty lawn. Rain barrels and solar path lights are cheap extras. Pair them with indoor upgrades from our energy efficiency guide. We don’t have a public payback figure for these, so list them as features rather than counting on a price bump.

What should you do to the garden before listing?

Start four to six weeks before your photo date. That leaves time for plants to settle and for mulch to stop looking fresh-dumped.

1. Mow, edge and fix bare spots in the lawn.
2. Prune shrubs back from windows, walks and the roof.
3. Remove dead plants, and fill gaps with a few seasonal flowers by the door.
4. Put down fresh mulch in every bed.
5. Clean the patio, deck and paths, and repair loose pavers.
6. Check that outdoor lights work, and replace dead bulbs.
7. Take photos in soft morning or late-day light.

Then keep it up while you’re on the market. A yard that looks good in photos and bad at the showing loses trust. Our guide on whether curb appeal is affecting your sale has quick fixes.

When the yard is ready, you can list it yourself. With a Beycome flat fee MLS listing, Basic is $99 in most states ($129 in California and Illinois) with $0 due to Beycome at closing, and you can upload the maximum number of photos your MLS allows.

Do garden costs count for taxes when you sell?

Some do. IRS Publication 523 lists landscaping, walkways, driveways, decks and patios as improvements that add to your basis. A higher basis means a smaller taxable gain. Routine upkeep like mowing doesn’t count.

Many owners won’t owe tax anyway. If you meet the ownership and use tests, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly. Keep receipts in case you need them.

Gardens and property value: common questions