You know the old saying, you only get one chance to make a first impression? When you’re talking about rental properties, that first impression comes from your landscaping.
The lawn and landscaping — or, in other words, the curb appeal — is the first thing potential tenants see when they look at your rental property. If they see an impressive, well-kept lawn, they’ll assume the rest of the property is impressive and well-kept, too — which can drive up interest and make it easier to rent your property.
But just like a well-maintained lawn can help you, an unruly lawn can hurt you. If a potential client is driving by your property and sees trees growing in every which direction, grass that hasn’t been mowed in weeks, or dead flowers scattered across the lawn, what do you think they’ll do?
They’ll keep on driving.
Related Post: Who Should Manage Your Rental Property Lawn Maintenance?
Nobody wants to rent a property with a terrible lawn. And the more potential tenants you lose because of your landscaping, the more likely it is you’ll have to lower your rent — and the more likely you’ll have to lower your standards about who you rent to.
If you want to rent your property for a fair rate — and to a great tenant — there’s no way around it: you need to invest in landscaping and lawn maintenance.
Now, we’re not recommending you spend a small fortune landscaping your properties so they look like they could be on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. Far from it! The landscaping updates you make to your rental property should be simple and straightforward; the more low-maintenance the update, the easier it will be for you to maintain — and the less work will be required to keep your lawn looking great.
North Texas Landscaping Ideas to Boost Your Rental Property's Curb Appeal
Here are five easy North Texas landscaping ideas that will boost your rental property’s curb appeal (and increase the value in the process):
Keep Your Lawn Mowed...
The quickest, easiest, and most affordable way to keep your lawn looking great?
Make sure it’s mowed.
This should be a no-brainer, but so many property owners out there just don’t mow their lawn on a regular basis — which can dramatically impact your property’s curb appeal, making it less attractive to potential tenants and, as a result, harder to rent.
Ideally, you never want to cut more than ⅓ of the grass blade during a single mow session — which is why regular mowing is so important. Aim to mow your lawn about once a week to maintain a trim, neat appearance and keep excess growth under control.
...And, While You’re At It, Keep It Edged
Edging your lawn is another easy, affordable improvement that has a major impact on how your landscaping looks overall.
Having neat edges around the perimeter of your property and along the sides of any walking paths, planting beds, or driveways lends a professional look to your property that tenants love.
Whether you’re creating a manual edge around a flower bed with a half-moon edger or trimming the grass around a walkway with a string trimmer, edging a lawn is a simple and easy process — but its impact on the overall look and feel of your property is anything but simple.
Trim, Shear, And Prune Your Bushes/hedges
There’s nothing that will make an otherwise tidy lawn look completely unkempt faster or more efficiently than overgrown bushes.
If you have bushes or hedges on your property, make sure to keep them trimmed. Prune your bushes and remove any dead branches. Shear and trim your hedges so they keep a uniform appearance and shape.
Kill Weeds And Save Your Flowers
Flowers can make for a beautiful, eye-catching addition to your lawn — but only if they’re healthy and well taken care of.
There are a number of weeds that can quickly grow out of control in North Texas, like dandelions, henbits, bittercress, and mayweeds — and if you don’t consistently take care of your lawn, they can quickly take over your flower beds.
If you notice weeds in your flower beds, dig them out and treat your lawn with the appropriate weed killers to keep additional weeds from spreading.
Related Post: 7 Low Cost Ways To Increase the Value of Your Rental
Remember — Not All Plants Are Created Equal (At Least Not In North Texas)
Like we mentioned earlier, the key to landscaping success with your rental property is keeping things simple. So, when choosing plants to feature in your lawn, you want to choose plants that thrive naturally in the North Texas climate. The more naturally the plants you choose adjust to the weather, climate, and soil, the easier they’ll be to take care of.
Here are a few North Texas landscaping ideas including some of the best plants for this climate:
- Grasses: Texas Bluegrass, Bermudagrass, Buffalograss
- Smaller shrubs: Honey Mesquite, Dusty Miller, Engelman’s Prickly Pear
- Medium-sized shrubs: Sweet Mock Orange, American Elderberry, Lantana
- Larger shrubs: Pinyon Pine, Desert Willow, Mexican Elder
- Flowers: Texas Gold Columbine, Lord Baltimore Hibiscus, Cape Plumbago
Choosing plants that naturally thrive in North Texas will ensure that your lawn and garden always look their best — with as little effort from you as possible.
Minor Improvements Yield Big Results
All the landscaping improvements we talked about require minimal investment and effort on your part — but the way they can change your property’s curb appeal can have a lasting impact on tenants. If you want to draw in the best tenants — and get the best price for your rental property — do yourself a favor and keep your North Texas lawn looking its best.
