How Landscaping Adds Value to Your Home
Australian research has revealed that well-designed landscaping can increase a home’s value by up to 17%, attract more buyers, and reduce time on the market. In Victoria, where outdoor space is becoming harder to access, thoughtful landscaping is one of the smartest investments homeowners can make.
Lauren Bianchi | 18 Dec 2025 | 5 min read
This landscape in Prahran creates a stunning first impression, by Green Exteriors.
Landscaping is often treated as the finishing touch. Something to worry about after the house is built or renovated. But new data suggests it should be part of the plan from the start.
Across Victoria, homeowners are discovering that the way a garden is designed, planted and maintained can have a direct impact on how a property is perceived, lived in, and ultimately its value.
Landscaping has long been associated with lifestyle. A place to relax, entertain and connect with nature. But new Australian research confirms it also plays a far more practical role: it increases property value.
According to The Plant Value Report, authored by Greener Spaces Better Places in collaboration with Domain Insight, homes with greenery consistently outperform those without. Properties featuring gardens, plants and leafy outdoor spaces sell for more, attract greater buyer interest, and often spend less time on the market.
For Victorian homeowners, this insight is especially relevant. As blocks become smaller and housing density increases across Melbourne and regional centres, outdoor space is no longer taken for granted.
Well-considered landscaping has become a defining feature, one that shapes first impressions, daily liveability, and long-term value. Read on to learn how.
Landscaping Increases Property Value
The Plant Value Report analysed property sales across Australia and found clear, consistent results across both houses and units:
- Houses with greenery sell for 17.4% more, adding around $140,000 to the median sale price
- Units with greenery achieve a 16.1% premium, or roughly $100,000 more
- Homes with greenery attract more buyer views online and often spend less time on the market
These aren’t marginal gains.
For homeowners, the message is simple. Outdoor spaces that feel usable, considered and alive tangibly improve how a property performs in the real estate market.
Why Landscaping Changes First Impressions
When people encounter a home, online or in person, impressions begin forming immediately.
Greenery plays a powerful role in those early moments.
The Plant Value Report shows that landscaped gardens, leafy courtyards and plant-filled spaces help to:
- Soften hard architecture
- Frame natural light and outlooks
- Add warmth, balance and calm
- Signal that a home has been cared for
This effect is evident online. The Report found that homes featuring greenery attract around 7% more buyer views, helping listings stand out and hold attention before a buyer ever steps through the door.
A thriving garden does more than improve appearance. It helps create a sense of reassurance, subtly reinforcing that the home has been maintained and thoughtfully looked after.
Plant-filled spaces signal a home has been cared for like this landscape in Fairhaven, by Ocean Road Landscaping.
As Victoria Densifies, Outdoor Space Carries More Weight
Across Melbourne and regional Victoria, the way we live is changing.
Blocks are getting smaller. Townhouses and apartments are becoming the norm. The traditional backyard is no longer guaranteed — and for many, no longer attainable.
As outdoor space becomes harder to come by, it carries greater weight in how a home is experienced and valued.
The Plant Value Report shows that in denser markets, properties with courtyards, terraces, balconies and established planting consistently command higher premiums.
While Sydney often attracts attention for these trends, the same pressures and opportunities are already shaping Victoria’s housing market.
The Report also highlights that greenery is far from universal. Around one-third of houses and just one in six units are marketed with greenery, reinforcing its growing value as outdoor space becomes harder to find.
A garden doesn’t need to be large to matter.
It needs to feel intentional.
Layered greenery creates appeal in this Canterbury courtyard.
By Ian Barker Gardens.
Better Gardens Beat Bigger Gardens
One of the clearest insights from the research is that impact matters more than size.
Homes performed well when greenery was:
- Thoughtfully designed
- Well maintained
- Appropriate to the space
- Integrated with how the home is used day-to-day
Successful listings included everything from landscaped backyards to balcony gardens, native planting, layered greenery and trees positioned for shade and outlook.
In many cases, a small but cohesive garden created more appeal than a large, underutilised lawn.
Landscaping Adds Value Now and Into the Future
Some home improvements only make sense when it’s time to sell.
Landscaping is different.
It improves daily life from the moment it’s completed, while quietly strengthening a home’s long-term appeal.
The Plant Value Report concludes that greenery matures with the home, enhancing liveability, comfort and market performance over time. Trees establish, gardens fill out, and outdoor spaces become more functional and inviting.
It’s one of the few investments that pays you back every day, and again when it matters most.
Why Good Landscaping Starts with Good Advice
Greenery adds value to your property. Garden by COS Designs.
Image by Erik Holt.
By now, the data is clear. Greenery adds value.
What’s less obvious is how easily that value can be lost when landscaping isn’t well planned or executed.
Poor plant selection, poor-quality soils, awkward layouts or short-term, cheap fixes can create spaces that look appealing at first, but are costly to maintain and difficult to use. Over time, those issues tend to show.
In contrast, well-considered landscaping takes a longer view. It looks at how a space will function day-to-day, how it will mature, and how it will continue to add value as the home evolves.
Experienced landscapers understand:
- Victorian climates, soils and growing conditions
- How to balance beauty with practicality
- How to design outdoor spaces that age well
For homeowners, the real benefit is confidence. Engaging an experienced landscaping professional helps ensure decisions are made with the long term in mind, resulting in quality outdoor spaces that are functional, sustainable and built to last.
Landscaping Victoria members are professional practitioners committed to quality, integrity and best practice. They work with homeowners to create outdoor spaces that work hard, look great, and stand the test of time.
A Greener Home is a More Valuable Home
Professionally landscaped balcony garden in Melbourne.
By Lisa Ellis Gardens. Image by Erik Holt.
Across price points, property types and locations, the conclusion of The Plant Value Report is consistent: homes with greenery outperform.
For Victorian homeowners, that insight carries real weight.
As the way we live continues to change, thoughtful landscaping is no longer just about appearance. It’s about creating outdoor spaces that support everyday life now and continue to add value into the future.
If you’re considering landscaping your home, the most important step is getting the right advice from the start.
Landscaping Victoria’s Find a Professional tool connects you with experienced landscaping professionals across Victoria, helping you take the next step with confidence.
