Reviving the Forlorn Front Yard

When home prices reach upwards of $600 per square foot, you want to make every inch count. Maybe that’s why the front of the house has become an area of focus for many upscale homeowners.

It is interesting to consider why homeowners often ignore the front of their homes. Think about how many beautiful homes you have seen with stellar interiors, majestic backyards…and forlorn front yards.

Yet all realtors know about the studies that say that home buyers make up their minds within the first five seconds of looking at the house and only spend the rest of the time trying to justify their original impressions of the exterior. Finally, homeowners are catching on by giving the front areas the same respect as the rest of the property.

I have thought of some ways by which you can cultivate a fantastic front yard and add tremendous value to your property without breaking the bank.

The first reason why homeowners only tend to be in their front yards when they are walking from the driveway to the front door is because of privacy. Even on sultry summer days, homeowners will stay away from eating in the front yard because they do not want to be seen by strangers.

You can actually add to both the sanctity as well as the aesthetic value of your front in several ways:

• Elegant gates. Granted, picket-white fences may be lost in the suburbia of the 1950’s, but adding a taller rod-iron gate will lend your home an image of grandeur while allowing you to feel removed from the street.
• Landscape. Flowers, plants, trees, and other vegetation add color and refinement to your front yard. You may even use trees as natural fences that provide both shade and privacy.
• Hardscape. Choosing the right type of material for your driveway and walkways can instantly change your home from a Los Angeles residence to a Tuscan estate. Lose the brick and concrete, and opt for a choice that can add both color and texture. Rustic-colored cobblestone is especially popular nowadays. Stone is another option, which can make your home resemble a French chateau.
• Waterfalls or sculptures. I’m not suggesting that you go buy a dozen pieces and try to recreate the Getty Villa, but a simple three-tiered waterfall or a non-ostentatious stone sculpture by the front entrance can be another tactful and international touch. Stores like Z Gallerie offer some very nice options for very good values.

Now that you have established some privacy and some elegant touches to your front, you may even be willing to spend some more of your time out there. You don’t have to eat your meals in the front, but placing an iron table with some matching chairs on a grassy area will allow you to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in another relaxing outdoor part of your home. Even if you live in a particularly busy area, the fence, trees, and the waterfall will do well to muffle the street sounds so that you really can enjoy yourself. And those some features will lend you the privacy and freedom to be yourself.