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As home builders finalize the exterior details of newly built homes, paying attention to the home’s curb appeal is important—especially in the time of year when spending time outdoors is desirable.

In Thumbtack’s 2024 Curb Appeal Trends Report, over 1,000 current homeowners pointed to landscaping as a key to boosting curb appeal. According to the survey, 69% say that curb appeal was an important factor in the purchase of their home and a well-maintained lawn is a quick way to achieve it.

A neatly groomed lawn (69%), or xeriscaping materials in drier climates, can directly improve the curb appeal of a new or existing home followed by flowers and shrubbery (65%), well-maintained and cleaned exteriors (55%), trees (47%), and a decorated patio with furniture (43%).

The biggest curb appeal letdowns include unmaintained or overgrown yards (63%), trash and debris around the property (59%), clutter in the yard (57%), and too many vehicles/boats/trucks parked in a yard (50%).

In terms of planning and the design of a landscaped outdoor space, the top priority for 2024 is dogs (43%), as 39% of homeowners say their dream yard would have a fenced-in space for pets. Other planned uses for design consideration include kids (42%), beautifying a space (41%), and having a space to host gatherings (39%).

Tops features for a “dream yard” this year were pools (41%), hot tubs (40%), vegetable garden (40%), large trees that provide natural shade (38%), an outdoor kitchen (37%), and a well-manicured yard (37%).

Digging into the vegetable garden wishes, the survey revealed that homeowners are increasingly prioritizing environmentally friendly outdoor features especially as extreme heat and storms kick up. Over a quarter (28%) are utilizing a sustainable design for their yard including 40% who say they grow their own fruits and vegetables, 32% who have installed energy-efficient outdoor lighting, 30% who have added drought-resistant plants, 28% who have xeriscape, and 24% who have installed solar panels.

Sadly, 24% of homeowners say they’re embarrassed about the state of their yard and 21% say they don’t host people because of their yard. Nearly one-third think that their neighbors do a better job of maintaining their yards than they do while 54% say their outdoor spaces cause them stress. This may be why the number one consideration when thinking about outdoor landscaping projects is no-to-low maintenance at 26%.