The habit of longevity that is reshaping what buyers want

A backyard may not yield anything at resale, or it may be the detail that seals the deal.

As food prices are expected to rise by 2 to 2.5 percent in 2026, according to the US Department of Agriculturein response, a growing number of homeowners are reaching for a trowel.

Longevity researchers say the instinct is sound; Gardening is one of the few daily habits shared by people over 100 years old in every Blue Zone ever studied.

But for real estate agents, there’s rarely a clear answer to the question of whether a yard helps or hurts a sale. The data shows that this depends on the type of garden, how it is maintained and how an estate agent presents it to potential buyers.

What an outdoor investment actually yields

The clearest figures come from the agents Renovation impact report 2023: outdoor functionsproduced jointly by the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Standard lawn care — the least expensive of the 11 outdoor projects surveyed — returned 217 percent of the cost at resale, as estimated by real estate agents. Landscape maintenance yielded 104 percent. An overall landscape upgrade delivered 100 percent.

Ninety-two percent of agents in the report said they recommend improving the curb appeal of a home before putting it on the market, with landscaping and basic lawn maintenance among the top-recommended projects by a wide margin.

Buyer demand for that outdoor investment is real and growing. In one conducted research for Better Homes and Gardens Real EstateAccording to 76 percent of affiliated real estate agents, outdoor living additions – patios, verandas and balconies – are the most requested amenity among buyers.

Thirty-eight percent of buyers in the same survey cited outdoor space as a top priority, and 71 percent said outdoor spaces that expand living space are among the features most likely to make them fall in love with a home.

The gap between what buyers want and what will pay off at the closing table frames the core conversations agents should be having with seller clients: The outdoor investments that feel the most rewarding are often not the ones that perform best at resale.

When a garden is an asset – and when it is not

A well-maintained raised bed or herb garden reads like a lifestyle amenity. An overgrown vegetable garden or a labor-intensive perennial border can be seen as a liability and likely a list of weekend commitments that the buyer didn’t ask for. The NAR/NALP report found that elaborate, high-maintenance gardens can bring peace of mind to buyers, regardless of how much care the seller has invested in them.

The BHGRE research reinforces that modern, low-maintenance landscaping, such as neat mulch beds, native greenery and drip irrigation, ranks just behind stylized outdoor rooms in curbside buyer responses. The signal buyers want is for a home to look nice without the need for constant maintenance.

“Home gardens can absolutely help attract a certain pool of buyers, especially in markets like Los Angeles where indoor-outdoor living is such a big part of the lifestyle,” Shelton Wilder, CEO of The Shelton Wilder Group at Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, told me. Inman.

“Buyers love the idea of ​​fresh herbs, citrus trees or a beautiful raised garden bed, but I always tell sellers not to spend too much on them.”

Wilder said the front of the house is still the most reliable place to stash money for a sale.

“First impressions are important, and clean landscaping, greenery and a welcoming entrance can make a big difference in how buyers feel when they first arrive at a property.”

For buyers, existing garden infrastructure such as raised beds, compost systems and established fruit trees can represent real value. Properties that already include these features can save buyers thousands of dollars in start-up costs, a consideration worth discussing with clients whose lifestyles complement the space.

Ask for lifestyle on the luxury side

At higher prices, the garden talk has gone well beyond curb appeal.

Jack Richardson

“Outdoor space has evolved from a ‘nice to have’ to a strong value driver, especially in the luxury end of the market,” said Jack Richardson, director of The Richardson Team at SERHANT. “Buyers today are evaluating the entire lifestyle experience of a property, not just the interior square footage or the stone choices.”

Richardson points to a quality of outdoor investments that sets them apart from most indoor renovations. “Thoughtful landscaping is one of the few investments you can make in a home that will actually increase in value over time,” he said. “Unlike many renovations that depreciate in value once completed, mature trees, tiered plantings, privacy fences and well-designed outdoor spaces become more valuable and more difficult (expensive) to replicate as the property ages.”

As for offerings, Richardson said garden spaces are reaching buyers who previously wouldn’t have identified them as a priority. “The best outdoor spaces create a sense of permanence, privacy and serenity that is increasingly difficult to find.”

The Blue Zones connection

The desire for that serenity may have its origins in something older than real estate trends.

Researchers study Blue zones – the five regions where the highest percentage of people in the world live to over 100 years – have made gardening an integral part of everyday life in every region.

The regions, identified by journalist Dan Buettner in collaboration with National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging, include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.

What these communities share is not structured exercise, but movement built into the fabric of daily life, including walking, manual tasks and gardening. Centenarians in these regions maintained gardens into the 1980s, 1990s and beyond.

Research cited by the Blue Zones Institute found that home gardening is associated with levels of happiness comparable to walking or cycling, and that participants consistently rank gardening among the most meaningful activities in their daily lives.

The case of mental health and exercise

This finding is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research that extends well beyond Blue Zone populations.

A Research from the University of Florida published in the journal PLOS ONE found that biweekly gardening sessions reduced stress, anxiety and depression in healthy women who had never gardened before. A 2024 umbrella review and meta-analysis published in Systematic reviewsbased on decades of research in population groups, gardening was found to be associated with improvements in a range of mental health outcomes, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduced stress, and improved cognitive function.

Research from Michigan State University found that gardening boosted self-confidence, self-esteem and a sense of purpose, and that these benefits increased when people gardened with others.

For agents working with clients weighing aging-in-place options or looking for homes that support active lifestyles without major exercise demands, the functional role of the garden may be worth bringing up as part of the conversation.

What agents need to know before advising clients

The data points to a number of practical differences.

For sellers, the financial return is most evident in the basics: lawn care, a clean yard and a welcoming entrance. Extensive vegetable gardens or low-maintenance plantings are worth simplifying before listing or deliberately framing them. The goal is to show a buyer the lifestyle potential without projecting the labor costs.

For buyers, the question is whether the garden fits in with how the customer actually wants to live and whether the lifestyle benefits are taken into account when making a housing decision. The BHGRE survey found that outdoor living extensions ranked No. 1 on the buyer-approved wish list, above flex spaces, smart storage and dual primary suites – a signal that outdoor space is no longer a secondary consideration.

“We constantly hear requests for outdoor spaces, gardens, pools and properties that feel like private retreats,” Richardson said. “There is also a growing appreciation for landscaping that provides both beauty and functionality: shade and privacy.”

As food costs rise and buyers increasingly prioritize well-being over square footage, the yard conversation is becoming an increasingly standard part of what agents are expected to know.

Email Jessi Healey