Considering adding a retaining wall to your yard?
We think that’s a great idea. Retaining walls and boulder walls offer a unique feature to your yard, whether installed in the front yard, side yard or in your backyard living area.
As professional landscape designers serving Buffalo, MN and areas all the way to West Metro outside the Twin Cities, we’ve designed, built and landscaped retaining walls for all types of uses.
Most people build retaining walls for a few common reasons.
1. They want to add a focal point (or points) to their yard as well as bring definition to specific areas.
2. They are looking for a raised area to use as a patio, garden or landscape feature.
3. They want to level out hilly areas of their yard or make use of natural landscapes.
4. They want to prevent soil erosion and potential flooding issues.
Overall, we find that retaining walls can enhance a yard in a myriad of ways – here are 3 main ways:
1. Retaining walls can bring instant value to a home or property.
As Clark Landscapes says in their article 5 Benefits of Adding a Retaining Wall to Your Property, “there are a lot of benefits to adding a retaining wall. It makes your property look more attractive, improving its overall aesthetic. This improved appearance combined with its functionality will add to the overall value of your property. When your property contains useful, attractive features, its value will increase.”
A March 2020 article at Homelight.com shows that “over 75% of top real estate agents across the country say that well-landscaped homes are worth anywhere from 1% to 10% more than homes with no landscaping,” That’s a $50,000 increase in home value potentially on a $500,000 home. That’s a big deal!
2. Retaining walls instantly give an updated look and feel to your outdoor living space. When retaining walls and boulder walls are installed correctly and are landscaped well, you really have created an entirely new backyard – one that you’ll be happy with and one your neighbors will envy.
Think of adding a retaining wall as a transformation of your backyard, a “sprucing up” of your backyard or as a backyard renovation project! Morris Brick and Stone has some great insight with their article, Spruce Up Your Backyard with These Retaining Wall Ideas.
3. Functionality and usability of your yard increases. Retaining walls have lots of functions as we’ve stated above. For example, if your side yard slopes off away from the house, a retaining wall and leveled area could be used to install an extra parking pad. Or perhaps a patio, an area for a sidewalk, a place to hold trash cans – pretty much any reason you can think of.
Additionally, retaining walls can serve multiple uses – like adding in seating within the walls, steps to reach a raised area of the yard, areas for outdoor lighting or as a backdrop to a new fire pit.
Patio Town of Minnesota says in its article 5 Ways Retaining Walls Can Enhance Your Yard, “homeowners also can create beautiful and durable outdoor seating on a smaller scale, such as freestanding seat walls for comfort and privacy.”
Remember – in the Minnesota lake region, it’s important to consider soil erosion, drainage and irrigation issues when building or repairing retaining walls. Always ask your landscape designer about these issues and other potential concerns that may arise when installing a wall. An experienced landscape design company will be able to talk you through questions you have and point out issues that you may not have thought to ask.
Spring is always a good time to research the design and installation of a new retaining wall feature for your yard. What HGTV dream backyard are you envisioning? Are you ready to go from Do It Yourself to having someone else do it for you?
At Serenity Landscape Services, we’re here to help you every step of the way. It just starts with an initial call where we can learn more about what you have in mind. Feel free to call us today at 763-614-8223. We look forward to speaking with you!
Want some inspirational ideas for a retaining wall design? Check out these 95 retaining wall images from Backyard Boss.
