🌿 The Truth About Selling a Home with a Big Garden | Lessons from My Michigan Backyard 🌿
After 20 years of building my dream garden in southeast Michigan — filled with lush perennials, garden rooms, woodland borders, and a thriving pollinator paradise — I was shocked to learn that what brought me peace and joy was a deal-breaker for many homebuyers.
In this video, I share the emotional journey of creating my dream garden and the surprising feedback we received during our home sale. I’ll share the the valuable lessons I’m taking with me as I work on my temporary Kentucky garden.
If you’re a home gardener, planning to sell your house, or designing a backyard landscape, this story offers important insights into garden design, home staging for resale, and how to balance beauty with practicality.
👉 Whether you’re building your forever garden or just starting out with container gardening in a small space, I hope this helps you think strategically about your outdoor space.
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💬 Have you ever faced something similar when selling a home with a garden? Share your experience in the comments below!
Thanks for watching.
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Over 20 years, countless weekends, and thousands
of dollars, I poured my heart into creating what would become my perfect garden. But when it came
time to sell our home, I discovered that my dream garden was actually someone else’s nightmare.
My gardening journey started here in southeast Michigan. A typical suburban
plot just some grass, a few foundation shrubs, and endless possibilities.
After visiting and seeing the gardens in the UK, I was determined to build my own garden retreat
a garden that would become a sanctuary from the stress of the daily grind. And so, year after
year, I added more layers to the garden. I created garden rooms in my backyard, a woodland
border tucked underneath the huge white pines that were here before we moved in. Each season,
I added a little more. The most recent addition was a huge pollinator garden in the front
that was filled with blooms all season long. This wasn’t just landscaping to me. Every day I’d
step into this space to enjoy the birds and the quiet. This garden taught me to appreciate the
cycles of the season. Those first snowdrops and hellebores pushing through the snow. Springtime
with its wondrous colorful bulbs. The summer that was just filled with flowers, butterflies,
and bees. Each weekend brought new plants, new projects, and new dreams of the season to come.
This space helped me deal with the stress of an engineering job and provided a much-needed
quiet place to listen to the breeze, to feel the sun on my head, and to just
appreciate the beauty of God’s creation. This garden wasn’t just a beautiful hobby. It
was my therapy. Friends would visit and loved spending time outside. And I think the person
that loved this garden as much as my husband and I did was my mom. I still have a little note
that she wrote the first time that she sat on the patio a few summers ago. She used to live in
northern Michigan, but after my dad passed away, we moved my mom downstate, and my garden
was one of her favorite places to be. This garden was more than plants and
pathways, though. It was proof that you can transform an ordinary space and turn it
into something extraordinary. It just takes a little care and a little vision.
But then life called us to Kentucky, and it was time to share our home with someone
new. I couldn’t wait to show potential buyers this incredible space. Surely people would see what I
saw not just a house, but a peaceful sanctuary. I had no idea what I was about to learn.
So, the for sale sign went up at our house in Michigan at the end of May. And I remember
feeling so excited, almost proud, knowing that potential buyers would get to see the garden
just as it was coming into its summer glory. I spent quite a bit of time making sure that the
garden looked its best. The flowering trees were blooming, and the garden was filling out nicely.
At that first weekend that the house went on the market, we had a lot of showings, and I
was sure that the house was going to sell quickly. I was convinced that the garden
would be one of the main selling points. But when we started getting feedback, a pattern
started to emerge. The people that saw the house were first-time buyers primarily. And although
they loved the house, they thought the garden looked like too much work.
Too much work. I didn’t understand the comments we were
getting back. The structure of the garden was already in place. The perennials were
mature and they’d come back every season. This was actually something that I considered
to be a low-maintenance garden. All it needs is some pruning and weeding through the season.
But the feedback we were getting was consistent. “Wow, beautiful garden, but this is
way more work than we’re looking for.” Again and again, this message was consistent. We’d
hear, “We love it, but the yard is a bit much.” That’s when I realized that when people were
looking out into the back garden, they weren’t seeing their escape from the daily grind. They
were seeing an overwhelming amount of additional work. They saw responsibility, not escape.
The reality was that the people that came to see the house weren’t seeing a garden. They
were seeing a second job. Every carefully curated bed looked like a weekend project
to them. And every beautiful combination of plants looked like a maintenance schedule.
That garden that was my sense of pride and joy was actually causing stress for potential buyers.
And the house actually sat on the market way longer than we expected. While other homes in
our neighborhood sold quickly, ours lingered. I had hoped that a beautiful garden
and a beautiful landscape would have been a feature in a home that somebody
would be willing to pay more money for. Boy, was I completely wrong about that.
The home buyers that were interested in our area and our house were not interested in having
to spend a lot of time maintaining a landscape. You see, it turns out that the people that were
interested in purchasing our home most of them were first-time buyers. So, they already had
full-time jobs and busy lives. So, what they’re looking for in a landscape is a place where
they can relax and take it easy on the weekend. But the size of my garden was so big. I think that
when they looked out at the landscape, although it was beautiful, it just represented a lot of work.
Would I create that garden again? Absolutely. And I’m definitely planning on doing
just that at our new forever home. That garden gave me decades of enjoyment.
But now I know something that I didn’t know before. And that is an important lesson that
I need to keep in mind for my new garden here in Kentucky this new temporary garden.
As I’ve talked about in previous videos, my plan is to try to make this space beautiful
even if it’s temporary, because we’re going to be here for two to three years while we build
another home. And there’s no way I can go that long without gardening. But I’m thinking
about this space in a new way now that I have the experience of selling our Michigan house.
I really believe that the house where we live now is a house that serves people that are
working at the nearby Toyota plant. People that have busy lives filled with work and
children and commitments. And they’re going to be looking for a way to relax on the weekend.
They’re not going to be looking for more work. With this new thinking in mind, I’m going to be
changing my plans here slightly. I still intend to plant a pollinator garden around the first terrace
next to the deck, but I’m no longer planning on developing a second and a third terrace.
I think the thought of having an entire yard filled with gardens would not be seen
as a benefit to the people that ultimately will want to live in this house.
So, I’d like to share some of my thoughts on what I’m going to do instead.
I’m looking at this new space with an eye for wanting to have something that looks neat
and tidy, but also something that doesn’t look like it’s going to be a full-time
job. I want to try to put myself in the position of the average homebuyer who’s
looking for a place to relax a place that looks beautiful but isn’t a full-time job.
I think having the hydrangeas around the patio and the pollinator garden right beyond the deck
will create a nice space for beauty without it being overwhelming. And then creating and focusing
on this patio as a place where you can relax and get away create a relaxing space that will help
people be able to see that they’ll be able to use the backyard to have fun, rather than a
place that’s going to cause them more work. My garden matters. The beauty that I’m trying to
create in the backyard isn’t just landscaping. For me, it’s a place to retreat and escape the crazy
world. It’s still important for me to create a beautiful garden. But now, I’m simply choosing to
be a little bit more strategic about how I spend money, because the people that will ultimately
buy this house will have their hands full. And my challenge is going to be creating a
beautiful space that future homebuyers can see as a place where they can relax. I don’t want them
looking at the garden and feeling overwhelmed that it will take all their free time to manage.
This is kind of a brutal truth that I need to face. Not everybody loves
gardening the way that I do. So now I’m going to be adding beauty to this
space in a way I can take things with me when I move. As we’ve discussed in previous videos,
I’m going to focus on containers and creating a low-maintenance space. It’s going to look neat and
tidy, but hopefully won’t look like it’s going to require a full-time gardener to maintain.
I want people to feel like they’re going to be able to enjoy the space. So,
let’s hope I can remain strategic while still following my garden dreams.
The reason for this video is because people were asking if they thought that my garden would get
more money when we sold the house. Unfortunately, our Michigan garden wasn’t seen as having
a huge benefit worth paying for. Instead, what they saw was a concern that they wouldn’t
be able to maintain the amount of effort it would require. And that, unfortunately,
is the harsh truth about beautiful gardens that we don’t always talk about.
I’d love to hear what you think. Have you been faced with something similar?
And what advice would you give? Please leave your comments below so
that we can all learn together. Well, that’s it for this video, friends,
and I’ll see you in the next one.
38 Comments
There were viewers that asked me to share my experience selling my Michigan home with the big garden. The question was whether the garden would help sell the house for more money. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. But I would build this garden again in a heart beat. It provided me with so much joy for decades. But the lessons learned here will help me with the strategy for gardening in our temporary home while we build. I think the pollinator garden is going to be perfect! Happy gardening friends and thanks for being here.
For me and my situation where money matters i woud say i love your gander but in my age i want focuse on food garden its just trend and usefull thing to do.. But i must say its not problem if i am customer i woud be sad i have to remove some bushes and rework your masterpiece.. Its feel like you destroying someoneelses work.. But most of people will just flatten landscape if they want.. Not problem to sell houses becouse of this.. Problem will be price or work in your city.. Prices skyrocketing and mostly only rich people have chance to buy such a house with huge garden i cant imagine price it will be crazy… So definitely not for young working couple or family. . And rich people dont care about garden they invest in to low maintance houses to keep them empty for another richer customer .. Sad world we live in.. You are nice lady and you created great garden. World around is problematic 🙂
I'm wondering what do they expect from a yard big like that. Only the size requires a lot of effort to maintain anything basically. Would they instead have grass only? Or paving stones everywhere?
I see a beautiful garden and it would be my therapy. People are missing out if they don't appreciate this treasure ❤
Pollinator gardens are so important for our ecosystem, and beautiful, too! I'm planting trees and expanding my flower beds. Most people in my neighborhood are cutting down their trees because they don't want to rake leaves. They replace flower beds with grass, too. My next-door neighbors started having a company come to spray for insects. I no longer have fireflies, and my butterflies and bees are far fewer than before. Grass is so high- maintenance and water thirsty. It's really disappointing.
Our gardens are more like our children and our validation that we can create something beautiful with our own two hands. Leaving them feels like abandoning them. I also recently had a similar experience selling my house and garden.
Yes, I have been through this. I loved my gardens and spent hours lost in them. When we sold our home, I was devastated when I saw them all pulled out. Our 2 ponds filled with dirt. That was one of the saddest personal days I had.
There isnothing wrong with you, there is something wrong with the buyers. They will find out the truth in due time.
Such interesting points. Regardless of the feedback, what you built was EXACTLY what you needed for the time you had it and it was such an amazing place of serenity for you … and such a blessing to be able to share it with your mom. I love that for you! Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with us, and your knowledge too.
I hope to move in 10 years. I am trying to simplify my yard's many gardens. Those gardens were from the previous, original owners. Some people, myself included, have other hobbies other than gardening. I have often thought the gardens will scare them especially since the property is a horse property. People who buy my home will be taking care of horses and not endless gardens.
I sell real estate and in starter neighborhoods an elaborate garden is bad. They dont have the money to maintain it. And the buyers get scared of the cost and time. In higher end areas where they can afford a gardener it is a lot better if the space is chic and beautiful. Your English garden would go over really well in an estate home community, but in a suburban area it can be a liability. All of this is a moot point if another gardener buys it!
Always design gardens to be low maintenance. Keep lawns open so they can be mowed easily (or the robot can be mapped easily). Remember first class lawns are the most labour intensive part of a garden. Plant perennial shrubs that come back year on year, rather than annuals which need sowing every season. There are bulbs for almost every month. Heavily plant borders to suppress weeds. Choose flowers from a small colour pallet, so that they blend as you move through the season. Plant some evergreen shrubs to maintain the structure during winter. Plant slow growing shrubs and hedges such as box, yew or holly, that only need pruning once a year. Plant trees appropriate for the size of your garden, a giant oak is not suitable for a townhouse garden! In designing a garden: function trumps form. If you are selling to a family, can the kids kick a ball or have a sandbox. Is there a patio to entertain. Is there a quiet spot to read a book. Remember you are selling a lifestyle.
My Mom ist a gardner. She says when you care for your garden it shows gratefulness in blooming and flowering ..people don't..
If only more people knew this…
And besides it's the perfekt fitness trainig 😊
Idk it might be your area. I know realtors here list "mature fruit trees" In listings if they can. That is a big selling point here.
People see my garden and say 'This is a full time job!' But it absolutely is NOT! Its such a misconception!!! I selected shrubs and perennials that are the right size for the spaces and require little to no trimming etc. I find my garden to be very low maintenance and look for things to do just to be out in it. But it's almost expected that gardens are work. They don't have to be so much work!
Your right, if they don’t garden it won’t survive! When my mother passed her yard was a mess in less than 2 years! We never drive by. Just keep in mind it was your dream and cherish the pictures you have of the paradise you made!!
People have said to me that our gardens were either a gardener's dream or a non-gardener's nightmare. I don't think about resale value. These are our gardens and we will enjoy them as long as we're here, and the plan s to be here until we die. This housing market is so hot that if we had a huge pile of rocks in the back yard, the house would still sell. So, my gardens are no where near as full as yours, and a big part is woodland gardens, but I am absolutely not worried about someone else's take on them.
It’s so beautiful, I’d love to be surrounded by that everyday, but I do unfortunately understand the buyer’s point of view. Currently I’m pregnant and have toddlers. I have no energy to maintain anything more than few flowers and berry bushes around the perimeter of my yard. Maybe one day…
Well tbh i was very selfish tbh with my plants i had. I have moved 80% of the plants from the old house to a new one. It is like, i have spent so much love and care into those plants, i did not want to leave them behind. I mean on south Michigan is 5b/6a hardiness zone and Kentucky if i am not mistaken 7b ? But still both states have a humid climate without a dry season. So if the climate is not challenging between those 2 spots i would if i am able take the plants with me. The hardiness zone difference between my old and new house is small. I went from 7a to 7b hardiness zone.
I love your michigan garden. I spent some time looking at Gardner's world gaining appreciation of box hedging. Even as a gardener myself, I would avoid a house with that many plants and intricacies. It needs work to look nice. I can see it working out if it were a more affluent buyer who can afford a gardner to come in. First time buyers with families want a place to barbeque and have kids throw the ball around not spend time working on the garden. Good food for thought but I like that it hasn't stopped you gardening!
Outside happy spaces yes endless work no. Even my simple medium garden takes a lot of care..which I'm happy to do. When I'm gone it will possibly be a junk yard as it was before me or parking but for me it's a work of love an oasis and my contact with nature. I hope someone else will feel the same like you but that would be sheer luck.
When we rented homes a lot of our garden was in pots that went with us
Sadly there just aren't enough people who have a passion for gardening anymore, we seem to be a shrinking club.
The young family who bought my garden, tore up all of it! Years of labor tens of thousands$ on plants, collections of iris'.. all gone. I don't think they even sold the plants off, just tore it up.
I saw it years later non Google maps, lawn and sheds, broke my heart.
I am sorry but I sort of knew what you were going to say, having recently spent two weeks in the countryside. My observation: nowadays people want lawns, a few shrubs, some forever flowering hydrangeas and lots of thujas, nothing more. I understand that even though my garden is completely different. Thank you for sharing your story!
Most beautiful garden….. I would have bought the property for the garden even if the house was a cardboard box…..
This is good advice! I realize that now, at my age, I cannot continue to keep up the work that I have been doing for the past 30 years.
I wonder about what will become of the garden that I have done. People are enjoying it now at our Church, but so far no one has volunteered to help me. It’s because that everyone is very busy with their own garden, with their own lives and families.
It’s my life story. My husband worked at the Church and I did whatever I could to help. When he suddenly passed away, I made gardens there, at the Church. I absolutely love gardening! I had two children who had a chronic illness and after they passed, just before my husband, I worked at my home garden. So I have been working on several gardens. I trust that God has the answer to all of this. But I wonder what will happen. You are someone who understands, I’m sure.
Hi!!! Who eventually bought your home? Was it a gardener? Someone who felt your spirit? I sometimes think about those things with my small garden here in Philadelphia. I have a front, back, and side yard that are filled with plants. I wonder if when I’m gone and the house is sold will someone rip everything up. You know what? It won’t matter. I’ll be in a more beautiful place and I had the opportunity to care for and improve some of the Lord’s creation while enjoying EVERY SINGLE DAY in my yard. It was my happy place and it brought me peace. 🐝🌸
O what a pitty !!!! Your garden is a true paradies in every concern. You could aks the angels of gardens to find the right person who can love this wonderful plants as much as you did. Perhaps you will not get the whole money back, but you created a piece of art, and this gem will be loved by somebody. You can still do this. All life is connected as Josef Murphy says. And beauty is needed today as much as yesterday.
This is an interesting perspective. It is very confusing to me. I live in a neighborhood with 1/2 acre lots. It takes me hours every week to maintain the grass. I have approximately 3500 square feet of garden at the back of the lot. About 16k of grass. It takes hours to trim and edge. I don’t have a riding lawnmower which would lower the time, but the fact is it is easier/less time to keep the garden than the grass. Many of my neighbors do not use their lawns for relaxation. They hire Pesticide companies to create monocultures of Bermuda grass and then hire another company to cut and edge the lawn. They don’t entertain outdoors or play or do anything else with it. It’s really very sad.
I wish I could buy your house with the stunning garden. When we were looking for a home to buy there were no homes with any garden, only few plants that HOA planted initially. I value your hard work , money and time you spent on doing that amazing garden. I wish new owners could enjoy it too.
Container garden in Michigan? It's hard to keep one going without a Green House.
This is a very good lesson to share.
I really appreciate this video! Thank you for sharing!
Those who do not leave a space better than they found it are definitely a societal problem.
Everyone seems to want an apple tree in their yard and a mow friendly lawn. Garden blindness?
💔
We live in North East Coastal Florida.. a few hundred feet from the Atlantic. We have created a beautiful tropical garden. I realize, when we are gone, so will the gardens. But the gardens are for us to enjoy.. Guests love seeing the garden, but always say "wow, looks like a lot of work". and it is.. a few hours every morning, before the hot Florida sun gets too intense. I have never done anything in my home, thinking about resale. it our home…for now.
Thank you for the video.
Hardscaping the yard is perhaps too permanent for younger homeowners with children. Our young family needed room to run in the yard and I needed to have a mow-only yard to make weeding quicker.
Since then, we've started adding hardwood trees and wildflower beds along the perimeter of the yard using low-cost conservation sources. This reduces weekly mowing effort as we age in-place. I'm not using mulch, pavers, or edging for the trees or flower beds. The perennials get mowed back down to the bluegrass level (3-5 inches) in September so the grass grows back before the ground freezes (Zone 6a). The bluegrass in the flower beds provides weed control until the perennials grow back for another season. The next homeowner would just need to mow the flower beds weekly if they want to convert it back to a lawn.