The Jersey homeowner series: An intro to hardscaping

I’m Steven Rindner, a main street advisor and realtor from New Jersey. Just this spring, I’ve had clients who were clearly impressed by the homes I showed them. Many of these potential buyers were enamored by the same thing – the hardscaping.

Hardscaping is a hard and functional feature built into a landscape. They can range from driveways, walkways, walls, stairs, statues, fountains, and waterfalls. They can be made from either stone, wood, concrete, steel, or any other hard material.

A lot of features that contain water such as ponds, pools, fountains, and waterfalls are hardscapes because they are made of hard material to hold the water inside. Hardscapes are also constructed to keep the soil from eroding, and to keep other structures such as small stairways from driveways to the front porch for wearing out.

The function of many hardscapes are intertwined with drainage systems, to keep water from flowing towards and entering the main house.

Though hardscapes need not be huge and extravagant, many architects include these in their designs because it greatly adds to the aesthetic value of a home.

What are your thoughts on hardscaping? Feel free to share them with me, Steven Rindner, in the comments section below.

Steven Rindner is a main street advisor and realtor from New Jersey who’s into land development, interior design, and architecture. For similar posts, visit this blog.