With so many different fencing options available, it can be difficult to decide which one will look best and meet your solution needs. One question that can surface when considering a vinyl fence installation is, will it look cheap or tacky on your property?
A vinyl fence that is improperly installed, poorly maintained or significantly damaged may have the appearance of being assembled with low quality materials. Neglected landscaping may also cause the vinyl fence to appear cheap and out of place. However, if the vinyl fence is installed correctly and if the landscaping is maintained, the same vinyl fence can elegantly define the space and beautifully frame the landscape.
Thinking About Installing a Vinyl Fence?
Perhaps you are considering having a vinyl fence installed but wondering whether or not it’s a good decision. Naturally, many questions may have begun to surface: How will it appear on the property? Will it look plasticky and cheap? Will it compliment the landscaping? Is it difficult to repair? Will it hold up over time? How much will it cost? Can I install it myself? Will it increase my property value?
All of these questions are valid and can stem from your own observance while just walking around your neighborhood.
Two Main Factors Cause a Vinyl Fence to Look Cheap: Poor Installation & Neglected Landscaping
To further consider reservations that a vinyl fence looks like a lesser quality building material, it is important to understand two key elements that greatly factor into the appearance of a vinyl fence: 1: vinyl installation methods, and 2: landscape maintenance. Almost all of the examples you’ll find where the vinyl fence looks cheap and out of place can be paired with one or both of these factors.
6 Results from Poor Installation that Cause a Vinyl Fence to Look Cheap
Let’s take a look at Poor Installation as the first example, make sure and take note of the following:
- Alignment: are any of the posts out of alignment with the property line?
- Planing: are any of the posts above or below the standard grade of the fence line?
- Plumb: are there posts that lean in or out of vertical alignment?
- Sag: are there sections of fence that seem to sag between posts?
- Damage: have any posts, panels, or rails been damaged and need replacement?
- Bow: are there any sections of fence that swing out beyond the post alignment?
By its very nature, a vinyl fence is meant to stand out and distinctly define and aesthetically separate property perimeters. It is like a picture frame that emphasizes and draws your attention to the strokes on the canvas.
When installed correctly, not only will a property benefit by a vinyl fence’s complimentary surround, but the homeowner can enjoy and take satisfaction in the vinyl fence’s additional characteristics of durability, noise reduction, and privacy.
However, if a vinyl fence it is installed incorrectly, it’s like a neglected and broken picture frame housing the neglected and diminished set of forgotten brush strokes from a forgotten artist.
Now, all of the issues mentioned above can be avoided if the vinyl fence is originally installed correctly. (If the issue is with damage, vinyl fences are easy to repair.) But, any or all of these issues can massively degrade the aesthetics of a vinyl fence and yield an appearance of a cheap and sloppy landscape perimeter.
These 7 Neglected Landscaping Issues Cause a Vinyl Fence to Look Tacky
Additionally, poorly maintained landscaping can degrade the appearance and curb appeal of a vinyl fence as well. Consider the following:
- Grass: Is the lawn overgrown and neglected?
- Hedging: Are the trees and hedges scraggly, unkempt and in need of trimming?
- Weeds: Are weeds taking over like there is no tomorrow?
- Greenery: is the property in desperate need of watering?
- Dirt and Grime: does the fence need to be cleaned?
- Debris and Clutter: Is there a collection of unsightly debris cluttering the property?
- Cars Piled Up: Are there many vehicles parked, unkempt, and non-functional packed onto the lawn and driveway?
Obviously, how one maintains their property is no one’s business but their own (and unfortunately by sheer proximity, their neighbors). However, the measure to which a landscape is tended dramatically affects the appearance of the vinyl fencing that frames the property.
A poorly landscaped yard, a collection of debris, and a congestion of other unsightly objects, may subsequently cause a vinyl fence to appear of poor and of cheap quality as well.
If There is a Vinyl Fence, There is Potential
One caveat: If a property is poorly landscaped but has a well installed vinyl fence, it has potential. For example, if the clutterous debris is cleared out, if the hedges are hedged, if the lawn is repaired and kept trim, and if other economic enhancements are made, the vinyl fence that once looked cheap and out-of-place will now provide a complimentary contrast to the landscaping and make the property stand out.
It goes without saying that proper installation and attentive property maintenance are determining factors to ensure strong curb appeal that a vinyl fence can add to a property.
Building a Vinyl Fence Right Begins with Finding the Right Team
When the time comes to begin planning and building your vinyl fence, choosing a good contractor is key to proper installation. You aren’t just looking for the best price, you’re looking for the best team. And you are an important member of the team.
Ideally, your contractor will be approachable and accommodating. However, survey your property first. Determine if there are any specific challenges you anticipate the installation will face.
Then, ask your contractor how they will address the particular challenges you’ve identified. Do they recognize any other additional issues that you have not yet recognized?
Find out if the contractor suspects there are there any landscape changes that must be made in order to properly install the fence?
Ask the contractor for referrals and for the location of their last few projects.
If the contractor is hesitant to provide this information or to have this conversation, it might be a red flag. Find a contractor who will work well with you to ensure your fence gets installed correctly–it’s worth being patient and selective.
Obtain Multiple Bids
Getting several bids may serve you well to be able to pick the brains from the experts. However, if a contractor has been particularly helpful and you choose to, in the end, install the fence yourself, please be considerate of the contractor’s time and pay them for their visit–especially if they shared insight and expertise that enable you to avoid pitfalls and/or to save on installation costs.
Prep the Property Before the Project Begins
Before beginning the project, make sure you are able to find solutions to your landscape’s unique characteristics. Make sure you’ve considered every aspect of the vinyl fence building process and then make sure to follow your vinyl manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Keep it Nice
A vinyl fence will look amazing on an immaculately landscaped property. However, the landscaping doesn’t have to be decorous or luxurious for a vinyl fence to look sharp. A vinyl fence will generously enhance the curb appeal and create an attractive and inviting outdoor living space to even a simple yet well tended property.
After Installing a Vinyl Fence, Installation Remorse Occurs Very Seldom
In a September 2019, article published by The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics: Valuing Curb Appeal, it was determined that curb appeal may account for 7-14% of a home’s appraisal value.
Adding a vinyl fence and maintaining the property’s landscape can pair together well and enhance your home’s value and curb appeal. A vinyl fence adds privacy. It isn’t a cold hard property divider like chain-link. And, it isn’t as high maintenance as wood. It is long-lasting and maintains quality characteristics for a very very long time.
