Chances are that you’ve let parts of the yard go. Maybe the grass hasn’t been edged along the entry walk for too long. The bark in the garden beds is spare. The sprinkler head hasn’t hit that corner section of the front lawn for a year and the grass, well, there is no grass growing in that spot. But most significantly, it’s the trees that need care. The 50 foot tree that once looked majestic now has dead limbs from the storm last winter. The crabapple trees literally have limbs touching the ground. And there’s that stump of the tree that died and was cut to ground level in the back yard. But you figure no one will see that until they’ve fallen in love with the house due to curb appeal, right?
Wrong.
Better Homes and Gardens reports that you can increase the value of your home 5-15% by upgrading your landscape from poor to good. “Good” can be subjective. But there are plenty of home makeover shows to give a clue to homeowners without a clue what to do. A fair evaluation of the appropriate amount to upgrade one’s yard, according to BHG.com is to invest up to 10% of your home’s overall value in your pre-sale landscape makeover.
Ditto says the American Society of Landscape Architects. The ASLA recommends that homeowners invest 10% of the home’s value in landscaping. That includes lighting, fences, garden paths, fire pits, swimming pools, and ponds.
Trees and shrubs will increase in value over time. And Houselogic.com reminds homeowners that dead and dying trees definitely hurt resale value. Remove dead trees (including the stumps) and get the trees professionally trimmed. A survey of Realtors regarding the importance of landscaping to their sellers’ bottom lines showed that most homeowners get their money back in the selling price.
Just three trees in the right location can save up to $250 a year in home heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
A lush lawn can return an extraordinary ROI of 267%, reports Houselogic.com.
Appraisal Institute President Richard L. Borges says homeowners should ask themselves the following questions when it comes to their green space:
• Does the landscaping have curb appeal?
• Is the landscaping energy-efficient?
• Are the trees planted at a safe distance from the house foundation?
Home buyers today seek landscaping that requires minimal time and expense to maintain.
It’s always all about the money. HomeguidesSFgate.com reports that landscaping can add tens of thousands of dollars of value, i.e. $16,500 to $38,100 in value on a $300,000 home.
A yard with mature, healthy plants and trees sends a message to buyers: that the current homeowner cares. That level of care is likely to mean the homeowner has taken care of the inside of the home as well, meaning a buyer will have fewer problems to deal with after purchase.
If you intend to sell your home sooner than later, consider cutting fresh edges around planting beds to define the mulch, bark or pea gravel from the lawn. Add shrubs before you put up the For Sale sign, because it makes the landscaping look more mature than simply a bed of flowers.
If you’re considering selling, contact Donovan Arborists to prep your trees for showing. And if you’ve just bought a home, Donovan Arborists can perform tree makeovers, trimming the trees to be in the shape they should have been maintained all along.
