How Landscaping Increases Property Value
At the mention of the word landscape, many people will think of diverse things. A photographer will immediately think of the formation of the earth around the subject they want to take a photo of. An economist will think of the operational environment of businesses among other things. To a homeowner, it’s how the landscape is around the house.
And that’s the very thing you should be looking at. Even though it’s the house that is the main locus of interest when a potential homebuyer comes around to assess the house, it is not the only thing that may sway them into buying. And here is where you can add in some sweeteners, well, for your pockets.
Ever seller wants to get as much value from the house they are selling. But what can be done to add just that little bit of magic, and therefore increase value? There’s nothing more attractive than a well landscaped property. And yes, landscaping does increase the value of property. But how?
Greenery Versus Concrete Jungle
As a result of the urbanization and the developments that have taken place over the last 500 years, a good number of the human population now lives in close proximity to each other, in structures known as cities. These structures tend to be drab, or even unnatural at times with all the cold colors.
On the other hand, man is meant to be one with nature, and this is the reason why you find taking hikes in the park to be absolutely refreshing. You are most in touch with yourself when there is some greenery around you and this is a reason why Zen gardens are absolutely valuable.
Having a well-manicured landscape means that the property with well-manicured landscaping means that the owners of the home will derive a certain pleasure from it. And this is what makes homes with landscapes be slightly more valuable than homes without landscapes.
But Does The Value Of Homes Actually Increase?
That is a question that many homeowners are really grappling with as it is difficult to quantify what exactly proper landscaping will add to the value of the home. This is one of those intangible benefits of owning a home, and yes, it does add up to a tangible increase in the value of a home. If it still doesn’t seem actionable, then here is a research paper that was done by a professor at a proper research university. In the study conducted by Professor Mark Henry of Clemson University, he posits that even a small qualitative increase of the landscaping around a home did result in actual increase in the value of that home.
And the exact amount of increase has been quantified by several other researchers in different states who have expanded upon the work done by Professor Mark Henry. In some states, the potential increase in value would go up by five to 15 percent of the initial value of the home.
Of course, this is dependent on what area of the property has been landscaped. A properly landscaped kerb was found to have increased the value of the home by up to 5 percent. Doing hedges adds another 4 percent on top of the kerb increase.
Perhaps the biggest contributor of the increase in value is the patio. These have been found to have increased the value of a home by about 12 percent.
And How Can This Be Achieved?
Landscaping isn’t just a matter of digging up the yard and putting down whatever tufts of grass you find, or plant flowers willy-nilly. Even if you decide to plant a tree this year and then add flowers after a few years, it would still look unplanned when a potential homebuyer comes to assess the property.
It takes planning, patience and some attention from your pockets for you to achieve the perfect landscape that will actually add value to your home. The first thing you will have to do is to come up with a plan. If there is one thing that will put homebuyers off from purchasing a property is to find a poorly planned landscape. In most cases, this will mean having to call the services of a professional landscaper to help come up with a plan just like R & G Almanza Landscape Inc.
Well, it’s not every person that will be comfortable with spending that money. This also doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. If you’ve got the ability to DIY, then by all means, go for it. Take a look at what you can do with your yard and come up with a plan. The key is to stick to whatever plan you come up with.
There are several things that you can look at when it comes to making that green sace around your property. Depending on how much work you would like to put in, you could go for three levels of planting.
You could go for foundational plants only, or you could go for one or two trees on top of the foundational plants. If you are feeling like channeling your inner Fredrick Olmstead, you could add island plantings, maybe two or three, and then add some curves to the design of your garden. That’s sure to bring out your more creative ide to play.
The plants you put in your upcoming garden will also play a large part, especially when it comes to the visual appeal of the landscape. If you are looking for something easy to manage, you could go with evergreen plants. A little more than just the basics? Well, what could be better than adding some deciduous plants to spice up the visuals of the garden?
If that’s not enough for you, then adding some perennial, or even annual color to the plants will bring some sophistication. And then just to make things pop out, you could put up a brown picket fence, or just straight up go for a red brick wall.
The value of your home is something that you should carefully look at. There is no discounting how much curb appeal will add to the value of your home. If you will be looking to get a new home in a few years, then you had better start your journey towards making sure its value increases by the time you are ready to sell. For more information you can visit www.rgalmanza.com.
