Better Landscaping

Increases Home Value

By now almost everyone has heard of “staging” a home to sell; and landscaping is the best stage of all. After all, the exterior of a house is the first thing most visitors see. Landscaping is a major component of curb appeal, the way a house looks from the street, and the effect it has on buyers. Curb appeal is also known as the first impression of real estate.

And even though today many potential buyers get their first preview of a property on the Internet, the fact that these people are interested enough to drive by or schedule an appointment to see a house after looking at photos online makes attention to landscaping more important. Especially in a market that is saturated with inventory.

Consider these facts:

	Landscaping can add between 7% and 15% to a home's value. Source: The Gallup Organization.
	Homes with "excellent" landscaping can expect a sale price about 6% to 7% higher than equivalent houses with "good" landscaping, while improving landscaping from "average" to "good" can result in a 4% to 5% increase. Source: Clemson University.

	In one study, 99% of real estate appraisers concurred that landscaping enhances the sales appeal of real estate. Source: Trendnomics, National Gardening Association.

Many people are willing to spend thousands for kitchen and bathroom renovations, but think landscape begins and ends with mowing the lawn; leaving their gardens and yards filled with weeds

and overgrown or withering plants.

An unkempt yard looks more high-maintenance than a clean-cut one. Buyers don’t want something that looks like it needs hundreds of hours of work to clean up and maintain. Most landscapers
agree the best strategy isn't to disguise the lot with a riot of flowers, but to tidy up overall and thoughtfully add plants to draw attention to positive features, such as a spacious porch, and draw

attention away from eyesores, such as the trash cans' enclosure.

Some quick fixes include: Consider cutting back overgrown trees and replacing wild shrubs. Resod the front yard; then mulch and edge your lawn to achieve a tidy easy to maintain look. To

screen a wall or fence, try using a trellis and a climbing perennial. For even faster coverage, buy and plant a morning glory that already has flowers. Upright evergreens plant quickly and give

year-round eye relief. Use large container plants -Place one pot in the front and two in back, where they will draw the eye to features worthy of highlighting.

Even if you are not trying to sell your home, with better landscaping you could maintain value and increase the enjoyment you and your family or friends have at your home. Check out the

Better Landscaping articles and get some ideas to improve your landscaping. Then go to our featured suppliers to put those ideas into action. Summer, winter, spring of fall there is always

something you can do make your landscape better!

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