1) Landscaping is the one home improvement that actually appreciates over time.
2) Wall Street Journal notes: Landscape investments are fully recovered and sometimes doubled from increasing real estate values.
3) According to: U.S. Department of Energy: Landscaping may significantly reduce energy bills. Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household’s energy for heating and cooling. Computer models from DOE predict that just three trees, properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually.
4) Plant Natives!
Native plants do not rquire fertilizer, they help reduce air polution, they provide food and shelter for wildlife, thereby inviting birds and butterflies back home.
• Landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home’s value. Source: The Gallup Organization.
• Homes with “excellent” landscaping can expect a sale price about 6 to 7 percent higher than equivalent houses with “good” landscaping, while improving landscaping from “average” to “good” can result in a 4 to 5 percent increase. Source: Clemson University.
• Landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100 to 200 percent at selling time. Kitchen remodeling brings a 75 to 125 percent recovery rate, bathroom remodeling a 20 to 120 percent recovery rate, and addition of a swimming pool a 20 to 50 percent recovery rate. Source: Money Magazine.
• A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000. Source: Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers.
• In one study, 99% of real estate appraisers concurred that landscaping enhances the sales appeal of real estate. Source: Trendnomics, National Gardening Association.
• In one study, 83% of Realtors believe that mature trees have a “strong or moderate impact” on the salability of homes listed for under $150,000; on homes over $250,000, this perception increases to 98%. Source: American Forests , Arbor National Mortgage.
• Landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, by shading the windows and walls of a home. Source: American Public Power Association.
• Trees can reduce bothersome noise by up to 50 percent and can mask unwanted noises with pleasant sounds. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Trees can reduce temperatures by as much as nine degrees Fahrenheit. Source: American Forests.
• A single urban tree can provide up to $273 a year in air conditioning, pollution fighting, erosion and storm water control, and wildlife shelter benefits. Source: American Forests.
• Top reasons people garden: To be outdoors (44%); to be around beautiful things (42%); relax and escape the pressures of everyday life (39%); stay active and get exercise (35%). Source: American Demographics, Roper Report.
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