Never Underestimate the Value of Quality Landscaping

By B. E. Conrad

When it comes to increasing a home's resale value, few methods are as cost effective as improving the exterior landscaping. Enhancing the exterior landscape of the home can provide that all important "curb appeal" that realtors and home buyers look for, and in some cases a few simple landscaping elements can provide a significant return on the investment for the owner of the home.

Consider these facts about the value of exterior landscaping and home sales:

1. Studies have found that improving the landscaping of the home can add between 7 and 15 percent to the value of the home.
2. Homes which were rated as having excellent exterior landscaping were found to have sale prices some 6 to 7 percent higher than homes whose landscaping was merely rated as good. Improving the landscaping from average to good yielded a 4 to 5 percent increase in value.
3. Improving the quality of the landscaping is one of the few home improvements that can actually pay for itself when it is time to sell the home. Exterior landscaping improvements can garner from a 100 to 200 percent return on the funds invested, far better than most other home improvements.
4. A study of real estate professionals found that some 99 percent of survey respondents agreed that improvements to the outside landscape improved the sales appeal of the home.
5. In addition to being beautiful, permanent landscape elements like trees can have real monetary value as well. Depending on the type of tree, a mature specimen can have a value measured in the thousands of dollars.

So if you have been looking for an excuse to whip that landscape into shape, look no further than the resale value of your home. Whether you are planning to sell your home tomorrow, next year or never, quality landscaping can add real value to the home, and bring real beauty to your life and that of your family.

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