St. Louis Landscaping Company Shares Tips to Increase Property Value

There is more to landscaping than meets the eye—and the pocket.

It is good to invest in a home, not just for its structure or façade, but also in the conducive living environment surrounding it. In achieving this, landscaping is one of the investments every homeowner should make. According to the Schwartz Bros Lawn Care St. Louis has to offer, it doesn’t just make a good first impression, but it also increases the value of your property.

 

Curb Appeal. Curb appeal in the market depends much on the homeowner’s ability to make a good first impression of the property. Landscaping or an aesthetic exterior can be more appealing than re-applying fresh coats of paint in a property from time to time. A study recently done by Lawn and Landscape Magazine says that two-thirds of homeowners say they’ll get less than 60 percent of their landscaping investment back when they sell the home.

 

Extended Living Space. Decks and patios with good landscaping can be considered as upgrades that add living space to the house. Upgrades are usually rated well for cost recovery in the property value. In the remodeling cost versus value report, cost recovery for composite decks was lower than wood deck additions at 66.2 percent.

 

Property Value Recovery at Low Cost. Landscaping doesn’t need to be elaborate or high-cost to increase a home’s value. Often, simple improvements perform best with lower costs which can be easily recovered. According to Remodeling magazine, projects with the highest yield of cost recovery were exterior projects, costing less than $15,000. Homeowners can also benefit from having additional living space and amenities while still occupying the house. Appraisal Institute says that homeowners should consider “their length of stay in the home and whether to make short-term updates or plan for the long haul.” These decisions by homeowners could make an impact on resale value at the best cost possible.

 

Aesthetic Appeal. A study by Luttik (2014), states that the largest increase in house prices is due to environmental factors. Kadish and Nutesil (2014) add that high structure landscaping and vegetation has a positive and significant coefficient to the sale price of the property. Well-arranged, properly-placed and strategic landscaping elements provide pleasure and utility, often translating to good property value. And if your landscaping has something that prospective buyers want, the property value will rise.

 

How, then, can property owners ensure that their home landscape sends out the correct message to potential buyers? Owners should assess the quality of their home’s green space in different aspects. A look at similar real estate in the surrounding area may be important. Property buyers would also want to consider if the landscaping is cost-efficient. Ideally, landscaping which requires very little water is more appealing, but that depends on the area. It’s also important to keep landscaping as energy-efficient as possible, where trees can be put to block out the sun where climates are hot year round. If trees are part of the landscape, it is best to keep them well-trimmed and positioned far enough from the building, so they don’t become dangerous to the structure or foundation of the home and result in removal.

Consideration should be given to landscaping if you are interested in increasing the value of your home.. Good landscaping is not only pleasing to the eye, but for owners, an investment that makes not just a house, but a home.