Conveniently, spring marks the start of both the gardening and home selling seasons.
Research and the collective wisdom of real estate professionals keeps piling up linking better landscaping to improved home values.
But unlike the annual “Cost Vs. Value Report” issued by Remodeling Magazine, there are no surveys linking specific plantings, like backyard trees, to a sale price boost.
One thing for certain, though, homeowners don’t want their investment to wither away.
“Many nurseries offer a one-year guarantee on woody plants — trees and shrubs,” says Missy Henricksen, of the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
For other types of plants, she adds, there is no hard and fast rule.
When a landscaping firm is hired to install and maintain plantings, it’s not unusual for warranties on the material to last as long as a maintenance contract is in force.
Homeowners who wish to maintain the landscape themselves would do well to “let Mother Nature do much of the work,” Henricksen says.
Use plants native to your region, positioned in an appropriate spot, to help nature take a healthy course.
Landscapes that require watering in an arid, water-restricted area can actually detract from a home’s value, Scott Robinson, president of The Appraisal Institute, points out.
The landscape around a home should be in keeping with what’s typical in the neighborhood, says Robinson.
“In a very high-end market, where landscape lighting and irrigation are standard, buyers are going to expect that,” he points out. They’ll seek a price concession of the amount required to make the landscape consistent with the neighborhood.
While attractive landscaping that meets or exceed neighborhood standards may not bring a bigger sale price, it takes “significantly less” time to sell a well-landscaped property, says Robinson.
— Marilyn Kennedy Melia
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