Photo by Susan Fisher for The Lazy Gardener
Most of us understand that a sophisticated landscape design substantially improves our day to day enjoyment of home and property, but it also yields a high return on our investment. Let’s take a look at a few current statistics:
Photo by Arturo Castaneyra
Trees: In most cases, you can expect a nearly 100% return on your investment (ROI) if you remove dead or dying trees and care for your healthy ones. Before removing a mature, healthy tree, consider that trees drink as much as 150-250 gallons per day (New Mexico State University), helping to keep your property from flooding during increasingly heavy rainstorms.
Just three trees in the right location can save up to $300 a year in heating and cooling costs (American Public Power Assoc.). According to the National Arbor Foundation, a tree lined street can be 10 degrees cooler than one without trees.
Trees also reduce noise by up to 50%– masking unwanted noise with pleasant sounds of birdsong and rustling leaves. (U.S. EPA).
Trees also do their part for climate change mitigation by absorbing CO2, a greenhouse gas. A tree can absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old. (North Carolina State University)
Garden Design: A professionally landscaped home has a significant price advantage over one with little or no landscaping, adding anywhere from 7-15% to the home’s overall value (Gallup Organization).
Photo by Susan Fisher for The Lazy Gardener
Outdoor Living: Remodeling Magazine estimates in their 2018 Cost versus Value report that certain features, when added to a landscape, will boost home value with high returns. These include:
• Outdoor kitchens 100-200% ROI
• Fire pits and water features 75-82% ROI
• Pergolas 50-62% ROI.
Money Magazine recently compares and contrasts recovery values this way:
• Landscaping is a 100-200% return as opposed to kitchen remodeling at a 75-100% return
• New decks and patios represent 65-80% in returns
• Swimming pools show a 20-50% return.
We at The Lazy Gardener hope that this information helps you decide on how best to enhance your landscape and outdoor living spaces. Enjoy now… returns later!
