Many homeowners today, constantly remind themselves of the importance of maintaining a strong resell value with their property. With this in mind, real estate professionals have come up with several different ways to help homeowners increase their home selling price and add value and appeal to their property. However, if you really want to add lasting value to the home, then landscaping is a great way to increase a home’s selling price.

Understanding the Importance of Landscaping

The nation’s largest association of real estate appraisers, the Appraisal Institute, recently released a statement regarding the power of landscaping, noting that good landscaping can enhance the price of a home and reduce the time a home is spent on the market. The association goes on to talk about the power of curb appeal, and how it can ultimately impact potential resale value for a home. Understanding the impact that landscaping can have on a property is the first step towards making the decision to landscape a home in a way that will increase its value.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune a study conducted by the Arbor National Mortgage found that approximately 84% of real estate agents today believe that a home on a treed lot will be worth more than on a lot without trees. In southern states that have warm climates year round, the addition of trees can add more than curb appeal. Strategically placed trees that can block the sun and provide cooling shade for the home can be great energy-efficient additions to a property that will keep it more cost effective to maintain.

Creating a Plan for Success

The first and most important step to consider when it comes to landscaping your home for resell value, is to keep the lawn well manicured. Before you add trees, landscaping and other add ons, its important to keep your lawn and the property looking green and healthy, and to make sure that the grass and existing landscaping looks well taken care of. Hire a professional lawn care company to come in and do some basic landscaping while treating and cutting the lawn to keep it looking its best.

When landscaping in areas that have notoriously dry climates, landscaping that requires little or no water to maintain can be a desirable addition to the home. It is always important to create a plan that will keep the landscaping appealing, yet easy to care for.

Planning Out Your Investment

New landscaping can be a major investment and before moving forward with a landscaping project, homeowners need to think about the type of investment they are looking to make. Whether its a short term update or a complete revamp of the exterior of their home, the amount of money put into the project should be relative to how much it will increase the value of the home. There are also several questions that professionals believe homeowners should ask themselves before they decide to invest in new landscaping. First, it is important to determine if the new landscaping will be appealing enough to entice a potential buyer to go inside the home.

It is also important that the landscaping that is done to the home is easy to maintain. There are some buyers who will be turned off by landscaping that will require a great deal of time and money on their end once they buy a home. The landscaping should be simple, yet enticing, and should help your home stand out, in a positive way, from the rest of the neighborhood. Ultimately, landscaping that adds home value should be beautiful and functional enough that it can be used as a major selling point for realtors trying to promote your home during the selling process.