Many Financial Benefits of Landscaping

Of course, utilizing your outdoor spaces and enjoying your property to the fullest are rewards all of their own! But there are numerous financial benefits that property owners can generate with well-designed landscaping too.

Maximize Resale Value

There are many different avenues homeowners can take when looking for ways to make their properties better. The renovation ideas are endless for both a home’s exterior and interior. However, it’s no secret that when it comes to getting the most for your money, an investment in curb appeal is where homeowners generally see one of the biggest returns. First impressions are everything, and there is much to be gained when upgrading a landscape.

If you anticipate selling your house at any time in the future, your landscape is sure to have a direct impact on your negotiating power. Homeowners of well-maintained and designed landscapes generally have an advantage when it comes to setting their selling price. Potential buyers are not only drawn to meticulously groomed and green lawns, but also to outdoor living spaces that have been developed to provide the home with its own little oasis. In turn, buyers are usually willing to pay more for a home with an attractive landscape. Additionally, sellers that have invested wisely in their landscapes typically experience a faster sale than those who have not.

Whether you’re considering putting your house on the market or you desire an improvement for your own personal enjoyment, you can’t go wrong with the decision to create a new landscape design. While a boost in appearance is often the main objective for giving a yard a facelift, there are other advantages that are just as important to note.

Decrease in Utility Costs

Thoroughly planned out landscape designs can assist homeowners in decreasing their energy costs. Well-placed trees and shrubs can provide enough shade to reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer months and block out the effects of cold winds during the winter, cutting down the need for heating.

In the summer, your roof is the prime location for heat to penetrate your home. Tall shade trees block this direct sunlight from your home, which can reduce your summer energy bill by as much as 20%.

In St. Louis and other parts of Missouri and Illinois, it’s best to plant shade trees on the sunny south side of your house, and on the west side to shield your home from the late afternoon sun. In addition to your roof, planting a tree or appropriate shrub to provide shade for your AC unit will also help it function at top efficiency.

Though you can use either deciduous (leafy) or evergreen (pine) trees for shade, to maximize your efficiency consider broad-leaved trees like Maples or Oaks. They will drop their leaves and allow the winter sun to warm your home!

Speaking of winter, planting trees properly can provide a windbreaker to keep colder air away from your home during this time of year too. They also provide a privacy barrier and sound buffer too! In this case, you want to use evergreen trees. In St. Louis and the surrounding region (USDA Planting Zone “6”) Norway Spruce, Arborvitae, White Pine and Douglas Fir are all good choices.

In addition to saving money on heating and cooling, you may also have an outdated irrigation system that is wasting water. If so, installing a new one can decrease that cost as well.

Commercial buildings can benefit too

Research shows that well-maintained landscaping provides businesses with numerous environmental, financial, and psychological benefits. This explains why many designers and architects have recognized the importance of incorporating landscapes in their commercial buildings.

• Landscaping can increase the resale value of a building for up to 14% as well as speed up its sale by as much as 6 weeks.
• Landscaping can benefit rental properties by increasing its value by 20% in comparison of other properties.
• It can help reduce the heating and cooling costs of homes and businesses by up to 20% more. Trees can be used to block the sun from windows and walls, and grass or other types of ground covers can be used to reduce reflected heat.
• Rental rates for commercial properties in well-landscaped areas are 7% higher than those without any.

With the right plan in place, Environmental Landscaping can help you create beautiful outdoor spaces that help pay for themselves with energy savings and other long-term financial benefits.

We offer our customers full service landscaping design and plant installations, patios and walkways, decks, sprinkler systems, low voltage lighting and many other products and services that allow them to fully enjoy their property.

We serve all residential and commercial property owners In St. Louis city and county, Jefferson County and in Metro Illinois.

Give us a call today at (636) 225-3848 or contact us online and let’s discuss your unique project needs today!

We look forward to talking with you soon,

Tory Catanzaro

Owner, Environmental Landscaping

BONUS TIPS!

When planting trees, choose the site carefully. If you plant tall growing trees such as hickory, oak, walnut, pecan, pine and sweetgum too close to power lines you’re going to have problems in the future.

Also be sure to avoid planting trees over underground utility lines. The universal call line is “811”, and each affected utility company will send a locator to your property (typically within 2-3 working days) to mark the location of your underground lines.