According to estimates by The American Society of Landscape Architects, professional landscaping can add 15%-20% to a home’s value at time of resale. A $400,000 home marketed without professional landscaping could see its market valued declining to $320,000 to $340,000 at time of sale. Highly specialized landscapes could have a Return On Investment of 20% - 30% of a home value. Keep in mind that increased value and return on investment estimates will vary from region to region of the country and the scope and complexity of your landscape.
In short, homeowners should invest in their landscape because it can add value to your property, provide additional family living areas of enjoyment, and improve the overall aesthetics of their property.
The pandemic forced families to stay at home to socialize and many people were unprepared to shelter in place for such an extended period without access to recreational amenities outside the home.
As a result, many of today’s homeowners and prospective buyers are looking to update or to purchase homes with features that allow for at home family gatherings, recreation, entertainment, and enjoyment of outdoor living spaces. With proper planning and a well-designed landscape plan an outdoor space can be a part of any home.
What Desirable Features Are Present in a Residential Landscape?
Most homeowners want a professionally planned landscapes that adds value to their home and may include many of the following features:
- A well maintained lawn that gives an overall elegant appearance.
- A play area for children.
- Trees that are deciduous and evergreen.
- Visually pleasing pathways that lead to the front door and other areas around the house.
- Potted plants to enhance a porch, deck and entryways.
- Outdoor lighting to add a layer of security to your property.
- Fresh mulch in flower beds and around trees
- A deck to act as a place for entertaining, to add shade, and a cool place with air circulating fans for hot days.
- On the more expensive side, yet necessary, is an automated irrigation system equipped with sensors that water when needed.
A swimming pool, tennis court, putting green, water features, etc. are also desirable features if there is adequate space and a topography that allows for installation.
Blending recreational features into areas with colorful plants, shrubs and trees can give each family member the opportunity to be active while at home or to find a peaceful location to enjoy the beauty of your landscape. These outdoor living features can provide alternative locations for family meals, extend the interior living space of a home, and make it an inviting place to entertain guests.
Why You Should Hire A Landscape Professional?
A landscape professional can aid in maximizing the return of your landscape investment, ensure compliance with local code requirements, and provide crucial guidance on your landscape plan and overall expectations.
A landscape professionals’ knowledge of local soil conditions could prevent you from using plants and shrubs that are not native to the area that will not do well. Understanding soil conditions is also crucial in planning for hardscapes such as pools, patios, gazebos, and other outdoor structures that may have specific drainage requirements to keep them stable.
How to locate and hire a landscape professional
Start by evaluating online reviews of local professionals, speaking with local nurseries and neighbors that have landscapes that you admire. Once you have a short list to select from, take the time and check your choices carefully. Insist on references and samples of completed projects. Confirm that the company and contractor have valid required licenses in their name.
The company and contractor should also have workman’s comp and liability insurance that covers anyone they hire to work on your property. Not having proper workman’s comp coverage and adequate liability insurance could put the homeowner at risk if there is an accident or injury while work is being performed on your property.
How Can A Homeowner Plan Their Landscape?
Yes, a homeowner can plan a landscape themselves. However, planning a landscape can be a challenging endeavor especially if you want to accomplish multiple objectives such as recreation, entertaining, outdoor dining, a quiet place to enjoy nature, and an aesthetically pleasing landscape.
If creating your own landscaping plan is of interest to you, start by reviewing Earth-Kind® from Texas A& M to get a quick overview of what this entails. First good design is the result of dedicated planning, researching appropriate plants, managing cost and maintenance, and setting a budget to suit your needs.
It is often easier to complete work in stages to keep costs within your budget. Using native grown plants helps to provide a sustainable environment which can preserve some of the most valuable natural resources- water and nature.
What’s A Base Landscaping Plan?
A base plan is the representation of your existing landscape scaled on paper. The base plan may include your home’s dimensions along with other structures, location of trees, driveways, meters, and utility boxes. It is basically a site inventory.
A property survey will be an invaluable asset to your plan as it outlines the boundaries of your property, and permanent structures such as fences and easements. If there have been changes to your property such as the addition of an outbuilding, new fences or other improvements since your most recent survey then you should have your boundary lines confirmed. At the very least a survey will let you know if you are working beyond your property lines.
As you make your base plan consider the environment. These resources will show you how to create a base plan for an earth-kind landscape. An earth-kind landscape uses research proven techniques which protects our environment.
The following websites provide the tools needed to plan your landscaping all while being friendly to the environment.
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Designing a base land plan:
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Drawing the base landscape plan: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/planning-the-home-landscape/base-plan/
- Determining your landscape needs: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/planning-the-home-landscape/needs/
- Looking closely at your site: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/planning-the-home-landscape/site/
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Develop family needs and priorities: https://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/planning-the-home-landscape/diagram/
In short, you can add value to your property by improving, maintaining, and adding to your landscape. It is imperative that you do some initial research to assess your landscaping needs and locating them on your property. Then consider whether you want to hire a professional or complete the required work yourself.
SERIES NOTE****
The next article on the Everything Luxury Home blog in this series will explain the steps involved in hiring a professional to complete your base plan. It will include information on the differences between hiring a landscape architect, a landscape designer or a landscape contractor, as well as, how to obtain effective estimates.