Research

Landscape improvements boost home value 35%
$1 invested in landscaping = $1.35 returned

A study in Lubbock, Texas, published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture evaluated 75 homes and concluded that every dollar invested in landscaping returns $1.35 – or a 35 percent return on investment. The same study found that having a high-quality landscape compared to an average one increases the sales price of the home by 5.7 percent.

This number jumped to a 10.8 percent increase in the value of a home when comparing an excellent quality landscape to an average landscape.

So how can you translate this 35 percent increase in value into an increase in your bottom line? Add these add-ons suggested by the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado to your sales pitch:

• Add color to the front porch by planting attractive containers with mums or pansies.
• Make sure plants are in proportion to the home, and not overgrown. In new subdivisions, an investment in trees and shrubs can make a home stand out.
• Eliminate all weeds. Every. Single. One.
• Add outdoor interest with hardscapes – decks, flagstone or patterned concrete patios, pergolas and retaining walls.