‘Green’ Money Trees – Quick and Sustainable Home Landscaping DIY Projects that Increase Home Value

Author Bio: Sacha Ferrandi, founder of Source Capital Funding, Inc. and Texas Hard Money, has been an expert in real estate, hard money lending, and finance for over 15 years. Based in San Diego and licensed in California, Arizona, Minnesota, and Oregon, Source Capital Funding, Inc. specializes in hard money loans for real estate. (For more information see: http://www.hardmoneyfirst.com/)

Posted on Wednesday 2nd March 2016

Looking to increase your home value without dropping $20,000 to do so? The answer could be as simple as planting a tree. Landscaping additions can have huge effects on the value of a home. Some estimates claim that the right landscaping can add up to 20 percent more value to a single property. The Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers asserts that a mature tree can actually have an appraised value falling between $1,000 and $10,000. Not only could the addition of trees and other vegetation make you more money in your home sale, but studies have shown that homes with landscaping sell 1.7 days faster.

Beyond adding monetary value, trees and other landscaping additions can greatly benefit the environment. More trees in your immediate area means better air quality, less noise, and an increase in beneficial wildlife. If you’re looking to add some beneficial vegetation to your home’s landscaping, consider incorporating native species. Using native species is a better choice for a variety of reasons. They require less fertilizer, call for fewer pesticides, and need far less water than the common urban lawn plants used. Planting native species in your yard promotes biodiversity and provides a natural habitat for animals of all types.

DIY Projects

Making additions to your landscaping is probably a lot easier than you think. These simple DIY projects can see a much larger return on investment than many of the commonly touted home improvement upgrades with a little bit of effort.

Some TLC for Your Current Assets

One of the most inexpensive ways to improve a home’s value is to work with what you already have. Give your pre-existing yard the tender loving care it needs. Make sure you’re watering appropriately, add organic mulch garden beds to prevent water loss and suppress the growth of pesky weeds, and weed regularly to get rid of the competition for water, sunlight, and nutrients. (More on garden beds: http://www.greenandsave.com/articles/remodeling_amp_improvement/garden_designing/garden_designing.html)

A Raised Garden Bed

A raised garden bed can add great value to your home, and to your everyday life. These garden facets are essentially raised planter boxes, and are easy to put together at a small cost. With a variety of wooden planks, screws, soil, and mesh hardware cloth to prevent burrowing animals, you can create a raised garden of your favorite herbs and plants.

An Earth Berm

The power of curves. Making your very own earth berm in the front of your home is easy with the right amount of soil. Simply use a charged hose to outline where you’d like your berm to reach, add a few mounds of soil with a mulch topper, and plant the shrubs, flowers, and other vegetation of your choice.

The Proper Street Lining

Adding tree lining in front of a home not only increase the house’s value, but also that of the overall neighborhood. Depending on the type and size of tree you’d like to add to the front of your home, you can expect to pay an average of $167 per added tree. One study found that homes with trees planted between the sidewalk and street sold for $7,130 or more on average—an impressive return on the initial investment. (See Wall Street Journal study: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303722604579113230353966564)

A Backyard Pond

A picturesque pond requires less work than some may believe. Purchase a 200-gallon cattle trough, or another similar water container, and dig a hole deep enough to contain it. If you plan to include fish, you’ll need to aerate with a recirculating pump. Plant within your pond sparingly, as you’ll want your vegetation to have room to breathe and properly grow.

Communities with more trees report lesser crime rates and lower levels of anxiety, which could be a major selling point for interested buyers. Beyond improving your mindset, trees can also create the right protection from the elements to translate into lower energy costs. According to the U.S. Forest Service, properly placed trees can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent. Conversely, they can save 20 to 50 percent in energy used for heating. These energy saving costs could also serve as a major talking point during home showings.

Making the most of landscaping isn’t just an individual affair; talk to your neighbors about starting a neighborhood gardening or landscaping club to put these DIY projects into motion. Through an outlet like this, your immediate community can come together to grow the value of your homes in a comprehensive way. (More landscaping articles: http://www.greenandsave.com/articles/5/1086)

Author Bio: Sacha Ferrandi, founder of Source Capital Funding, Inc. and Texas Hard Money, has been an expert in real estate, hard money lending, and finance for over 15 years. Based in San Diego and licensed in California, Arizona, Minnesota, and Oregon, Source Capital Funding, Inc. specializes in hard money loans for real estate. (For more information see: http://www.hardmoneyfirst.com/)

test image for this block