The True Value of Landscaping
Landscaping is one of the best investments you can make in your home or business — even in the middle of a recession. That's not feel-good sales talk. According to Dr. Charlie Hall, a nationally recognized Green Industry expert and professor at Texas A&M University, it's been proven by a wide variety of scientific studies.
For example, landscaping gives a much better return on home-improvement investment than bathroom or kitchen remodeling. In 2009, for every $1 a homeowner put into these improvements, here's how much his or her home's value increased:
- Bathroom: $1.00 = $0.68
- Kitchen: $1.00 = $0.69
- Landscape: $1.00 = $1.06 to $1.12
Moreover, the difference between bad and good landscaping (as judged by surveys of Realtors and homebuyers) shows up as a 9% increase in home value.
Another example: We all know looking at a bed of bright flowers instinctively cheers us up. But a recent Harvard Medical School study proved that patients in hospitals recover faster with flowers in their room or a view of gardens. Landscaping thus actually helps save money on health care!
The implication of these and many other studies, notes Dr. Hall, is clear:
"Plants make us happier and healthier, and increase the value of our homes and productivity of our businesses."
Find out more in Dr. Hall's article, "Quality Landscaping Can Add Value."