Sometimes, when you get a new home, it can be easy to spend your time, money, and energy personalizing and renovating the inside of your home. After all, that’s where you’ll spend most of your time, right?
Wrong! You’d be surprised how much more time you’d spend outdoors if you had the proper amenities to keep you comfortable. Not only that, but taking your landscape from “good” to “excellent” in terms of design, condition, and placement can add another six to seven percent to your home’s value, according to a Clemson University study of homes in Greenville, SC. The savings you earn from a good landscaping job can earn you more than just resale value, though. Consider this: according tot he U.S. Department of Energy, just three properly placed trees could save you between $100 and $250 a year in energy costs. Plants and trees provide valuable shade and windbreaks that work in conjunction with your home’s structure and its HVAC system, given the right placement.
Not to mention that landscaping will truly improve your life by adding beauty to it everyday. Indeed, according to a Texas AandM University study, just looking at a tree reduces significant stress.
Given that landscaping is a three birds with one stone kind of deal, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. You have to remember that landscaping isn’t all about trees, shrubs and mulching. It’s important to consider options like adding a deck to your house, concrete patios, and other wooden structures. There are also more structural things to consider: types of gutters, lawn care services, and tree maintenance.
The first thing to do when envisioning a yard renovation is to work with a landscape designer to figure out what your priorities are and what the essential yard elements are. For example, if you like to grill outside a lot, concrete patios with outdoor sinks and picnic tables are in order. If you’re into lawn games, a larger lawn with built in sprinklers is probably best. If you love plants and gardening, raised beds and well curated plant groupings can be designed by the landscape designer to need relatively minimal upkeep.
After you figure out what your vision for your yard space is, it’s time to combine that vision with practicality. It can be challenging to figue out where best to plant trees and other plants to minimize damage to the house and sewer pipes, while also maintaining its aesthetic and natural beauty around wooden structures and concrete.
There is no doubt about it though — landscaping is an investment that keeps on giving, in the present and the future!
