It’s getting colder. Want to spruce up your house before it gets too cold? Homeowners across the country have been seeking out fun and innovative ways of landscaping and there’s no reason to be left in the proverbial snow. The benefits of landscaping can be felt for years and has been known to improve the ROI on your home, your curb appeal and even reduce your energy bill. Sounds too good to be true? Let’s take a look at the top five landscaping tips for the average homeowner, from using energy-efficient techniques to planting shrubbery in your front yard.
Energy-Efficient Landscaping
Let’s start with the most exciting homeowning renovation sweeping the nation — energy-efficient landscaping! Helping out the environment while saving money is a fantastic two-for-one deal. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy-efficient landscaping can save as much as 30% on home heating and energy bills. How does this work? Planting a few trees or shrubs helps provide natural shade on top of circulating air and temperature. Dense trees, for example, can block up to 95% of sunlight and 75% of its heat — they can reduce an unshaded home’s summer air-conditioning costs by 15% to 50%, as well, making them one of the most fruitful additions to any residence.
Return On The Investment
Thinking of selling your home in the coming future? Money Magazine wrote that landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100% to 200% when it’s time to put your home up for market, which is quite the sum if you want the most bang for your buck! According to an ongoing Clemson University study, homes with landscaping deemed ‘excellent’ can generate a sale price of 7% higher than equivalent houses with only ‘good’ landscaping. This can even speed up a building’s sale by as much as six whole weeks! Those new shrubberies or spruced up lawn you want to add? It’ll go a long way in making your house stand out among the crowd.
Emotional Health
Your home is where your heart is. Among residents of retirement communities, pleasant, landscaped grounds were considered important to nearly half of all respondents to a recent survey. Many psychology journals have been published analyzing the positive emotional and mental health benefits of a beautiful and natural environment — dirty and cluttered surroundings have been directly linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression in residents, while clean and beautiful environments create a healthier and happier day-to-day reality. If that’s not enough to convince you, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has even found trees can reduce bothersome noise by up to 50%. Wow!
Involving And Fun
There’s something to be said about getting your feet wet in a fun and involving project. Even a simple shrubbery or updated soil can bolster your home and your spirit in one fell swoop. Depending on the design, different kinds of paving materials and soil types can infiltrate as much as 80% of annual rainfall — this means any and all natural water won’t be going to waste!
Getting Started
Interested in the benefits of landscaping design? Then don’t miss out on these landscaping tips and tricks. One or two new trees will help immensely in filtering frustrating noise, reducing allergens in the air and avoiding strain on your monthly energy bill. Lawn care should be kept in mind when the season gets cold — don’t walk on your grass when it’s icy, as that can cause blades to break and wither when the weather gets warm again! Last, but not least, professional landscapers can assess your home and use a trained eye to see where it needs to be improved. Now that you’ve done your homework, you’re more than ready to give your home the boost it needs before winter hits!