Notebook Landscaping can add
20 per cent to property values By Brenlee Coates
S
ome are born with a green thumb; others are not. But no matter what your
comfort level is in your yard and garden, a professionally landscaped job can do wonders for your prop- erty – in cold hard cash. “A well-landscaped house – no
question – is worth probably 15 to 20 per cent more than a badly landscaped house,” says Landscape Ontario’s Denis Flanagan, also a former HGTV personality. He adds that most homes with impressive yards have nine times out of 10 been designed by a professional landscap- er, or one was consulted. While the stats are stacked in
favour of well-landscaped yards for the resale value of a home, Flanagan recommends getting a professional in well before you put your house up for sale. “An annual review of your property is not a bad idea: see what needs to be pruned, what needs to be fixed. “If you have one little crack in the
sidewalk and you don’t address it, then in five years it’s going to be a major crack. It’s the same with plants and trees. When you prune them on an annual basis, you’re going to prolong their lifespan.” Another great time to consult
a professional landscaper is when you’ve bought a new home or prop- erty, and you’ve kind of inherited a garden that you don’t know much about. “Many times professional design-
ers or consultants have been hired basically to walk the property with the new owner, and draw up a plan or a list of the plants that they all of a sudden own,” says Flanagan. The landscaper can also help customize the property, adjusting it to match the maintenance schedule you’d like to keep. Regardless of your skill set or the stage of ownership you’re at with
4 • Home and Gardener Living Landscaping facts • Landscaping can add as
much as 14 per cent to the resale value of a building and speed its sale by as much as six weeks.
• Properly selected and placed trees and plants can lower home heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 per cent.
• Tree shading an air condi- tioner can increase its efficiency by 10 per cent.
• A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000.
• If a landscaping company doesn’t have the proper liabil- ity insurance, the homeowner is liable should something go wrong. Make sure you check into references, find out about insurance coverage and get a written contract with your landscaper.
your home, Flanagan recommends getting professional’s input to maxi- mize the beauty of your outdoor space. “To me, a garden should be
designed to not give you more stress but to take a little bit more stress out of your lives. “I don’t fix my own car. I guess
if I took time enough to study that I could, but I choose to pay my mechanic and get it done,” says Flanagan. “Investing in a professional to
come around and consult on your property might cost hundreds but could save thousands of you making some costly mistakes.” h
www.localgardener.net
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