How Landscaping Can Increase Property Value

Everyone wants to increase the property value of their home, but some people ignore one of the best ways to do so, which is landscaping. It is important to invest in landscaping since it adds to the overall attractiveness while also giving your home something to set it apart from other houses. Landscaping can include trees, flowers and other plants as well as ponds, swimming pools, fountains and upkeep of patios, decks and porches. It is recommended that a homeowner put 10% of the home’s overall value into landscaping. Since appealing landscaping can increase a home’s value of up to 12%, this guarantees a nice return on your investment. This will also help your home sell more quickly when that time comes.

The first thing is to meet with a landscaper and discuss which plants are best for the region you live in as well as your lifestyle. Flowers look nice, but if you don’t have the time to personally care for them and are unwilling to hire a gardener, then they may not be the best choice, instead you may want to look at low maintenance plants, like ivy. You also must keep in mind your terrain and the placement of these plants. Trees in the backyard may be desired but you don’t want to block a nice view with a large maple tree. Also, look at what plants you already have. An arborist can help determine which trees are dying and which need a little bit of TLC. You also will want to pay attention to what is overgrown or anything obscuring windows or blocking entrance ways.

You will want to enhance the layout of your home. Lining a walkway with flowers is appealing. Growing ivy or roses against a large fence is eye popping and gives character. Use outdoor lighting to not only increase security, but to also give a nice ambiance of the outdoors at night. One of the most popular trends in landscaping today is allowing patios and decks to become extensions of the home. Bring the aesthetic of your interior decorations to the outside. If you have a nice color scheme, continue to use it on your outdoor patio, and also plants flowers which pick up the pops of color you have throughout your home. If you have decorated within a certain artistic era, bring in sculptures from that era to the outside to tie everything together. For example, interior designs which have been influenced by Asian cultures should have Asian inspired sculptures or fountains in the backyard. Remember to offer something different with your landscaping. Barbecue pits, gazebos, exotic trees and flowers give character to your home and yard, and give personality to your property.

Working with a landscaper will help eliminate landscaping pitfalls. A landscaper will not only work with you on what types of plants you should look into, they will also help design the outdoor area so it looks its best. It is important to avoid overcrowding. Many people who try to landscape on their own end up going a bit overboard, making the backyard look like a jungle, not a relaxing area. The front yard is the advertisement of your home to the world, but the backyard should remain a place of privacy and relaxation. Stay clear of planting too many flowers, and instead plant in clean lines around the outside of your yard to block any unwanted views. Also, remember to give yourself time. If you aren’t planning on selling your home anytime soon, you can save money by buying small trees that will eventually grow in a few years. Give yourself about five years to achieve the outside of your dreams.

Improve Your Value: Landscape Your Commercial Property

Years ago, two commercial developers were working tracts of land adjacent to one another along a busy highway. The area was bustling, the economy was good, and people were expanding businesses. Knowing they were going head-to-head, each development team to a different track to make sure they made their money.

Developer A built a business park that was simple, maximized his space, with basic no-frills buildings and parking lots. Everything was up to spec and regulation, but the park was very sedate – one might say boring. Sidewalks and a few simple shrubs littered the area, but beyond that – it was basically all about the big box buildings. Rentals for the large spaces were below-cost for the area, making them attractive to the fiscally smart eye of many local companies and businesses.

Developer B did the opposite. He kept the amount of buildings to a minimum. He hired some unique architects to give buildings signature looks. He also blew the bank on landscaping. Not only did he put in beautiful flower beds, he built several lakes, and even a fitness trail running threw his grounds. A FITNESS TRAIL! Fountains and water features doted the landscape. His rents were higher then his neighbors, and he felt justified in passing on a steeper square-footage cost.

Ten years later – guess who is sitting pretty?

Developer B.

While many cost-cutting robber barons jumped onto A’s plan – they weren’t stable tenants. Companies and business drifted in –and-out of the sites. He kept slashing rent, cutting his overhead, till he sold for much less then he ever made.

Developer B on the other hand, had an industrial park that was beloved by the community. Employees loved working there, and employers found a certain cache and status form their tony new digs. In fact, the park became a haven for people who didn’t even work there! People would walk through it, sit by the ponds (man-made), use the fitness trail, and eventually he was able to develop some unused smaller land into commercial mixed-use real estate. Now, he’s buying out his old competitor and making over that site.

Humans are attracted to beauty. We are attracted to water. We like pretty things. Spending money on landscaping, no matter how grandiose or simple is never a bad move. Regardless of whether you are renting homes, commercial real estate, or business property – make it attractive to customers, tenants, and FUTURE tenants. Give your property a name and an edge. Sure, a bed of azaleas might not seem like a investment that will make a great return, but it is!

If you are interested in working with a creative and professional commercial real estate landscaper, give us a call at 704.504.0980.

We Have Moved!

We have moved!

We have outgrown our great little location on S. Tryon and moved to a new building at 5019 Wilkinson Blvd. This new location has plenty of space for our equipment and vehicles and easy access to Route 77.

The new office has undergone quite a transformation in the last few weeks as we have worked hard to get it ready for us AND ready for you! We have a conference room where we now have a place to spread out and show our customers their plans & discuss their new outdoor living spaces!

We are still putting on the finishing touches, like new signs and some landscaping of our own, but we are starting to settle in and the place has become quite a comfortable office.

We look forward to serving you this summer and we look forward to having the opportunity to share our new office space as well!

Heather Brockelbank
Chief Designer, NCLC#1624, CPP, CLD, NCGC
Metro GreenScape