Well-Maintained Landscaping Has a Positive Impact on Property Values

Well-maintained landscaping can have a big impact on the impression a home makes. The front lawn leading to your door is usually what a visitor notices first; the view out the back can enhance the ambiance of interior rooms. It can also impact the value of the property.

Research from the American Society of Landscape Architects claims professional landscaping can increase a home’s price tag 15 percent to 20 percent more at the time of resale.

Additional research from a study by the Trust for Public Land indicated properties adjacent to naturalistic parks and recreational greenways often see a price increase of up to 20 percent. And this “green premium” is not just limited to high-end real estate but spans across various housing markets.

Landscaping Adds Value

Well-maintained landscaping can significantly impact property values in several positive ways:

Increased Curb Appeal – A well-maintained lawn and attractive landscaping enhance the visual appeal of a property. First impressions are crucial in real estate, and a beautiful exterior can draw potential buyers, making the property more desirable and competitive in the market.

Higher Perceived Value – Potential buyers often associate well-maintained landscaping with overall property care. A neat lawn, healthy plants, and thoughtful landscaping suggest that the homeowners have taken good care of the property, leading buyers to perceive the home as more valuable and worth a higher price.

Faster Sale Times – Properties with attractive landscaping tend to sell faster. Buyers are more likely to be interested in a home that requires less immediate work and looks move-in ready, which can speed up the selling process.

Better Neighborhood Appeal – Well-maintained landscapes contribute to the overall aesthetic of the neighborhood. When multiple homes in a neighborhood have attractive lawns, it can elevate the perceived quality of the entire area, benefiting all homeowners by boosting property values.

Functional Outdoor Spaces – Landscaping that includes functional outdoor spaces, such as patios, decks, gardens, or outdoor kitchens, adds usable living space to a property. These features are highly desirable and can increase the property’s value by offering additional areas for relaxation, entertainment, and family activities.

Environmental Benefits – Thoughtful landscaping, including the use of native plants, proper irrigation, and sustainable practices, can improve environmental conditions by reducing soil erosion, improving air quality, and supporting local wildlife. These eco-friendly features are increasingly valued by buyers and can enhance a property’s appeal.

Energy Efficiency – Strategic landscaping can contribute to energy efficiency. For example, planting trees or shrubs to provide shade can reduce cooling costs in the summer, while windbreaks can lower heating costs in the winter. These benefits can add value by reducing long-term energy expenses for the homeowner.

Positive Psychological Impact – Well-maintained landscaping can have a positive effect on mental well-being, offering a peaceful retreat from daily stress. The presence of such spaces can make a property more attractive to potential buyers seeking a tranquil and aesthetically pleasing environment.

Well-maintained lawns and landscapes are a valuable investment for homeowners, often leading to higher property values, quicker sales, and overall improved neighborhood appeal.

Project EverGreen’s Clean Air Calculator

It is easy to underestimate the power of green spaces that grow around us and, if we are lucky, surround the places where we call home, go to work, and enjoy our leisure time.

A new, online calculator will change the way we think about green spaces we often take for granted. Project EverGreen is the exclusive licensee of the Clean Air Calculator™ in the U.S.

The Clean Air Calculator, powered by Project EverGreen, is a web-based mapping tool that measures the positive environmental impact of plants—specifically lawns, trees, and shrubs on a property.

The calculator will be used by lawn and landscape professionals, park directors, golf course superintendents, commercial property owners, sports fields managers, homeowners, and others.

Plants not only capture carbon but also provide us with cleaner, cooler air. Lawns, trees, and shrubs make up green spaces but so do other plants like flowers and gardens. They attract people, wildlife, bees, insects, and microscopic organisms.

Underneath, soil helps grow and support green spaces with its own ecosystem of roots, earthworms, microbes, insects and even animals, like moles and gophers.

While all those things contribute to environmental health, our calculator uses three land covers—lawns, trees, and shrubs to measure the benefits of green space.

The calculator helps one visualize the environmental impact of land cover on a property by measuring four environmental health factors:

• Clean Air
• Carbon Sequestered
• People Impacted
• Km Offset

The Clean Air Calculator combines geographic information system (GIS)-based interactive maps with a scientific data model to identify the value of actual greenspace in cities, neighborhoods, communities, and individual properties.