What Landscaping Says When You are Househunting

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 25 October 2017 14:14

If you have been looking for a new home you already know the magic of curb appeal, that special something that pulls a lot, a structure, and its landscape together to make you want to get out of your car and learn more about the property.

Some think landscaping is like a man’s tie, something that is nice to have but is basically superfluous. But landscaping can be meaningful and give hints to overall maintenance, energy savings and conservation.

Maintenance                              

Experienced realtors, like Re/Max of Boulder, Inc. know that a well-maintained lawn with healthy trees and shrubs and carefully selected flowering plants are more than just window dressing.

Healthy landscaping speaks to a healthy house, one that has been lovingly maintained, attended to, updated, and repaired as necessary. Few homes show pride of ownership on the outside without that philosophy carrying over to the nuts and bolts inside the house.

Security

Landscaping may also add security to a home. If you ever need to call 911 from home, you want responders to be able to find your address easily. Precious seconds can be lost if your home’s numbers are partially obscured by overgrown plants.

Landscaping should also allow for clear, unimpeded pathways of exit in the event of an emergency. Police departments across the nation also recommend planting hardy, thorny plants below ground floor windows and perimeter fencing as a deterrent to burglars. Check with your local police department to see if they have special plant recommendations to enhance security.

Energy savings

According to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, effective landscaping can lower energy costs by 10 to 30 percent. Strategically situated deciduous trees can provide shade, thus lowering cooling costs in summer.

Dense evergreen shrubs can form an insulating barrier around foundations. In winter, plants can form windbreaks to funnel cold air away from a home, thus decreasing heating costs.

Conservation

Eco-friendly landscaping can help save plants and water. The key to this approach is to use native plants. If you have plants acclimated to a given area, there is little to no need for artificial watering. Let nature do the work, while you save time and money, and can feel good about a low-maintenance landscape.

The next time you get that wow of curb appeal while looking for a house, keep in mind the additional information you may get from the landscape to help you make your next house your perfect home.

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