Landscaping is a great way to boost a home’s curb appeal, and with temperatures heating up, homeowners are heading outside ready to tackle projects and improvements to make their front yards and backyards more enjoyable. 

In fact, landscaping and lawn care services saw a 32% growth in 2020, and experts predict an additional 5.41% increase in 2021.But beyond curb appeal, many homeowners don't realize how landscaping can impact their homes in other ways. 

Before you tackle your outdoor projects this year, consider these six ways landscaping can positively and negatively affect your home. 

Positive ways landscaping can affect your home 

Besides giving you and your family a better outdoor living space to enjoy this summer, landscaping can also benefit your home by:

Increasing property value. 

Depending on the project, new landscape endeavors can cost between $3,000 and $15,950. One study shows that upgrading landscape can increase your home's value by 5% to 15%.

But before diving into your outdoor renovation project, consider how long you plan to remain in your home. To see a full return on the initial investment, you should expect to wait until trees and shrubs have fully matured, as they are more valuable than young plants and trees. 

Improving energy bills. 

When the temperatures rise, so do the cooling bills. Planting trees on your property is one way to decrease energy bills over time because they increase shade and block the sun from hitting your house. The average homeowner can expect to see their energy bills decrease by 3% after five years and 12% after 15 years. 

Negative ways landscaping can affect your home

 While it never hurts to make improvements to your home, landscaping can have various consequences, too, such as:

 Impacting insurance premiums. 

 Any time you embark on a sizable home improvement project, it is a good idea to contact your insurance agent or carrier to ensure you have adequate coverage in the event of a loss. Most home insurance policies include coverage for some trees and shrubs. Still, the amount is limited and you run the risk of not being able to recoup the full value of that beautiful gazebo you built if it gets damaged. 

Increasing the chance of an insurance claim. 

Speaking of insurance, while upgraded landscaping is pleasing to look at, it is vital that you fully evaluate the potential impacts of every step of your project. For instance, regrading flower beds incorrectly can cause water to pool near the home and flood the house's interior. 

Before planting trees, consider how tall and wide they will grow over time. Trees too close to the house can fall from wind force and damage your home. It's important to keep in mind that most home insurance policies limit coverage for landscaping to 5% of a dwelling limit and $500 for any one item.  

Causing damage to the house exterior. 

Not every plant that looks nice is a smart choice to plant close to a house. You may love the English countryside look of English ivy covering a house’s facade, but in actuality, vining plants can cause significant damage to a home over time, including growing under broken siding or into cracks in the bricks or foundation, leading to safety issues and more costly repairs in the future. 

Furthermore, some noninvasive trees, like oak and poplar, will dry out the soil around them, causing the ground to shrink under the home's foundation and leading to stability issues. Before loading up on plants at your local greenhouse, research the ones that do best in your hardiness zone and in the particular area in your yard you want to plant them.

Attracting pests that can damage the house. 

Insurance policies won't pay to replace landscaping damaged by pests or vermin. Before planting any new flowers, shrubs or trees, research what types of insects or pests they may attract. From there, create a plan to properly maintain and care for any new additions to the backyard so they thrive instead of rotting over time and increasing the chance of pests. 

While making landscaping improvements may make spending time outside more enjoyable this year, consider both the positive and negative ways in which it can impact your house. Take the time to research the best greenery for your area before you start digging, contact your insurance agent to learn how updates will affect your premiums, and talk to realtors in your area for feedback on how landscaping can affect your ability to sell your home in the future.