Hoosierhillsinc - Landscape Designer

On Sunday my wife and I went to an earlier-than-usual Mass, which meant we got an earlier-than-usual start to our day.

What that meant is that I had more time in the day to shoot our budget on groceries and landscaping materials.

It was funny, our grocery bill at Wegman's was $121.10. Our Lowe's bill was $121.07. Maybe it's not so funny after all...

All we got at Lowe's was two bags of grass seed, a hose, an air filter for the furnace, a pack of "green" light bulbs and a bag of peat moss. It wasn't cheap, and that was just to patch the dog mess the previous owner of our house left us.

Then I got this "Angie's List" e-mail. Maybe it will be helpful for your spring/summer projects.

Boost Home Value with Landscaping
Angie’s List data shows landscaping a top project in 2008

Now that spring has sprung, it’s time to start thinking about your yard and garden. With the stalled housing market, landscaping could make the difference between breaking even and making money on the sale of your home. In fact, a well-designed landscape can add 7 percent to 14 percent to a home’s value.

Angie’s List, (www.angieslist.com), the nation’s leading consumer ratings service, found landscaping to be the second most common project members will tackle this year. In 2007, members nationwide reported spending on average nearly $7,500 per job on landscaping.

“There are many more benefits to landscaping than just having a pretty yard,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. “Done correctly, landscaping can enhance your property value and make a home more energy efficient.”

Landscaping can help decrease heat buildup in the home by blocking and absorbing the sun's energy in the summer. In the winter, trees, fences; or other landscaping features can be used as windbreaks to shield a house from wind.

Angie’s List offers 7 tips to a perfect landscape:
· List your priorities: Decide what’s important for you. Is it entertaining, playing in the yard with the kids; or growing flowers and vegetables? Once you have an idea, map out your property, indicating what you want.
· Assess your skill level: Just because you like working in the yard on an occasional Saturday doesn’t mean you’ll want to put an entire flower bed into place. Hire a professional if you don't think you'll stick with the project through the season, or if it's a complicated project that will require tools and equipment you don't have.
Be realistic about your budget: You may not be able to afford it all this month or even this season. Keep it simple with some pretty plants.
· Factor in maintenance: Putting in that water element might look great on paper, but keep in mind it will have maintenance attached to it as well.
· Plant a tree: Trees are a great investment. On average, they’ll add 3 percent to 7 percent on the value of your home. Plus, planting trees on the east and west sides of your home can reduce air conditioning costs as much as 25 percent.
· Pick the perfect plants: Select greenery that is hardy, adaptable to your area and will thrive in your soil conditions. If you’re planning on selling your home, pick plants that will be attractive in more than one season – especially in seasons when the surrounding landscape is drab and colorless.
· How’s the hardscape holding up? Are there areas in your landscaping made from brick or concrete that need repair? Clean and fix any broken steps or walkways.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 6:33 pm, and is filed under Landscaping News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.