Whether you are building a new home or looking to make changes to your current home, installing and maintaining a healthy landscape is an important part of adding value to your home. Experts agree that a well-maintained landscape can make a difference in the perceived value of a home. It also boosts homeowners sense of pride in their home, motivating them to take better care of it.
You can tell quite a bit about home and the person who lives in it by simply looking at the landscaping. Generally speaking, a neat and clean landscape can help to drive the value of a home up by 12% while landscapes that go unattended will actually push the value down.
Knowing Your Budget
Homeowners are sometimes at a loss when it comes to knowing how much of a financial commitment they should make to their landscape. They want to keep it looking healthy and beautiful. But they also need to know where to draw the line so that maintaining it doesn’t break the bank. So how much should a homeowner budget for landscaping?
Put simply, both real estate and agriculture experts agree that a range of 10 to 15 percent of the home’s value is a good place to start when budgeting for the landscape in both the front and backyards of a home. Generally speaking, 65% of this budget will go towards the backyard while the remaining 35% should be allocated for the front yard.
Understanding Your Budget
Knowing exactly how to use this 10-15 percent can be complicated. There are many different landscape elements to consider and a homeowner wants to be able to make that landscape budget stretch as far as possible.
There should be somewhat of a balance between what things you really want in your landscape and what things will help with the value of your home. For example, you may really love the idea of having a large covered patio to entertain guests in your backyard. But if the cost of that patio eats up too much of your budget, you will end up with a nice patio surrounded by a not-so-nice yard.
Meet With A Landscaper
One of the best things you can do is to meet with a professional landscaper. One who has both knowledge and experience in installing beautiful landscapes. This professional will be able to point you in the right direction. They will show you what things you need to focus on. They will be able to share alternatives that can keep the price down with an emphasis on landscape that is easy to maintain.
Looking for more ways to budget for landscaping? Looking for a landscaper? Give ABC Scapes a call today at 602-404-0568!