5 Great Reasons to Landscape Your Home

Many home-owners see landscaping as a necessary evil. However if you look at landscaping in a different light you can see that a nicely landscaped yard can be a blessing and a definite asset.

Investing time and money to plant a few shrubs, trees or flowers can provide benefits that will increase the value of your home, bolster your position in your community and give you a sense of well-being both physically and spiritually.

Why should you invest in landscaping?

We have all heard the phrase that you have one chance to make a first impression. When friends come to your home for the first time they judge you by the appearance of your home. And what is the first thing they see after your castle? Your landscaping of course.

Along with your entertaining skills and your house-keeping, your landscaping can make that perfect first impression and possibly having your new friends for life. And remember that a well dressed landscape keeps on making those ideal first impressions.


There's No Place Like Home

We live in an age of fast pace and stress. At the end of a grueling day wouldn't it be nice to come home to an inviting, relaxing special place - a place that gives you a sense of peace and comfort?

As you approach your driveway you see the gorgeous crabapple in full blossom. You exit your car to the heady fragrance of the Hansa rose. You head to the front walk where the formality of the boxwoods reminds you that there is a sense of order in this world.

Those kinds of emotions are something that money cannot buy (unless you're buying landscaping ;-)).

Maintaining your landscaping yourself can be very stress relieving. We have extensive gardens and I personally spend many hours a week in the garden. Some of the chores can be taxing, but all are very relaxing helping me to unwind from the hustle and bustle of today's lifestyles.


Healthy Benefits

Moving on from the spiritual well-being we come to the physical benefits of landscaping. Having a home landscape with trees, shrubs and plants can actually increase the air quality around your home. In today's world, this is worth its weight in gold! Better air quality equates to a healthier body.

If you choose to landscape your yard yourself or even if you choose to maintain your landscape personally you get the added benefit of the exercise involved in the physical work. A word of caution though... Don't overdo it. Leave a bit of work for tomorrow so that you can get your exercise and unwind from future stresses.

Landscaping - Environmentally Speaking

We have actually touched on this earlier. Our world needs healthy plants to provide cleaner air to breathe. Every tree, shrub or plant that you include in your landscape plan helps the planet. Now a couple of trees doesn't seem like much in the global picture but if everyone globally planted and maintained a couple of trees, how much impact would that have?

We have all been introduced to the concept of building and living green. Reduce, re-use and conserve have all become green catch-words. Believe it or not, landscaping can be a big part of reduce and conserve (while conserving our money as well!). Well placed trees and shrubs can reduce the amount of heat gain in a home thereby reducing the amount of air-conditioning required thereby conserving our energy resources and reducing our carbon footprint. The amount of reduction can offset the cost of the landscaping in a very short period of time.

Not only will you benefit today, but your children will benefit for years to come. And by showing them the way now, we can feel confident when we turn over the job of sustaining the environment to them.

Let's Talk Assets

So far, we have talked about all of the physical, spiritual and emotional benefits to landscaping your yard. Now let's talk cash!

Well. maybe not cash in your pocket or cash in the bank but definitely a boost in your asset portfolio. A poorly landscaped or unkempt yard can drag the value of your home down. On the flip side, a nicely landscaped and manicured yard can dramatically increase your property value.

A small investment if landscaping can provide you with many benefits - increased self-esteem, increased health and an increased financial portfolio. What are you waiting for?

Brian A Schmidt is the author and publisher of a Prefab Metal Building Kits website. He has been a construction company owner and long time construction manager for a Commercial Metal Building Kit contractor and designer-estimator for a low-rise, light-gauge Metal Residential Building Kit fabricator.