It’s been said that a house isn’t a home without a dog. One might also be able to say that a house isn’t a home without a perfect shade tree in the yard.
Trees serve many purposes: They provide shade, create habitation for wildlife, filter the air around us from dust and pollutants. Studies have even shown that trees help reduce stress and improve recovery time in surgery patients when they have an open view of trees from their hospital rooms.
All those things are great. But here’s possibly the best news: Planting trees can provide economic benefits. (Sorry, money still doesn’t grow on tress though.) But how?
- Planting trees on the south and west sides of your home can help reduce cooling costs in the hot summer months. If those trees are deciduous — meaning that they lose their leaves each fall/winter — those trees will also allow sun to filter through and warm your home in those cooler months.
- Evergreen trees on the north side of your home, and shrubs around the foundation, can help reduce the impact of cold winter winds.
- The value of a well-landscaped yard with mature trees can increase as much as 10 percent when compared with a similar home with little or no landscaping.
When it comes times to sell, that’s a big deal!
“Landscaping is absolutely imperative in today’s housing market,” says Von M. Dotson, Nashville-area realtor with Keller Williams Realty. “Curb appeal is a peek at the home before the front door ever opens… Today’s housing market is essentially a beauty contest, and it’s the little things — like landscaping — that can stand between a house being ‘listed’ and a house being ‘sold.’”
If you need help planting a tree, preparing your landscaping to sell your home, or simply making your trees better work for your yard and your home, please contact us. We’re happy to help!