Released August 8, 2008

SEARCY, Ark. - Homeowners are looking for ways to add value and beauty to their home at a time when the housing market is sluggish can find a solution in their own back- and front yards, says Sherri Sanders, White County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

A Clemson University study found that landscaping can result in more than a 100 percent return on investment. However, just plunking down new plants willy-nilly in the yard won't make a positive difference. Mark S. Henry's study found three factors that affected property values: The quality of the property's landscaping, the landscaping in the surrounding neighborhood and the landscaping of the yard next door.

"If you are preparing your home for resale, you should consider a few relatively inexpensive landscaping measures that enhance property values," Sanders said. "There is nothing more unappealing than overgrown shrubbery directly in front of a house, particularly if foliage blocks a window.

"If the shrubs cannot be salvaged by pruning, for just a few hundred dollars they can be replaced," she said. "It's worth it because the front foundation planting is prominent enough to set the tone for an entire house."

Sanders also said shade trees and foundation plantings --shrubs planted to conceal a building's foundation -- are, along with top quality lawns, the most sensible investments for suburban homes. For homeowners with less than one-half acre, or who intend to resell their property within a few years, trees and shrubs are great investments.

Of all landscaping elements, trees probably add the most to a property's perceived value, but this is true only when trees are healthy and well maintained, she said.

"If necessary, hire a professional to whip a neglected lawn into shape and also remove dead or unsightly branches from large trees," Sanders said. "One of the easiest improvements homeowners can make on their own is to apply a decorative mulch to shrub borders, flower beds, and tree borders. A layer of chips or shredded bark mulch, spread a couple of inches thick, will instantly add polish to almost any landscape."

For more information visit http://www.uaex.edu/.

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http://www.uaex.edu/news/august2008/0808homevalue.htm

Contact: Lamar James, (501) 671-2187, ljames@uaex.edu