The Secret Way to Add Value to Your Home: It's Easy, Relatively Inexpensive & Beautiful!
by www.SixWise.com
If you're thinking of ever selling your home or are in the market
to buy, planting trees on your property, or choosing a home that
has them, can add strong value to your property. In general, properties
with trees sell faster, and at a higher rate, than properties with
no trees. However, the type of tree you plant, its maturity and
its potential function all influence the perceived value.
"Good tree cover or well-spaced mature trees can increase
the value of a developed property by 6 percent to 15 percent, or
add 20 percent to 30 percent to the value of an undeveloped property,"
according to the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture.
Mature trees can ad 6-15 percent to your property value.
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Why Trees are So Desirable
Trees, of course, make an aesthetically pleasing addition to just
about any landscape. However, they offer benefits even beyond their
natural beauty.
Shade and Energy Conservation: Mature shade trees, strategically
placed, can reduce cooling costs by up to 25 percent during the
summer months, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources. They can also be used to form a windbreak that can
cut winter heating costs by 20 percent, and to provide a natural
barrier to drifting snow, in areas where this is problematic.
Health Benefits: Studies have shown that trees and wooded
areas help with relaxation and mental well-being. Patients that
had a view of trees while recovering in a hospital also had speedier
recoveries than those who did not, other research has shown.
Privacy: Trees offer a natural screening to give you privacy
in your home, or to conceal unsightly buildings, power lines,
etc. from your view.
Clean Air and Wildlife Habitat: Trees help trap dust and
chemicals from the air (and reduce the need to clean the exterior
of your home and patio), while reducing the levels of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. They also provide a natural habitat for
birds, chipmunks, squirrels and many other animal species.
Things to Consider Before Planting
When it comes to maximizing your property value with tress, there
are a couple of options. By far, the most valuable trees are large,
mature ones that offer shade, privacy and beauty. Young trees that
have just been planted will not add much value, until they have
a few years to grow.
So, if you know you will not be selling for 10 or 15 years, go
ahead and start small. By the time you are ready to sell your home,
the trees will have matured into a valuable asset. If you plan to
sell sooner, or would like to enjoy large shade trees now, you can
buy mature trees from some nurseries. It is costly to buy larger
trees, however, some nurseries may give you trees they consider
too large to sell for a low price, if you are willing to have them
removed and planted yourself (which would require the help of a
professional).
On the other hand, if you are building a home on a wooded lot,
be sure to decide ahead of time which trees you want conserved,
taking into account space, shade and privacy. If you are looking
to buy a home, older properties will be the ones with large, mature
trees.
7 Best Tree Choices
The following trees, according to professional forester Steve Nix
and others, are the cream of the crop -- able to survive in a wide
variety of U.S. regions, and ideal for most yards. You should be
aware of each tree's unique space and growth requirements before
making a choice.
Well-placed trees provide beauty, shade, privacy and a natural
habitat for birds and small animals.
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Red Maple: A fast-growing shade tree that will reach
40-70 feet, and does well in most regions.
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Sycamore: A very large tree, reaching 75-100 feet,
does best along creek banks but can adapt. It's best suited
for U.S. plant hardiness zone 4, which is the Northern U.S.,
with low temperatures of -20 to -30 F. (To see a map of U.S.
hardiness zones, visit The
National Arbor Day Foundation.)
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Yellow Polar: A flowering tree that grows to 70-90
ft. It does best in well-drained soil in hardiness zone 5, which
has low temperatures of -10 to -20 F.
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Red and White Oaks: These tress grow naturally in all
48 states, but Northern sources of the trees do best in zone
3, with low temperatures of -30 to -40 F.
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Flowering Dogwood: A flowering tree that reaches about
40 feet with wispy stems. It is best suited for zone 5.
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River Birch: Loves wet areas but does well in all U.S.
climates. It grows 40-70 feet high.
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Redbud: A flowering tree, 20-40 feet tall. It has a
wide habitat that spans from New Jersey to southern Pennsylvania,
northwest to southern Michigan, southwest into southeastern
Nebraska, south to central Texas, and east to central Florida.
Trees to Watch Out For
A tree planted in the wrong environment (such as an exotic species)
can easily overrun an entire yard, crowd out other plants, or even
disrupt the foundation of your home. Others may be unusually susceptible
to disease or hard to care for. Before planting any tree in your
yard, it's best to consult with a professional arborist who can
tell you exactly what types of trees will meet your needs.
The following trees are a small sampling of some trees that could
be problematic in the wrong areas:
American Elm: Very susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease (DED),
in which a fungus infects the vascular (water-conducting) system
of the tree, which can kill it.
Ash: The Emerald ash borer, an exotic beetle from Asia,
has killed millions of ash trees throughout the Midwest. The beetle
larvae feed on the inner bark of the trees, which interferes with
its ability to transport water and nutrients.
Leland Cypress: These trees grow rapidly and can easily
overgrow their space if not properly trimmed. Larger trees may
also lack stable root support, so they may blow over in high winds.
Cottonwood: With weak wood and a shallow root structure,
these trees are susceptible to storm damage and are also extremely
vulnerable to insects and diseases.
Norway Maple: This is a non-native species that threatens
native maples. It has an aggressive root system that can end up
strangulating the tree itself, and its shade is so dense that
grass cannot grow beneath it.
Recommended Reading
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Sources
Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources
Kate
Baird and Jody Hudson: Landscaping
10
Best Trees You Should Plant
10
Yard Trees Gone Bad