Home Sellers Should Plant a Tree!

If you're selling your home and you have a green thumb, you might want to plant a tree. Or pay someone else to plant one for you. According to a new survey by Trees.com, some real estate agents believe that just "one" healthy tree can increase property values by 30%. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Trees.com started off as a blog in 1997 which has evolved over time into a shopping site for plants and trees, along with plenty of educational material. (1) The survey was done last month with the help of 1,250 licensed real estate agents, and 78% of them said that poor landscaping has a negative impact on the value of a property. The Value of a Well-Positioned Tree When it comes to the best way of upgrading your landscaping, 59% of the agents said "add a tree." 20% of the agents said that one tree will increase the property value by 30%. That's one in five of the agents participating in the survey. If you do the math on a home that's worth $300,000, 30% of that amount is $90,000! Another 40% of the agents estimated the additional value would be 10 to 20% or $30- to $60,000. The remaining 40% estimated a range of between 1 and 5%. Of course, a lot would depend on the tree, and what it looks like in the yard. Aesthetic Charm Washington-state real estate broker, David North, says that trees can add "aesthetic charm" to a home. He told Trees.com: "A tree is one of the most natural and interesting ways to add color, texture and contrast to any home's yard." He says: "The natural beauty of a tree can be especially powerful when it distinguishes one property from others, whether by different shape, color, or size." Ecosystem Upgrade Trees also improve the ecosystem of the property. California real estate broker, Kimo Quance, says they help with "stormwater management, pollution filtering, and soil fertilization. During warmer months, trees are a natural cooling system, providing shade. Then, in colder months, trees that lose their leaves let sunlight filter through to warm the home." They can also help stabilize soil and prevent mudslides, if there's an incline to the property. Landscaping Elements The survey also ranked various landscaping elements, and grass was the most important feature for improving value. It didn't include the estimate value of the grass, but you might surmise that it could rival the added value of trees. Trees were next on the list, followed by flowers, hedges, mulch, and fountains. Hardscaping Features As for the hardscaping features of a property, the agents ranked decks as most important. After that, driveways were second on that list, followed by an outdoor kitchen, artificial grass, a gazebo, and a firepit. Inside Greenery The survey also touched on greenery "inside" the home. 54% of the agents say it's a good idea to have indoor plants as part of the staging, but most of those agents were in the Southern and Western regions of the country. So indoor greenery may be more important in those areas. There's a link to the Trees.com survey results in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. You can also find out more about real estate investing at our website by joining RealWealth for free. As a member, you have access to the Investor Portal where you can view sample property pro-formas and connect with our network of resources. That includes experienced investment counselors, property teams, lenders, 1031 exchange facilitators, attorneys, CPAs and more. And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review! Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke. Links: https://www.trees.com/poor-landscaping-can-decrease-property-value-by-as-much-as-30