How Investing in Your Lawn Can Boost Your Home’s Resale Value by Justin West
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When it is time to sell your home, there are a number of upgrades that can boost its resale value. A fresh coat of paint is one that most real estate agents will recommend. Upgrading appliances is another commonly heard recommendation, especially when you can upgrade to energy efficient models. Smart systems that provide for automation or security also can be very attractive to those shopping for a home. What about landscaping? Curb appeal is a term that is typically used to describe the process of freshening up a yard with colorful plants and new mulch, but it usually does not involve extensive landscaping work. Is landscaping something worth investing in for those interested in increasing their property value? Justin West), CEO of Thrive Lot), says that landscaping, especially when it meets certain criteria, can make a big difference in what someone will be willing to pay for your home. “Virginia Tech did a study on what landscaping elements contribute to the most valuable ROI from a home value standpoint and two of the three things that they found were maturity and diversity of planting,” Justin explains. “Homes that have just those two things to offer in their landscaping see a 15 percent increase in home value. In the present US home market, that could add an additional $6 trillion in value to the economy.” Thrive Lot is a public benefit corporation that uses its online platform to connect homeowners with service providers that transform yards across the US into lush, bountiful ecosystems. To date, Thrive Lot has facilitated the transformation of more than 300,000 square feet of yards. While the Virginia Tech study and others have shown that landscaping can boost values at the time of sale, Justin explains that making an early investment in the right kind of landscaping can also reduce maintenance costs, which means homeowners have less invested in their property when it comes time to sell. “When you invest in creating a diverse ecosystem in your yard, you create a space that is healthy, without the need for spending money on fertilizers or chemicals,” Justin explains. “In addition, healthy soil holds water. So if there's truly soil, there's no need for irrigation, even in drought. Just a one percent increase in soil organic matter allows soil to hold another 20,000 gallons per acre.” The work that Thrive Lot is doing highlights another trend in home buying that wise sellers are moving to cash in on: sustainable real estate. Sometimes known as eco-friendly housing, sustainable real estate is used to describe housing that is not just good for residents, but for the environment as well. Even with the fierce competition in housing markets in 2021, real estate agents reported) working with shoppers who insisted on homes with eco-friendly enhancements. Replacing the typical yard with a more eco-friendly landscape can have a huge impact on the environment. Justin offers the following stats to illustrate just how environmentally unfriendly the average yard can be

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