Research Study Reveals the Importance of Landscaping to Property Values

According to a recent study by Trees.com, 78% of real estate agents say poor landscaping and hardscaping can negatively affect the value of a property. 43% of real estate agents believe that poor landscaping has a significant impact on a property’s value, and 35% say it can “somewhat” affect what a property is worth.  According to the study, however, there was a lack of consensus on how much shoddy landscaping can decrease a property’s value. 24% of realtors say property value will drop by 10%, 22% of them felt a property will lose 20% of its value, and 18% of real estate agents agree that the value will drop by 30% or more due to lackluster landscaping. Additionally, 1 in 5 real estate agents say having a healthy tree in the front yard of a home can increase the value of a property by 30%.

Hardscaping, which includes all non-living elements in outdoor décor like driveways or decks, is also thought to have a major impact on a property’s value. 40% of real estate agents say that low-quality hardscaping has a “very” negative impact on a house’s price, while 38%t say hardscaping is “somewhat” influential.  In conducting the study, researchers analyzed responses from 1,250 currently licensed real estate agents.