Benefits of Creating Gardens & Landscape

Beautiful gardens and landscaping transforms properties into works of art and produces outdoor areas that welcome guests, inspire, nurture, aid relaxation, and provide exciting living and entertaining spaces year round.  While these benefits are widely known and regularly thought about, landscaping also offers other significant economic, environmental and social benefits, including:  

Energy Savings

By reducing sunlight and heat build-up, landscaping can keep homes and buildings cooler and bring down energy bills. The American Public Power Association found that landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by as much as 50% by shading a home's walls and windows.  The U.S. Department of Energy reports that appropriately placed trees can cut as much as 25% of a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling.  

Improved Living Conditions

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, trees can reduce bothersome noise by up to 50% and mask unwanted noises with more pleasant sounds.  They can also reduce temperatures by as much as nine degrees Fahrenheit per a report by American Forests.

Living Space ExtensionWell designed gardens and landscapes can dramatically add to the usable size of a yard and the square footage of a living space through functional open-air rooms.  They can extend indoor activities to the outdoors and make a smaller property feel more sizable.

Enhanced Aesthetic Value & Curb Appeal

It is all about a first impression and captivating gardens or landscapes draw immediate attention.  They set the tone for and can be the determining factor in whether a prospective buyer elects to explore the property or not.

Increased Property Resale ValuesBuyers are willing to pay more when they can see how the garden or landscape will add to their enjoyment of the property.  Inviting decks, relaxed seating areas, and outdoor barbeques offer wonderful visions of entertaining.  Japanese gardens, waterfalls, and koi ponds can conjure up a sense of tranquility.  Rock and stone entryways and features deliver sophistication and elegance, while connecting people with nature. Lush tropical landscapes bring the essence of the islands to mind.  According to the American Nursery and Landscape Association, a striking landscape can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home's value and accelerate the sale of a home by five to six weeks.  Landscaping achieves a high recovery value of 100-200% at selling time according to Money Magazine, as compared to a kitchen remodel at 75-125%, a bathroom remodel at 20-120%, and a swimming pool addition at 20-50%.

Smart Money Magazine, March 2003, noted that by spending 5% of the value of your home on the installation of a quality low-maintenance landscape, you could boost the resale by 15%, earning back 150% or more of your landscape investment.  In fact, a Society of Real Estate Appraisers Study, 2003 indicates that 955 of the members of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers say that landscaping adds to property value, while 99% agree that landscaping increases speed of home sales.

Gardens and landscaping raises one’s property satisfaction, provides savings, delivers a significant return on investment, and contributes to the bottom line.  

To reap these benefits and make your garden or landscape dreams a reality in Hawaii, visit Island Landscape's website at IslandLandscapeHawaii.com.

(Mahalo [thank you] to the American Nursery & Landscape Association for publishing the statistical information which was obtained from their website.)