April 19, 2008

Get Dirty: Landscaping Costs and Benefits

It’s Earth Day on the 22nd, so let’s talk about dirt. Sellers already know that landscaping matters a lot to a home’s curb appeal and eventual price. Buyers should also pay close attention to this. Good landscaping costs a lot more than you think and it is more than just a cosmetic issue. I am speaking from personal (and costly) experience!

Take a close look at the design and age of the landscaping on your potential new home. Make an assessment, with questions such as:

- Are the shrubs well maintained or are they woody and in need of replacement soon?
- How good is the grading against the house (to prevent moisture/water in the basement)?
- How good is the drainage across the yard - and can it support the type of outdoors you are hoping for?
- Is this kind of work something that you can do yourself or will you have to pay someone to do it?
- Are there retaining walls on the property? Are they in good shape and do they allow drainage? 
- Are there areas that are in need of annual mulching to prevent erosion (which, once it gets going, happens quickly.)
- Is the lush green grass resulting from new sod placement just for the sale, and is the yard actually a good place to grow a low maintenance (and chemical free) lawn that you like? Can you be happy with alternative shade garden options?

Some things are just cosmetic, of course, and if you can wait to make those improvements, then just be extra friendly to your neighbors after you buy the house. Costly improvements include retaining walls, drainage, shrub replacement and pretty much everything I listed. Mulching of large areas is heavy work and can be several hundred (or more) dollars a year. And if you have lots of shade, prepare for constant work and money to keep that grass, or prepare to give in to nature and plant other shade-loving (non-invasive) ground cover or plants. Grass and trees just don’t mix sometimes. Check out the newly landscaped shady slope under the tree pictured above. 

You can learn more about working with nature on The Mall on Sunday where there will be lots of exhibits about greening our world. Small changes in your garden can make a big difference - from the birds and the bees to the type and amount of run-off that ends up in our rivers. For a great resource on organic lawn care visit www.safelawns.org. I heard one of their people talking on NPR the other day and it was really helpful. Take their “One Million Acre Challenge” by committing your lawn to 100% organic care. When they reach the goal, they will show this to the EPA and other agencies to let them know that we individuals do care - and are willing to make changes. 

Other great places for learning and planning include your local garden center, and lots of online resources. Check out these blogs to start:

GardentRant an opinionated site on organic gardening.

Calendula organic gardening on the edge of Washington DC.

Have fun and get dirty!

Cheers,
Allison

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