Homes with lawns that feature interesting pathways, or carefully maintained plants are lovely to look at, but did you know that adding these features to your own house could save you money on energy bills? Changing your yard can create wonderful benefits for your home. Here are a few tips on how you can address complex landscaping needs easily.

The Benefits of Adding Complex Landscaping to Your Home’s Exterior.

An empty dirt lot looks bare, boring, and unfinished. Even a yard of nothing but a spread of plain grass looks better than absolutely nothing. Putting more consideration and details into designing a nice yard lead to benefits such as a return on investment in an increase in the overall home value, as well as creating energy savings. But first, it is important to understand what complex landscaping needs in terms of materials and execution to come to fruition.

The Difference Between Hardscaping and Landscaping.

The difference between the two is very simple: hardscaping is anything that relates to hardscape materials. These are pavers and stones, cement, rocks, etc. Landscaping relates to anything to do with life, such as trees, shrubs, or flowers. While hardscaping has its own benefits, we’ll focus on how to add value to a home with landscaping materials.

How to Place Shrubs and Trees to Maximum Effect.

You can hire a contractor to take care of your complex landscaping needs, or you can go at it alone. No matter which one you choose, it is always a good idea to have some basic understanding of the job. For example, deciduous trees are great for shade. These types of trees lose their leaves during the winter months, but can block between 60% to 90% of summer sun rays.

If you want to plant trees, it is best to have a plan to reap the maximum benefits from doing so. Strategically planted trees, or shrubs, means planting them at least four to six feet apart from each other in rows separated by 10 to 15 feet. Deciduous trees need to have up to 20 feet between, with rows of 30 feet of separation. Following these guidelines allow for the trees to grow, and will help you avoid problems years down the road.

Seeing a Return On Investment and Energy Savings.

When trees are planted strategically, the homeowner can see up to a 25% decrease in their total energy bill. This is accomplished by the trees providing extra shade that keeps the house cool, so that the air conditioning is not running as often. Of course, the trick is make sure the trees are planted strategically to reap the rewards of this benefit. Monthly savings on the energy bill and enjoying a lovely yard are not the only benefits to planting shrubbery and trees.

Complex landscaping needs to be qualified as an investment in beautifying a home that will pay off. Homes that have landscaping typically experience a 12% increase in the total value of the home. Although many homeowners may have no plans to sell their current home, it is true that homes with nicer yards do sell more than homes in the same area without.

What If Your Home Already Has Trees and Shrubs?

There are many homes that have mature trees or gardens. For these homeowners, the advice is to do proper maintenance. This means taking care of the needs of the trees and plants. Trees need to be pruned regularly to avoid mishaps such as fallen branches, as well as to check for termites and other parasites. Shrubs can become overgrown and unsightly without regular trimmings. A messy, unkempt yard simply doesn’t have the same curb appeal as a well-maintained one.

Complex landscaping needs to be seen as a viable, valuable option to a homeowner. Grass, trees, shrubbery, and flowers add to the value of a home, and can even lower energy bills in some cases. A return on investment is also a benefit many homeowner’s see. If your yard could use some extra love, consider looking into your options for landscaping.