A Property's Value Can Grow on Its Trees

By Joel M. Lerner
Saturday, September 23, 2006

While many home buyers have house inspections, even the savviest often overlook the benefit of assessing the landscape. Ground isn't always as malleable as you might think. There are some elements that can be more difficult to change on a property than on the house, such as which way the water flows and the steepness of your slopes.

But with less pressure these days to make snap decisions about whether to buy a particular house, you have time to look over the entire grounds. Consider the landscape of your prospective home in terms of what the property can do for you. Mature plantings can add value. Sun will offer an extra bonus for a patio, flowers, vegetables, herbs and lawn. Will there be room for recreation and outdoor relaxation, vistas, visual barriers, storage and trees? Did you look at possible erosion, puddling or whether the grade of the yard runs toward the wall of the house?

According to real estate appraisers, landscape design is one of the main reasons homes sell, and beautiful plantings can increase property value 15 percent. Plants are a valuable addition to a home, especially trees. They increase in value as they mature.

Here are some ways to assess the landscape of a home:

· Inventory the plants. You're buying the landscape, too. You might discover a rare plant or two that can add to your enjoyment of the property.

· Appraise the health and size of trees. Full canopies on maturing shade trees, such as oaks, red maples, beeches and hickories, should stand above the property, with their lower limbs elevated to permit passage underneath with no dead branches. Large trees are the slowest to establish but add the greatest value to property. The most desirable shade trees are 30 to 35 feet tall, about half their maximum height. They are too big for you to afford planting at that size and large enough to offer shade, yet you can watch them grow for many years.

Old trees are wonderful additions, if they're healthy. Pre-existing large trees around a newly constructed house should be carefully scrutinized for signs of bulldozer damage, trenching and other construction activities at their roots, especially if the trees are one of the reasons you're buying. It takes about three years for construction damage to kill a mature shade tree, and removal is costly.

Small specimen or flowering trees, such as Japanese maples, paperbark maples ( Acer griseum ), flowering cherries, crab apples, franklinias, stewartias and dogwoods are desirable. They should be ornamental with full canopies and strong trunks. They should never have been topped or cut hard to renew. When any tree loses ornamental value, remove it unless it's a historic, venerable member of the community.

· Assess shrubs. Large shrubs can be valuable, but you might not recognize them if they're overgrown or planted in the wrong location. Pruning at the correct time or transplanting if necessary can rejuvenate most. Ask your cooperative extension service or local garden center for guidelines.

· Review perennials. If the owner has a perennial garden, ask to see photographs of plants during their showiest seasons. An avid gardener or smart home seller will have pictures.

· Look at the grounds, not just plants. Orientation to the sun, soil type, land contour, drainage, property lines, lighting, pedestrian circulation, paving and irrigation are also important to your buying decision. The more site analysis, the better. The most pleasant orientation to the sun for relaxing in the yard is southeastern.

Deciduous trees should shade the western and southwestern walls of the house. This cools the house in summer. In winter the trees lose their leaves and let the sun heat the structure. Shade trees should be planted at least 25 feet from the house.

· Check the lay of the land. Contours add interest to a property. Two concerns with residential topography are drainage and frost pockets. If a grade doesn't take water off the property, you will have puddling, and maybe a wet basement if the contour sends rain flowing against the house wall. Water must be directed away from structures. Frost pockets can form in low areas because cold air flows downhill. Therefore, if a home is sited low, it could be the coldest part of the property or neighborhood.

· Find the boundaries. A survey can confirm if the property stakes are in place. If boundary lines aren't marked, you might have to pay for a complete survey. Finding the lines also tells you if the neighbors are respectful of the property by staying within their boundaries and not using a little of your lot for their shed.

· Visit the property after dark to check lighting. Is it lighted for safety? You can rework the lights for accents, but you might find that you have to do something about public spaces or neighbors' lights shining into the home's windows.

· Take a shovel to the property, if the owner allows. Dig up a little soil and have it tested at a garden center or cooperative extension. It would be beneficial to know the pH and texture of the soil. You can always improve it. If you find a lot of shale and a shovel won't penetrate, you will have a challenge ahead. On the flip side, you could get good news and learn that it's a well-drained mix of loam and organic material with a pH of about 6.5.

· After you move in, live with your landscape for a minimum of a year to watch the plants perform and to learn about what you are looking at. You might find a hidden treasure. I see "problems" that a homeowner is having, such as moss in the lawn, as an asset. Encourage the moss carpet with an application of iron sulfate, or aluminum sulfate, which is faster acting but less available.

During your observations, continue controlling what you know are weeds and preserve plants that show promise. Because of the ephemeral nature of some plants, it takes a year or two to notice some of them.

If the circulation pattern to enter the house or park your car is not clear or comfortable, you might want to do a landscape redesign. Check the walks, patio and driveway for loose masonry and cracks. It might have to be redone in several years, and paving can be expensive, depending on its scale.

Irrigation systems are pluses for gardens, as long as they are in good working order and installed sensibly. Confusing networks of hoses, tubes and valves are worse than not having irrigation, especially if there are no records of how systems are placed. Before you purchase a home with irrigation, get service guidelines and a layout.

If you don't wish to do the inspection yourself, hire an experienced landscape professional. Call landscape architects, contractors or designers and see if they will consult. For advice in specific areas, the following specialists can help:

To locate a consulting arborist who does not perform pruning services and therefore will offer you unbiased information on tree care, use the American Society of Consulting Arborists online referral directory at http://www.asca-consultants.org/ . Call 301-947-0483 for more information.

Schedule a drainage consultation with a professional. Check your Yellow Pages under environmental, civil, soil or other engineering specialty that meets your requirements. Excess water and drainage issues are also a concern of soil conservationists. Get more information through the Natural Resources Conservation Service at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/partners/for_homeowners.html .

For information on irrigation, look in the Yellow Pages under irrigation consultants or irrigation systems and equipment.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. E-mail or contact him through his Web site,http://www.gardenlerner.com.