Skip to content A research-backed answer using USDA Forest Service data, EPA green infrastructure research, Virginia Tech's landmark seven-state study, and NAR's remodeling data, plus a calculator that estimates your own home's landscaping value.
This tool applies the same variables Virginia Tech's seven-state study measured directly: design sophistication, plant maturity, and plant diversity, plus a climate adjustment, to your home's current value.
A landmark multi-state study led by Virginia Tech horticulturist Alex Niemiera, published through Virginia Cooperative Extension, surveyed consumers at home and garden shows across seven states to measure how landscape design sophistication, plant size, and plant diversity affect perceived home value. Compared to homes with no landscaping, well-landscaped properties commanded a price premium that ranged from 5.5 percent in Louisiana to 11.4 percent in South Carolina, and moving from the least valued landscape to the most valued landscape increased perceived value by an average of 8.6 percent across all states studied.
The same research broke down exactly where that added value comes from, which is the most useful part for anyone deciding where to spend money:
In plain terms: a smaller yard with a thoughtful, cohesive design will typically outperform a larger yard packed with plants but no real plan. That single finding is why a landscape designer's fee is usually worth it before you buy a single plant.
Government researchers are not exactly known for enthusiasm, so when the USDA Forest Service produces study after study supporting tree value, it is worth paying attention.
A hedonic pricing study led by USDA Forest Service economist Geoffrey Donovan, summarized in the USDA Forest Service's research release, found that street trees growing in front of or near a house in Portland, Oregon added an average of $8,870 to its sale price and reduced time on market by nearly two days. The effect spilled into neighboring properties too: a single tree along the public right-of-way added an average of $12,828 to the combined value of every home within 100 feet.
That is not an isolated result. A national meta-analysis published through USDA Forest Service Research and Development pooled 21 hedonic property value studies and 157 unique observations and confirmed that tree cover consistently increases home values, with the effect often larger for off-property tree cover than on-property tree cover, meaning trees function partly as a shared community asset.
The USDA Forest Service's research on residential tree shade found that well-placed trees, particularly on the west and southwest sides of a home, can reduce annual cooling energy use by 10 to 50 percent. Broader USDA-backed extension research puts the ceiling as high as 30 percent for air conditioning specifically, with heating costs cut by 20 to 50 percent from windbreak plantings. A buyer comparing two otherwise identical homes will notice which one already has established shade.
The EPA's Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure page reinforces the same pattern at the neighborhood level: green space and vegetation create the kind of neighborhoods people want to live in, and that preference consistently shows up in home prices.
Not every landscaping dollar returns the same amount. Here is how outdoor projects compare, based on the National Association of Realtors' Remodeling Impact Report on outdoor features.
Relative Joy Score positioning based on NAR's 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features. Cost recovery percentages vary by region and market and are best reviewed directly in NAR's full report.
Consistent mowing, fertilizing, and weed control is the least glamorous item on this list and consistently one of the best performing. In NAR and the National Association of Landscape Professionals' joint research, standard lawn care and landscape maintenance were among the highest cost-recovery projects studied, well ahead of most single big-ticket renovations.
Because trees appreciate rather than depreciate, tree care is one of the few home investments that gets more valuable the longer you own the property. NAR's data places tree care among the top-performing outdoor categories, consistent with the USDA figures above.
An in-ground irrigation system signals to a buyer that the landscape has been cared for consistently, not just staged for a listing photo. It carries one of the higher homeowner satisfaction, or "Joy Score," ratings in NAR's survey data.
Outdoor lighting extends the usable hours of a yard, adds a safety dimension buyers notice, and transforms nighttime curb appeal for a relatively small investment. It is consistently one of the highest-rated projects for homeowner satisfaction in NAR's research.
A new patio carried one of the highest Joy Scores of any outdoor project in NAR's 2023 report. If you are considering a hardscape addition alongside your landscaping, see our detailed guide on how long paver patios last for the durability side of that investment.
We handle both sides of this equation, the plantings and the hardscape. See our landscaping services and hardscaping services pages, or browse finished projects in our gallery.
The dollar figures are consistent across regions and climates partly because of a simple psychological effect: first impressions are sticky. A buyer forms an impression of a home before they ever open the front door, and that impression colors how they interpret everything they see once they are inside.
There is also a signaling effect documented across the research cited above: a well-maintained yard tells a buyer, without a word being spoken, that the rest of the property has likely been cared for too. A neglected exterior creates the opposite impression, and that hesitation is hard to undo with a beautiful kitchen once a buyer is already skeptical.
Appraisers factor this in as well, in a more formal way. A property's overall condition and curb appeal are part of what an appraiser observes when assessing value, which means a well-landscaped exterior is not just influencing buyer emotion, it is supporting the number that ends up on the appraisal report.
The research is just as clear about what does not work as it is about what does.
The good news is that every item on this list is a placement or upkeep problem, not a reason to avoid landscaping altogether. A quick seasonal cleanup, a second look at where trees were planted, and a design pass that leans toward broad appeal instead of a very specific personal taste will fix nearly all of it.
If your budget is limited, this is the order the research supports.
One detail worth sitting with: landscaping is one of the only home investments that grows in value the longer you leave it alone. A kitchen remodel starts depreciating the day it is finished. A tree planted today is worth more in ten years. If you plan to stay in your home for several more years, the earliest possible planting date is almost always the right one.
Multi-state research from Virginia Tech found well-landscaped homes sold for 5.5 to 12.7 percent more than comparable homes with no landscaping, and moving from the least to the most valued landscape increased perceived value by an average of 8.6 percent across the states studied. The American Society of Landscape Architects estimates a broader range of 15 to 20 percent for high quality landscaping.
According to the National Association of Realtors' Remodeling Impact Report, routine lawn care and maintenance carries the highest reported cost recovery of any outdoor project, followed by general landscape upgrades and tree care. Design sophistication, not simply plant volume, is the factor Virginia Tech's research found to matter most.
Yes. Research published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture found that neglected or poorly executed landscaping can reduce a property's value by up to 10 percent. Virginia Tech's research also found that minimal, unsophisticated plantings can perform worse than a simple, well kept lawn.
Yes. USDA Forest Service research in Portland found street trees added an average of $8,870 to a home's sale price and reduced time on market by nearly two days, with a nearby tree adding an average of $12,828 to the combined value of homes within 100 feet. A national meta-analysis of 21 property value studies confirmed the effect holds broadly across regions.
For complex design work, yes. Virginia Tech's research identified design sophistication as the single largest driver of perceived home value, accounting for a larger share of added value than plant size or plant diversity. Basic upkeep like mowing and mulching is reasonable to DIY, but overall design benefits from professional input.
Our crew designs and maintains landscapes throughout Harford and Baltimore County, from a single seasonal cleanup to a full design overhaul. If you want a second opinion on where your money will go furthest, we are happy to walk the property with you.
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