If you are selling your home, then you are probably already going through the rigmarole of having surveyors and contractors to come and fix the place up so you can fetch more value. When the house appraiser comes to look at your property, you want to make sure that every box is ticked. This means having your plumbing certificates in order, electrical audits and any receipts for electrical work, security systems audit, and on top of this structural audits. However, have you considered having your trees audited?
According to an article in the Huffington Post, investing in an arborist to survey your trees could actually help add $1,000 to $10,000 to the value of your home. There are several reasons why and if you have a good appraiser will be able to take into consideration the many factors trees can contribute to the value of your home.
What Are The Key Points An Arborist Can Help You With?
Firstly, you yourself should be able to take a good look at the trees and hedgerows in and around your property. Even trees that are not within the boundaries of your property and are on a public area could be putting a dent in the value of your home.
Study the condition of the trees, where they are positioned, where they may be blocking sunlight in the garden and so on. This is a good start to considering whether or not the services of a tree surgeon and getting a full tree report are worthwhile.
Let’s take a look at some key points:
- Tree Surveys Of Old Looking Trees
Some trees can look so unattractive that they become an eyesore. You may have covered the garden grass, the flower beds, the windows, woodwork on the outside of the house, but something is still not quite right. Much of the time the eyesore is a couple of trees that have not had any due care or attention for years. You would be wholly surprised as to what an arborist would be able to blend the tress in with the rest of the hard work you have put into making your home look more saleable.
- Fix Those Hedge Rows
Garden hedgerows can also grow out of shape and out of control. This can bring the value of your house down immediately because any new buyer will likely be looking to live in the house for the long term. This would mean fixing those hedgerows up so they look perfect. Evergreen hedgerows can be particularly difficult to maintain. They are perfect because they add privacy to your home and this is why people tend to love them. However, if they brown and shoddy looking, this is just more work for the new owners. You can read this blog on Angies List to see how evergreens spruce up your yard.
- Tree Removal or Relocation
Although not always encouraged, there are times where it simply makes sense to remove a tree. There are many reasons that could mean an arborist suggests the best course of action is to remove a tree. Its roots could be growing into the structures of the house. In other situations, a tree could block sunlight or be in an awkward position in the garden. If it is small enough, then the cost of moving the tree could actually turn out to be a good investment. Although rare there are cases people have made a return on their investment simply by moving a tree.
- Replacing Trees
A dying tree that cannot be saved may need replacing. It is better to replace the tree in some cases than to simply remove it. Obviously, this depends on the size of the tree. Leaving it standing could decrease the value of your home because the new owners would eventually have to remove it. On top of this, you would need to pay a landscape gardener to restore the area the tree was planted. This could result in a dispute that could result in a reduction in the value of your home. On the other hand, simply replacing it could be a better option and add value to your home at the same time.
Are You Buying A New Home?
Even if you are considering buying a new home, you may be looking at it feeling as if something is missing. Maybe the garden looks bear. Budgeting for new trees will not only help add value to the property, but the aesthetic look they add to the place will add value to it when the time comes to sell.
Hiring an arborist to help organize where to plant these trees would be your first port of call. You may plan on living in the place for many years, and young trees that blossom over the years will add thousands of dollars to the value your home for a small investment when you first moved into the property.
Planting hedgerows as mentioned above is another option you could consider. As we said, evergreens can more attractive than a garden fence and certainly add more privacy to the home. Start early and keep the hedgerows in good shape, and once again small investment can add more dollars to the value of your property for when the time comes to sell.
For information about tree surgeons, please feel free to take a look at Canopy Tree. Have a read through their site to see exactly what you can expect from a professional arborist service.
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