age in place

Landscaping Tip #1: THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR INCREASING HOME SALES: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

• Investing in home’s landscape can increase its property value by as much as 20 percent – if it is done well.
• By spending 5 percent of the total value of their home on the landscape, homeowners can add 15 percent or more to the value of their home.
• According to a joint study by Clemson University and the University of Maryland, potential home buyers will pay up to 11.3 percent above the asking price for homes with thoughtfully-designed landscapes.
• Homes with nice landscapes are likely to see sale prices that are 4 percent to 5 percent higher compared to similar properties in the neighborhood, according to the Guide for Plant Appraisal, published by the International Society of Arboriculture. Conversely, homes with less attractive landscapes than others in the neighborhood see sales prices that are 8 percent to 10 percent lower.
• Eighty-four percent of the real estate agents interviewed for the study said a house with trees is 20 percent more salable than a house without trees.

Landscaping Tip #2: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND RESIDENTIAL DESIGN

• Credentials are important. Landscape architects are licensed to practice in 47 states and must pass a rigorous exam. ASLA members have met their membership requirements and keep up with the latest technology and trends through ASLA publications and continuing education programs.
• In 2004, residential design constituted 40 percent of the landscape architecture market – the largest market sector for the profession and growing.
• More than 70 percent of landscape architecture firms offer residential design services.
• Private developers continue to be the largest client group for the landscape architecture profession. For small firms (four employees or fewer), private homeowners make up the largest clientele.

Landscaping Tip #3: ADDING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE VALUE TO YOUR PROJECT
Start with a landscape architect to help you plan the site to get the most value for the property. A landscape architect can best plan the streets, parking, sidewalks, trails, common/public areas, orientation of the houses, access to the street, and storm water runoff. Think about what your homeowners will want and how they will use the landscape. Landscape architects can design formal entertainment areas, children’s playgrounds, fences, water features, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, decks, patios, and many other outdoor elements – not to mention the planting plan! Make a realistic budget. The rule of thumb is to invest 5 to 10 percent of the fair market value of the house. If this seems steep, consider that estimated return on appropriate landscape improvements is 100 to 200 % of their cost when a house is sold.

Landscaping Tip #4: THE GREEN GARDEN: AGING IN PLACE
Your current property may be your home for the rest of your life, especially if you are part of the baby boom generation. Statistics project that once people reach 65 years of age, 95% will stay in their current homes for the rest of their lives. Planning ahead to have the highest quality of life at home is the fastest growing landscape trend in the world. “Aging in Place” is the buzz word for this trend.

Your property is part of the web of life. Help conserve this planet by thoughtful design of your home grounds.

Aging in Place considerations include:

• Accessibility by foot, vehicle or motorized chair
• Sustainability design to include composting, non-toxic maintenance, harvesting water
• Energy design to take advantage of solar and geothermal, plus routine watching of watts
• Wildlife encouragement in landscape design to include places for butterflies, mammals, reptile, insects and birds to nest and rest, breed and feed, i.e.“ the buffer zone”
• A kitchen garden to provide home-grown, nutritious plants of fruit , herb, vegetables & flowers
• Landscape design to include places for active and passive recreation: places to sit, rest, to play, places to meditate or do Pilates and yoga and places for family gatherings and socializing is critically important to human health as we age.

Dargan Landscape Architects, est 1973, with current client projects in 14 states has offices in Atlanta, GA and Cashiers, NC.

Timeless Landscape Design: The Four Part Master Plan by Dargan & Dargan is in its fifth printing (Gibbs-Smith, 2007) and is already considered an industry standard for creating places of great beauty and worth.

Published in over 300 periodicals and 40 books, Dargan landscapes appear regularly on HGTV Ground Breakers.

To learn more about The American Society of Landscape Architects: contact www.ASLA.org .