These Plants and Trees Can Really Reduce Your Home’s Resale Value
Of course, how your home looks from the inside matters a lot when you’re preparing for a sale, but what happens on the outside is also important. The attractiveness of your home (or lack thereof) will be one of the first impressions your home makes on a potential buyer, and if you don’t want your landscape to distract from that experience, there are a few plants and trees you will want to avoid.
Do not plant invasive species
Invasive plants are species that are not native to the area and have qualities that can overwhelm the local ecosystem. These plant species grow rapidly and create a challenging environment for native plants trying to grow around them. For example, the Bradford pear tree produces lovely white flowers when in bloom and creates a painterly picture, but it spreads its seed easily and suffocates plant life around it.
Ecological site Bridging the Gap offers an alternative: the “downy service berry,” a native tree that produces small red fruits that are edible by both humans and wildlife, and which boast spectacular white flowers in April. The Japanese barberry is another invasive species that is quite aggressive, even the pests hate it. An invasive plant will give the new homeowner a number of headaches, so don’t plant one, especially if you know you will be selling your home soon.
Too many trees scare away a home buyer
We all love a little shade, but too many trees can make a home less attractive. Excessive trees can make a home enclosed, making it less attractive. Landscape architect Gregg Spadaro told Kristen Mosier on BobVila.com that “too many trees near your home puts you at risk of hurricane damage, and lack of open space is a disadvantage for families with small children.”
So, if you have a choice, plant some shrubs and some trees for privacy and shade, and leave it as it is.
Plants with thorns can scare off families
Aside from the plants that take up the physical space of your yard, there are a few that are especially important for families. Plants with sharp edges and thorns can be difficult for families with young children, who can spend endless hours running around the yard.
Large cacti like prickly pear can grow up to 5 feet tall and 10 inches wide with thorns that can hurt any child or curious pet (let alone adults). Desert-style homeowners have a hard time avoiding cacti, but softer options like silky grass , a large desert bush, or Helen von Stein’s lamb’s ear , which has “big fluffy silver leaves,” are great alternatives.