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Curb Appeal May Be The Best Home Improvement Investment Staff - Mortgage Lenders Plus.com

Who are we to argue with statistics? Professional landscape designers claim that people who invest in exterior home improvement increase their home value by seven to fifteen percent. On the other hand, “studies show” that those who take home improvement tips from their interior decorator however will only realize eighty to ninety cents on each dollar invested in new appliances or interior upgrades.

However creating that value through exterior home improvement is not as simple as reseeding the lawn and putting a coat of stain on the deck. Professional landscapers point out that there are as many opportunities for mistakes as there are for improvements for people who go into a garden makeover with little knowledge of horticulture and no eye for landscaping. Home improvement tips on spring plantings are not going to lead to the eye-catching mix of pathways, shrubbery, flowering plants and trees that make a yard into a garden.

The planning process for exterior home improvement should look at functionality as well as aesthetic value. If there are kids in the house, a lawn has more value than a low-maintenance rock and cactus garden. Everyone enjoys trees around the house, for their greenery, their shade and the birds that populate them. But a tree planted in the wrong place can impact drainage near the house and may one day even threaten the foundation. If you are investing in exterior home improvements on a house that you’re going to be in for a while, you may want to get your home improvement tips from a professional.

There are two categories of outdoor improvement specialists: landscape designers and landscape architects. Designers are likely to be people who have an eye for the process and have developed a clientele through referrals. Landscape designers will likely have no formal training in exterior home improvement and they are not required to pass a certification test. Nevertheless, a landscaped designer may be the right consultant for you if your task is to take existing trees, walkways, shrubbery and driveways and turn them into a more attractive whole.

Landscape architects have four year degrees in their specialty and are required to pass a certification exam. They have trained extensively in planning exterior home design for both the near term and for permanent upgrade status. Their plans extend well beyond home improvement tips. If your preliminary concepts involve extensive changes such as moving substantial amounts of earth, removing or planting large trees, or expensive irrigation systems a landscape architect might be worth the investment.

Professionals particularly suggest that if you are building a home, talk to a landscape architect about exterior home improvements before all the concrete is poured, the paving stones set and the trees planted. An overall plan drawn up for untouched turf may result in extensive changes to your plans.