The designer landscaping package provided to all purchasers at the Resi Ventures Monument estate is a great investment in the future value of your new home.

Research has shown that landscaping can add thousands of dollars to the immediate value of your property and it actually increases the value over time as your garden matures.

And according to a research paper by Clemson University Professor Mark S. Henry, even taking your landscaping and gardening efforts from ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ could add at least 6-7% value to your home

The 2011 Husqvarna Global Garden Report believed that a neglected garden lowers property prices by somewhere between 5-15%. Another 17% believed the effect could be even higher.

According to the report, the garden is intimately related to the overall appeal of the house, and an attractive garden has the power to influence a buyer’s perception of a property.

To prove this theory, Husqvarna split a group of 5,000 homeowners into two and presented the first group with pictures of houses with beautiful and well-maintained gardens; the second group was presented with exactly the same houses, but with plain-looking gardens.

The first group on average guessed a whopping 26% higher market value than the second group.

Real estate agents who were interviewed for the same study believed that a well-maintained and landscaped garden didn’t just positively influence sales prices, it also reduced time spent on the market.

In addition, a well-designed garden, including insulating hedges, shady trees and bushes by windows that receive harsh sun exposure, has been shown to decrease the need for heating and air conditioning by close to 20%.

All lots sold in the Monument estates include a choice of 6 designer front gardens. The gardens have been designed to integrate into the broader landscaping of the estates providing magnificent parks and streetscapes that will add increasing value to your home, and the estate, in years to come.

This is an edited version of a story that appeared in Open House.