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TREE POWER!
I have always looked at trees through different eyes than most. Growing
up in a family nursery, trees have always been a part of my life in many
ways. Money really did grow on trees! They were not only what I played
under on a hot sunny Colorado day, but they were how my dad put food on
our table and clothes on our backs. When I asked my dad about trees,
he never thought of them as just a livelihood, but instead he saw the
true power of trees. They were never just an object, but an organism
that was doing, creating, and improving our quality of life. As I have
grown older, I too understand that power. Trees can make a new house
look more appealing and at the same time provide the comforts and
pleasures of a tree house, or tire swing. A tree can actually save
money on cooling and heating costs. They can increase the value of your
home, helping you sell your home quicker than the house down the street
with little, no, or improperly planted landscaping. The power of trees
is truly amazing.
Today we are faced with soaring energy
costs among other economic issues. How would you like to reduce your
summer cooling costs or winter heating costs by 20-40%? By selecting
the appropriate tree and placing it in the correct location, this can be
achieved. When you are in older neighborhoods, notice how the homes
seem to be positioned in different ways. They aren’t laid out in large
quadrants to squeeze the most homes in given area. In the past, homes
were positioned to be efficient and utilize what was available in
nature. South and southwestern sunlight can heat your home in the
winter, and properly placed trees shade the house from the hot summer
sun. Evergreens can shield your home from those bone chilling winter
winds. Just shading your air conditioning unit (if you have one) can
cut the operating costs up to 10% because the unit doesn’t have to work
as hard in the shade. The US Department of Agriculture believes the net
cooling affect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-sized
air conditioners operating 20 hours per day! Another study indicates
that three trees, properly planted, can save $100 to $250 annually in
energy costs. That adds up very quickly and will recuperate the
initial cost of the trees in a hurry. Planting trees also leads to less
cost for electric companies, as they don’t have to provide as much
energy.
So how do you properly
place trees to receive this natural benefit? In the summer the hottest
part of the day is generally from around 2pm to 7pm. Placing deciduous
shade trees (loose their leaves in the winter) on the south to south
west side of your home will give you the most benefit and cost savings.
Picking trees that provide dense shade will also help cool your home,
even more so than a tree with a filtered shade. Trees such as ash,
maple, oak, hackberry, cottonless cottonwood, etc provide good dense
shade. Trees should be spaced based on their mature height and spread.
Place trees at least 15 feet away from your home to allow them to reach
their full height and spread without causing any space issues. Be
careful when planting below power and telephone lines. Don’t plant
multiple trees too close together. Remember, in several years they will
get much bigger than when you picked them out at the nursery. Be sure
to ask what size a mature tree will be if you aren’t sure. We are here
to help you with these decisions.
In the winter those same
large shade trees that kept your home cool, will allow the sun’s natural
heat energy to penetrate windows and help to heat your home. Large
evergreen trees planted on the south to southwest side will shade your
home year round. Placing them on the North West side will help to
protect your home from the piercing cold winter winds. The months of
December through sometime in March tend to be our driest, coldest,
windiest months. Just keeping the wind off the house can make a big
difference in heating costs.
Today we are also faced
with bleak news about the values of our homes, as well as the majority
of our investments. Imagine if there was a way that you could sell your
home faster, make it more attractive to buyers than the houses down the
street, or even get a 100%-200% recovery from your landscaping
investment. This is all possible. For years and years sellers have
found that landscaping, and even a few trees alone can do all of this.
Trees and shrubs are truly an investment that grows, even in this down
economy!
In a survey 83% of
realtors believed that trees have a “strong impact” on the ability to
sell homes listed under $150,000. If your home is valued over $250,000
that figure leaps to 98%. The American Association of Nurserymen says
that landscaping can add 15% to the value of a home. That means for a
home worth $200,000-$225,000 the increase adds up to a $30,000 value.
Landscaping also tops the list in terms of recovery costs for home
improvements. It can have a 100%-200% recovery value. When you
compare that to a kitchen with 75%-125% recovery value, a bathroom at
20%-120%, or a pool at 20%-50%, it’s easy to see planting trees and
landscaping is a better investment. When you add those numbers to the
reduction in utility costs it is amazing what the power of trees can
do.
Just by adding trees, a
home can sell for 7%-14% more than a home without trees. They don’t
even have to be that elaborately landscaped. With the amount of homes
on the market today, wouldn’t it be nice to have an edge. Ninety-nine
percent of The Society of Real Estate Appraisers agrees that landscaping
causes homes to sell more quickly that one without. Adding color with
beautiful flowering trees, flowering shrubs, and a display of perennials
can set your home apart from the competition.
These are just some ways
how the power of trees can benefit you. Besides the savings in
utilities, and increasing property values, trees, shrubs, and perennials
make a home comfortable. As always, we are here to help with your tree
and shrub needs. We offer free, in house consultations and can also
arrange to come to your home to help with your project. My favorite
part of my home is the landscaping. The relaxation it provides, and the
comfort it creates allows me to unwind and enjoy every minute I am
home.
Levi Heidrich |
