Trees and Landscape as Assets, not Maintenance Headaches

Are you the property manager or landlord of a single-family home, multi-family home, apartment building, or larger community? Do you consider your landscape and trees to be an asset or just an expense? Although your green spaces and trees might come last when allocating the budget, I hope to convince you that they are one of the most important line items that can improve or degrade your property’s value and ultimately, the rent levels you can command.

I’m Katy Bigelow, a Consulting Arborist with a background in environmental horticulture who has worked with property owners for almost 25 years to achieve safer and more asset-driven landscapes. My daily work includes completing property-wide risk assessments of trees and landscape evaluations, taking into account how both interact with people, buildings, parking areas, and below-ground infrastructure and utilities. I also collect data about irrigation systems and soils, and note if landscaping plants are appropriate or if it feels out of date. Finally, I note if the overall vegetation is being treated using good horticultural practices.

There are a lot of tree and landscape companies out there, but what if you don’t know how to measure the quality of their work? What if you just trust that they are doing a good job for you?

I estimate that the trees and landscapes of at least 75% of properties I visit for consultations are not being managed or worked on well. Why? In my professional opinion, these 75% of properties are spending too much money on tree and landscape companies that charge for unnecessary tasks or completing visits too often.

Examples of ways these companies are not helping you include:

• Shearing shrubs and trees – shearing to keep vegetation “shaped” takes time and frequent visits.  
• Mowing low – mowing constantly or, in every area of the property, takes constant visits.   
• Blowing away or collecting leaves and soil – this removes debris that builds healthy soils, exposes tree and shrub roots, and generally makes a hostile environment for roots to live.
• Annual or more frequent tree pruning – Pruning should only correct defects, reduce risk, or complete a specific task (better clearance for siding or roofs) vs. being on a regular schedule.

Other ways these 75% of properties are wasting money are by having low or non-functioning irrigation or landscapes that are crowded. Overwatering or out-of-date irrigation systems can cause water to run off into parking areas and streets, or simply aren’t watering anything but air. Addressing old irrigation that is not spraying correctly, adding more mulch or compost to landscaped beds to soak up water and improve root growth, and correct plant spacing can reduce the need for watering and reduce water waste while promoting a healthier landscape.

What do the 25% of properties that employ good horticultural practices look like?

Generally, trees are mature and in good condition, shearing shrubs and trees, and aggressive/frequent raking does not occur, thick layers of compost or mulch are regularly added, and irrigation is well functioning.

• Did you know: Shearing shrubs automatically loops you into more maintenance rather than less, as it needs to be completed frequently. Repeated shearing also stresses plants into a grow/wound healing cycle more quickly. This leads to premature plant death, meaning you will spend more money replacing dead plants or will have unsightly gaps in landscapes.

Trees also do not need to be on an annual pruning schedule. A well-maintained mini forest or single tree may need some structural shaping or risk-reducing pruning once in a while or after an unusual weather event, but normally does not need “regular” pruning.

Periodic inspections to keep abreast of emerging health or structural issues are often more effective and less costly over time.

Trees that are in good condition and sited well can not only make your property beautiful but also passively contribute as an investment with measurable financial value. Healthy, well-maintained trees increase property value, lower energy costs, and provide a wealth of environmental and health benefits to your homes and communities.

Overall, good landscape design can increase property values by 4–5%. On the other hand, poorly placed or selected plant material can lower property values by 8–10%. Real estate assessors recognize that a house on a lot with trees is up to 20% more saleable – these percentages also generally apply to all types of housing and communities, not just single-family homes.

What if you have an aging or poor landscape that needs work, and all you are thinking is $$$?

Many landscaping projects could be considered capital improvements. According to the Internal Revenue Service, a capital improvement meets one of these criteria:

• Fixing a defect or design flaw.
• Creating an addition, physical enlargement, or expansion.
• Creating an increase in capacity, productivity, or efficiency.
• Rebuilding property after the end of its economic useful life.
• Replacing a major component or structural part of the property.

Basically, a capital improvement adds to the value of your property in a significant way, as opposed to repairs and maintenance, which preserve existing value.

So, is fixing your landscape a capital improvement? Sometimes. It’s a good idea to check with your tax or accounting professional about the type of proposed project to be sure. At the very least, even small landscape improvements are a business write-off, and correcting problems such as broken irrigation can save money.

Although finding a qualified company can be challenging in any area, the more you know or learn about your landscape and observe the costs of maintaining it, can help you fine-tune what you should ask for and ultimately be paying a company for. Often, tree and landscape companies simply want to please the customer and are not familiar with good horticulture practices, or are just doing what they have been asked to do without having the education or experience to educate you as a consumer.

The ultimate goal when I work with clients is to help them identify how to spend less on landscaping tasks and for their properties to start standing out as exceptional. It is my opinion that most properties can spend less over time, becoming that exception by simply tweaking some of their landscaping practices or what they are asking their maintenance companies to do for them. In turn, a healthy and good-looking landscape can show those renting your properties that it is invested in and worth the cost to live there.

Even if you are not involved with the signing off on your individual budget line items, consider investigating the landscaping part of your costs more deeply. No matter where you are located, consider having a consulting arborist or consulting landscape professional who is not tied to a maintenance or tree working company assess your trees and landscape for the most unbiased opinion of how they are contributing to or detracting from the value of your properties. You might be surprised how your property can improve visually and in your bottom line!

Katy Bigelow is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®, Registered Consulting Arborist® #490, and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified professional. She is also a longtime Pacific Northwest ISA member (PN-6039B) and has been working with property owners and communities for over 25 years to create safer and more sustainable landscapes. Katy can be contacted at: arboristkaty@gmail.com, or (206) 351-1375.