Homeowners looking to sell at some point in the future may be continually thinking of ways to improve on their property is order to increase the value at sale time. Many will work on making the outdoors more aesthetically pleasing, to entice people to take a closer look. Many others will work on home improvements on the interior by installing tile or hardwood floors or adding and updating accessories to add value.

But what if you don’t have the money and resources for big overhauls or additions?

Start with a tree.

Visit your local nursery or home improvement mega-store and find a young tree you like and that will be accommodated by your property. A sapling is not very expensive and provided you plant it correctly and take the proper care of it, you will be adding instant value to your property. Obviously it will take time for the tree to grow and the investment you are making will not provide an immediate return, but if you are looking at your future financial goals you can be adding thousands of dollars to your home over time. A tree will reach full maturity in approximately 15 years, when it will be at its most valuable but a young tree as it grows will also add value to your property and increase in value to maturity.

While it may not be widely-known to homeowners that a tree can be so valuable, it is a fact for many reasons. Here’s why:

Provide Improved Air Quality – Trees produce oxygen and therefore improve the air quality of the environment. One mature tree truly can sustain a family with clean air for the lifetime of the tree.

Provide Added Benefits to Your Home – A tree will provide natural insulation for energy-efficiency for your home. In the summer months, the shade of a tree will cut down on the exposure from the sun. Shaded neighborhoods will likely experience a dramatic temperature difference when compared to a treeless area. In the fall and winter months, mature trees can help deflect wind, snow, and rain.

Provide Added Privacy – If neighbors live a bit closer than you’d like, a tree or series of trees can provide a natural fence to block out your views of the neighbor’s house and their views of yours.

Prevents Flooding – Properties located on a slope or hill will find trees help with erosion issues and flooding problems.

Provide Pause for Family Fun – What child wouldn’t love a carefree summer afternoon spent on a tree swing or a family picnic under the shade of a old oak tree? There are so many comforts a tree can provide to a family. Plus, imagine the quality time spent building a tree house with your kids.

Provides Aesthetically Pleasing Qualities – Beautiful mature trees really can make a home stand out on the block. How many times have you used a tree as a reference landmark (“You know, that house with the huge magnolia tree…) and someone instantly recognized what you meant? Trees can make a big statement about a property.

Nearly Irreplaceable – This is one of the main reasons trees add so much value to a home. Mature trees especially are almost impossible to replace, at least not without a healthy chunk of change. There are companies that can provide already mature trees to your property but it is expensive.

Simple Landscaping is a Small Investment with Big Rewards was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Lawn Mowing

Avoid mowing your lawn at the lower blade settings.  Low-mowed lawns cost more money because they require frequent watering, more herbicide to control the weeds, and require mowing more often to keep it that short.  If you set your mower blades at a higher level, the lawn ends up thicker and has a natural ability of blocking water evaporation from the soil below.  Weeds do not grow as well in a higher lawn, so aim for a lawn length of between 2.5 and 3.5 inches during the summer.

Leave your grass clippings on the lawn as they return nitrogen into the soil.  You can use a mulching mower to break them up smaller for a nicer appearance and for better lawn health.  If you don’t have a mulching mower, you can simply leave the clippings on the lawn and mow over them again next time to break them up.

As the weather begins to cool towards the autumn months, you can lower your blade a little and cut the grass shorter.  When you do your final cut before winter, cut it at it’s shortest length as it will prevent mold from growing due to the snow, as well as prevent the grass from clumping together.

Aerate Your Lawn

The soil under your grass becomes compacted after years of use.  The compacted soil reduces oxygen in the soil, which is required by the roots of grass to absorb water and nutrients properly.  You can easily tell if your lawn is compacted by cutting out a small one square foot section that is about six inches deep.  If the roots of grass are growing less than two inches deep, you should aerate the lawn.

Aerating works best when it’s done in the fall.  You can rent a core aerator from a hardware store or rental center.  If you’d like to reduce the costs of the rental, ask around to your neighbors to see if they’d like to share the use of the machine and divide the cost of renting it.

When you first aerate the lawn, you’ll have little plugs  of soil and grass left all over the yard and it’s not very attractive.  But by spring, your grass will be healthier, and have better access to oxygen, fertilizer and water.

Lawn Watering

You don’t have to water your lawn every day, contrary to popular belief!  If your lawn is receiving an inch of rain once per week, it’s getting enough water.  If the rainmaker isn’t cooperating, you can give your lawn a drink of about one inch of water in a single watering session – best if done early morning or early evening to prevent evaporation and waste.

How to Maintain Your Lawn on a Budget was created by and is property of American Consumer News.