Did you know...Professional landscaping around your home can increase the value by 15-20%. By adding a patio or functional outdoor space you can increase the value around 30%. Also...homes with professional landscaping sell 6 weeks faster than those with unkept landscaping or no plantings.

While most items depeciate in value once they are purchased, landscaping and plants can increase in value over time.

You don't need to invest a lot of time and money into landscaping a home you plan on moving out of. However, by adding some foundation or accent plantings you can see a good return in the money spent. By keeping the plants typical to your neighborhood and in style with your house you can keep it from standing out in the market for all the wrong reasons.

If you plan on staying in your current home for a short period of time and want to do some improvements that can help the resale value, think about adding a few shade trees. Because trees take a while to mature they are some of the first things you should install at your home. By planning ahead you can purchase smaller trees, knowing that you have the time for them to grow. A mature shade tree can add thousands of dollars to your home's value.

For current homes on the market or homeowners with a small budget there are still several ways to improve the curb appeal.

• Add fresh mulch
• Weed beds and around the driveway or other walkways
• Prune overgrown shrubs, but don't over do it!
• Add perennials for a bunch of color