All houses may not be the same, but the process of making a decision is the same — you write down the list of what you want, go house-hunting, pick properties that meet your criteria, and carry out the necessary purchase processes.
But if after you go through the necessary steps and the property that piques your interest is surrounded by trees, what should you do? What’re the things you should know before investing in these property types?
First, you should understand that trees surrounding a home is a two-edged sword, i.e., it can be both a blessing and a bane. So to make an informed buying decision, this article will discuss the advantages, the risks, and the factors you need to consider before investing in houses surrounded by trees. Without any more ado, let’s get to it!
The Pros
Like we said in the introduction, trees planted close to a property can be a bane and a blessing. In this section, we’ll discuss the advantages of buying houses surrounded by trees. Here are the benefits.
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Reduces Property Costs
Trees strategically planted around your home can reduce the cost of air conditioning during the summer months, as well as, the heating expenses during the winter period. According to a 2010 report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, fully matured, deciduous trees planted around your home provides sheds during the summer months. That reduces air conditioning expenses by about 30% and can, as well, save about 20% to 50% in heating costs during the winter.
Moreover, having trees around your property can reduce your spending on soil irrigation and replacement. Shades provided by matured trees help slow down water evaporating from your soil. And this, in turn, minimizes the stress involved in frequent wetting of your lawn to keep it healthy and lush.
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Increases the Value of your Property
Apart from the aesthetic, having trees around your home can increase your property’s worth. A well-nourished and maintained landscape with mature, towering trees strategically placed around your property can also increase your property’s worth by an average of 10 percent, according to the report by the USDA forest service.
In addition, a matured, healthy tree will also improve your property’s curb appeal, which increases the property’s appraised value. According to the national appraisal association, trees strategically planted around your frontage and lawn can increase the property’s appraised value by between $1000 to $10,000.
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Health Benefits
Trees improve the air quality around your property. According to research, trees absorb around 48 pounds of carbon dioxide (heat-trapping greenhouse gasses) per year. Trees are also said to absorb odors and remove pollutant gases like ammonia, ozone, sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen oxide, etc. And this helps improve the air quality in and around your property.
Moreover, trees also produce oxygen. According to research, a mature tree, on average, can produce about 260 pounds of oxygen per year. And two mature trees placed in strategic locations around your property can produce enough oxygen for a family of four people. So apart from increasing your ROIs, trees also contribute healthily to the environment and improve your way of life.
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Blocks Noise and Provide Privacy
According to research by the USDA national agroforestry, mature trees (about 100 feet wide) can reduce about 50% of urban noise. So if you live closer to noise-prone areas (like train stations, business districts, and so on), trees around your house will reduce the noise pollution.
Apart from serving as a buffer against noise, strategically planted trees can serve as a protective element against strong winter winds and storms. It can also be a barrier against nosy passersby and problematic neighbors. In some cities where fence construction has limitations, planting trees can provide you with the level of privacy that you want.
But also remember that planting trees also comes with some disadvantages. For one, leafy trees can cause grumbling from your neighbors. Also, if the planted trees caused damages on the other side, expect more teeth-grinding and unexpected expenses.
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Trees Make your Home Colorful
Apart from serving as a noise buffer, increasing property prices, providing privacy, and reducing expenses, trees also make a great addition to your landscape. Strategically planted trees can enhance your home aesthetically.
Moreover, instead of dull views, a healthy tree planted around your home provide you with a scenic view and refreshing lushness, which could also increase your property’s worth. The tree shapes, colors, and sizes will aesthetically enhance your property and make it an envy of your neighbors and passersby.
The Cons
Now that you know the benefits associated with a house surrounded by trees, It’s also important to know the risks associated with these types of properties. Let’s discuss the risk associated with investing in houses surrounded by trees. So, if you want to make better investment decisions, here’re the risks to know before investing.
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Foundational and Structural Problem
Mature tree roots are prone to wandering about for water and nutrients. And as they go, they continue to grow and expand in any direction they move. And so, if they were planted closer to the property, they’ll extend and grow under the foundation, which would affect the property’s foundation and cause some other structural problems. And this could lead to spending several thousands of dollars in repair, which you may never recoup even if you sell the property.
Moreover, since most roots wander in search of water and nutrients, they’re usually attracted to sewer lines. Why? Sewer line usually contains water, oxygen, and the necessary nutrients the trees need. And this could cause the tree to grow into the sewer line and block it, which could also cause problems to your waste disposal system. And eventually requires you to spend more on repair and getting rid of the tree.
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Clogging of the Roof Gutters
A tree planted close to the house can cause branches to overhang over the roof. That could lead to the clogging of the roof gutter and prevent water from flowing freely. If this isn’t noticed sooner and fixed ASAP, it could damage the roof. And eventually, lead to you spending thousands of dollars on roof replacement expenses.
A low-hanging branch over the roof can also peel off the protective layer of the shingles, which could also lead to a leaking roof. Also, the branches hanging over and clogging the roof gutters can be breeding grounds for mosquitos and insects because of the inability of water to flow. They can even lead to rodent and insect infestation of your property. And if the necessary step isn’t taken ASAP, you might be required to spend thousands on repair and replacement.
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Fallen Branches Can Cause Damage
While trees seem to be a blessing, they can also be a bane if they’re neglected. Trees could fall during storms. A process usually referred to as windthrow can occur, in which the tree trunk is turned into giant levers. This results in the top of the tree being pushed down and the roots pushed up. Windthrow can destroy anything on its way.
Moreover, unhealthy trees can develop weak spots, which can cause them to fall during storms. Weak spots from past injuries and unfirm roots caused by human activities (like construction, soil removal, and so on) can cause trees to fall during storms. And trees planted closer to your property can cause severe damages.
Alternatively, if the trees are healthy and have no weak points, the tree limbs can fall off. And trees planted closer to the house can also cause severe damages. For example, a branch that dropped with several pounds of force can be destructive if it falls on your roof, your car, or even a person.
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Too Much Shade is a Bane
Trees provide shades to relax under during the summer months. It also serves as an umbrella for your kids to play with during the sunny season. While those are blessings, too much shade is dangerous for your lawn and landscape. It’ll hinder the growth of your garden. Even if some grasses grow, the thick shades can make them prone to disease. And for your vegetable beds to thrive and flowers to sprout, you’ll need to be creative.
Moreover, if you use solar electricity, thick shades can also prevent sunlight from reaching your solar panel. And this will affect their effectiveness. Leaves and debris dropping from deciduous trees in your background can make having a swimming pool frustrating. Apart from debris and leaves falling, a shady tree will prevent the sun from reaching the pool.
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Maintainance is Required
Investing in houses surrounded by trees requires more maintenance and management. Even the healthiest tree also make messes. So before investing in houses with trees, are you available to dedicate some period to raking dry leaves during fall? Or, if you can’t, do you have the financial capacity to hire someone to do it for you?
You should also know that trees also serve as breeding spaces for birds. So trees planted by driveways can be perches for birds to poop. That means parking your cars by your driveway under trees can turn to mess overnight if birds poop from the trees. Houses with trees around may require more maintenance works.
Factors to Consider
While buying houses surrounded by trees isn’t a disaster, investing in this property requires prudence. So after reading the previous section and you’ve made an informed decision to proceed with this property type, if you think this property type is what you want, here are some factors to consider before signing on the dotted lines.
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Perform an Inspection on the Property
Home inspection is one of the factors that determine if buying a property is intelligent or not. Why? A property inspection helps to reveal secrets about the health of the property. If you want to buy a property surrounded by trees, you should perform a more advanced inspection on your property. Invite a professional to check for any problem with the structure, foundation, and sewer lines.
You’re also required to perform a separate inspection on the trees. Calling a certified arborist to check for the health of the surrounding trees will help you evade looming problems. The arborist will check for the risk level of having a tree around your property. They’ll also check for the health, weakness, and closeness of the tree to your property.
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Make Sure Property Insurance Has the necessary clauses
After you’ve done the necessary inspection and the required repair or maintenance based on the arborist’s recommendation, you should also never forget to check if your property insurance cover damages caused by trees. Ensure that the insurance policy has clauses that protect against destruction from surrounding trees.
A property insurance policy that provides clauses against damages from trees can also prevent you from spending out of budget when trees destroy your neighbor’s property.
Conclusion
Buying houses surrounded by trees can be both a blessing and a bane. So before making your final buying decision, ensure you compare and contrast the risk and benefits of buying a property surrounded by trees. Ensure you perform the necessary inspection and never forget to check the insurance policy. That will prevent you from unnecessary stress when your tree falls and destroy your property or your neighbor’s property.
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