Mature Trees can improve value
In the world today, many people sell a home they have bought or built in the first seven years of owning it. In resort areas, newly built homes are sold again on an average of every three years. In those few years, young plants that may have cost you thousands of dollars might add nothing to the value of your home if you haven't planned your landscaping well. Landscaping value is determined by the decisions made in the plantings and in the design and arrangement of those plants as well as complementing accents. Additionally, besides the trees and shrubs, there should be attractive installations of stones, mulching, driveway, parking space, sidewalks, fencing, edging, feature lighting and even privacy accessories such as lattice, living window screens, or draping ivy.
An older house with mature (even if unprofessional) landscaping is often greatly enhanced in value -- because of the size and maturity of the trees, shrubs, and lawn. It is usually more profitable to work on improving the landscaping design of existing mature trees and shrubs on an older property you may purchase than to wait for what will likely be decades for the young plants to grow.
Driveways and parking areas are good landscaping elements that enhance the value of your home, but they can also be value detractors! A newly surfaced driveway of asphalt, stone, shells, gravel, brick, clay, concrete, tiles, open block and grass, even packed soil/concrete, rolled sand or any other material -- adds greatly to value if it's well maintained and aesthetically designed. However these things can even detract from value and enjoyment of the property if the drive and parking space is not maintained; potholes, ragged edges, heavy ridges, cracks, or any other functional or cosmetic blemishes -- and such things can REDUCE values of the overall property.
Whatever the reason for the landscaping; maturity, size, strength and structural integrity in your plantings are key factors for adding enjoyment and aesthetic value to the home, and in adding dollars should you want to resell the property.
