Do you spend 4 hours or more a week caring for your front or back lawn? If so, were you aware that over the course of a year, this adds up to 208 hours or more?

Since you obviously care about the appearance of your lawns, it’s likely that you enjoy spending time outdoors in your yard. Harris Poll conducted a recent survey on behalf of the National Association of Landscape Professionals. They found that 75% of people in the United States believe it’s important to spend time outside enjoying their yards. Furthermore, 90% of adults that have a yard also believe that it’s important to keep it well-maintained.

When you have a front yard, you want it to have curb appeal. Were you aware that quality landscaping can increase your home’s resale value by 14%? Whether you enjoy gardening and other types of landscaping activities or have this taken care of by professionals, if you just invest 5% of your home’s value on this, you may be able to receive up to a 150% return on your investment.

If your house’s landscaping isn’t ideal, you may want to take care of this as soon as possible if you’re planning to sell. Were you aware that 97% of real estate agents will encourage you to do this prior to putting a house on the market? Chances are that your house will sell faster when you have it landscaped as well. Furthermore, your real estate agent will likely tell you that when your home has curb appeal along with quality landscaping in the back yard, you may be able to receive a 215% return on your investment.

You may also want to put in an outdoor wood burning furnace because they are a cost-effective heating source. If you have access to free wood or can cut your own, you may be able to totally eliminate your home’s heating bills. This can potentially save you $10,000.00 to $50,000.00, or even more, over the course of 10 years.

Do you know anyone that has an outdoor furnace? They will probably let you know that they need up to 25% to 70% less wood for these furnaces than for traditional wood furnaces. Furthermore, they will also tell you that these furnaces are more efficient than other heating and fuel sources.

When you invest in your home’s lawns, landscaping, and energy needs, these may all prove to be strong selling factors. If you’re not planning to sell your house, then just imagine how much you’ll enjoy spending time in your yard when it’s warm outside, and how much more comfortable you’ll be inside during the colder months.