Tree Appraisals: The Value Of Trees

In the realm of home property valuation and landscape maintenance, trees are often regarded as more than just beautiful natural features.

In fact, trees are valuable assets that contribute significantly to the aesthetic, environmental, and economic well-being of a property and its surrounding community.

But quantifying the value of trees can be a complex and nuanced process that requires careful consideration of various factors.

Let’s talk about tree appraisals and answer the question, “Do trees increase property value?” to help you better understand their impact on your home landscape.

How to Determine What a Tree is Worth

Do trees add value to your home? Trees offer a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond their visual appeal. From environmental conservation to economic prosperity, their contributions are diverse and far-reaching.

Trees enhance the visual appeal of your home landscape, adding character, shade, and natural beauty. With vibrant foliage, seasonal blooms, and unique shapes, trees create inviting and picturesque settings that enhance your quality of life.

Trees also play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide, reducing air pollution, decreasing storm water runoff, and providing wildlife habitats. Trees help regulate temperature, conserve water, and prevent soil erosion, contributing to the overall health and resilience of ecosystems.

By providing shade and windbreaks, trees also reduce energy use and costs. And their positive impact on human health and well-being is amplified by improving air quality and reducing stress. Access to trees helps improve mental health, lower chronic disease rates, and enhance overall quality of life.

When it comes to tree appraisals, being objective is important. For instance, you might have a cherry tree in your front yard, and one person might consider buying that house and paying a little bit more for it because they love birds and they know that the cherry tree is going to attract birds. Another person might come along and offer less because they see a cherry tree as one that might drop litter on the sidewalk or driveway and make a mess. ISA tree appraisal professionals must come in with an independent and objective perspective and try not to be too influenced by the borderline or external values that some people place on certain trees.

Trees in Real Estate

Many research reports confirm that well-maintained landscape trees on residential properties can contribute as much as 5% to 8% to home value. In fact, in some cases, trees can contribute as much as 15% to the overall value of residential real estate.

What’s more, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, 83% of realtors believe mature trees have a strong or moderate impact on the salability of homes listed for less than $150,000. On homes listed for more than $250,000, this perception increases to 98%.

While that's helpful as a general guideline, ISA tree appraisal professionals must approach every tree individually to determine its value. Healthy trees are usually assets to a property, while unhealthy trees or those that have an insect or disease infestation could be considered liabilities.

What Does A Tree Appraiser Look For?

ISA tree appraisal experts look at quite a few things to determine the value of trees.

Looking at the specific value of a tree starts with assessing the expected longevity of the tree. Certain trees may have lower life expectancies than others, for instance.

Next, an appraiser would look at the types of pests and diseases that can impact that individual tree species, as well as the costs of maintaining that tree.

Positive variables to a good tree assessment would be that the tree is well-suited to the site, does well in that soil, has relatively few pests and pathogens, and is expected to live for an extended period of time. But if the tree is in soil that it doesn’t grow well in and has quite a few common pest and disease issues, this can lessen its value.

How Often Do Tree Appraisals Happen?

Tree appraisals should happen prior to any damage, but in reality, most appraisals happen after a tree has been damaged or even removed. This is usually done for litigation purposes.

Appraisals can also be conducted for timber and orchard trees to assess income potential.

WANT TO IMPACT YOUR HOME VALUE IN A POSITIVE WAY WITH TREES? CHECK OUT THESE BEST TREES TO PLANT TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE.