5 Landscaping Tips for Maximizing Your Property's Energy Efficiency

The modern way of life can be very taxing on your monthly budget, especially if you have a front or backyard to attend to. If you’re a homeowner, then you know all too well that the cost of living can sometimes be higher than you would like, and so you need to look for ways to save up.

Fortunately, as professional Edmonton real estate agents, we know that there are many ways to save money, and the best thing you can do as a renter or homeowner is to cut your property running costs through smart and high-ROI upgrades.

While there are some great ways you can lower your bills and running costs indoors, have you ever considered how your landscaping can help you save money?

With smart landscaping, you can maximize your property’s energy efficiency, allowing you to lower your heating and cooling bills while creating a beautiful outdoor oasis.

With all of that in mind, let’s talk about the best landscaping tips for higher energy efficiency and how you can implement these changes quickly.

Replace Grass With Less Demanding Greenery

Did you know that your lawn is a financial drain on your property? It’s not something we think about until someone points it out, but the grass is one of the most resource-intensive landscaping elements you can have.

Maintaining a pristine, vibrant lawn throughout the year, especially in warmer climates, is a costly, equipment- and know-how-demanding job, so a good idea would be to minimize the grass area and focus on other, less-demanding greenery, comments grass & lawn expert Pol Bishop.

If you ask any landscaping expert or a green construction professional, they will tell you that between 30% and 60% of urban water goes towards grass upkeep. So, a good idea would be to keep the grass area at a minimum and choose less-demanding alternatives such as shrubs, wildflowers, stone or gravel walkways, and trees.

By cutting the amount of grass on your property, you will also contribute to conservation and preservation by using less pesticide, less fertilizer, and fewer landscaping tools that drain energy.

You might enjoy mowing the lawn, but it’s not exactly an energy-efficient chore.

Leverage Solar Power For Landscape Lighting

One of the essential aesthetic elements of good landscaping is, of course, the lighting. Deck and walkway lights not only illuminate the outdoor living space but create a unique ambiance, so no wonder we tend to invest so much in the best lighting scheme.

However, let’s not forget that outdoor lighting can drain energy and inflate your electricity bill.

You can opt for LED lights to save some energy, of course, but you can also leverage solar power to minimize energy consumption as much as possible. You might have to downsize a bit to fit additional gear, but the trade-off is worth it.

Some of the best deck lights using solar power that you can find on the market right now come in various shapes and sizes and serve a variety of roles. You can find solar-powered walkway lighting, accent lights, overhead lights for the deck, lanterns, fence post lights, and more.

Consider using these lights instead of traditional electric lighting to improve your energy efficiency and lower your living costs.

Cut Cooling Costs With Well-Placed Trees

Summers get boiling nowadays, making it difficult to enjoy your outdoor living space during the sizzling summer months. That said, the summers are becoming so hot that it’s difficult to enjoy your indoor living environment as well without cranking up thermostats, HVAC, and AC.

All of this makes it almost impossible to keep a low-energy bill, especially in warm climates. Again, smart landscaping can come in handy here, as you can use well-placed trees to reduce the environmental impact.

By placing trees strategically around the property, you can not only introduce some much-needed privacy but can also shield your home and your outdoor space from the sun, comments landscaping professional Tom Fitzpatrick. Greenery provides a natural shade throughout the day that will make both living environments cooler during the summer.

Good landscaping coupled with some smart technology upgrades will not only lower your energy bill but also raise the value of your home.

Understand Property Parcels And Maximizing Potential

Do you know exactly how much land you’ve got, what kind of topography you’re working with, or what kind of landscaping projects you can sign off on?

“Probably not, but all of this is important information you can get from land surveyors,” comments C&A Land Surveyors, “actual experts that will help you make the best landscaping decisions possible,” experts add.

First off, a land surveyor will tell you exactly where the boundaries of your parcel are so that you can plan for high-rise greenery and other landscaping elements. Should you want to construct anything else on your property, like a detached addition, the surveyor will let you know where to build. In the end, the information you get from your surveyor allows you to choose to weigh in on the best landscaping solutions for energy efficiency, so don’t skip this critical step.

Use High-Rise Greenery As Windbreakers

Last but not least, consider using landscaping to keep your home warm during the colder months of the year. One of the best ways to protect your home from icy winds and weather is to create natural windbreaks from sturdy high-rise greenery.

Keep in mind that this is also one of those high-ROI upgrades that will increase energy efficiency and boost the aesthetic appeal of the entire property.

You can go for high-rise vertical gardens, tall shrubs, and even a row of evergreen trees that provide solid protection to the property all year round. The good thing about these specific solutions is that they don’t consume a lot of water or power from electric sprinkler systems. This allows you to cut upkeep costs, but more importantly, to keep your home warm.

Over to You

Improving the energy efficiency of your property can be a difficult task if you only focus on smart devices and LED lights. You need to take your outdoor living space into consideration if you want to get your energy bill under control, so consider these key tips that will help your budget and the environment.