Attractive landscaping is an important feature in any successful rental property. A fresh, tidy yard with the visual appeal can not only help you attract and keep quality tenants but may raise your property values all at the same time. One of the most beneficial things you can include in your rental property’s landscape design is a beautiful tree. Although not all trees are a good choice for rental homes. Ideally, you would plant a tree that offers both beauty and shade while still being relatively easy to maintain. Before you choose a tree for your Brainerd rental property, it’s a good plan first to consider which varieties make the best options.
One approach to choose the best trees for your rental property is to determine what your low-maintenance options are. No tenant will desire spending hours or days raking leaves, cleaning up seedpods, or dealing with a bumper crop of fruit. Avoid fruit trees at all costs. They not only make a tremendous mess, but they can be an attraction for insects, rodents, and other pests. Instead, consider low-mess trees like the evergreen arborvitae or spruce.
Arborvitae is a tall, elegant-looking tree that is extremely low-maintenance. It thrives well in many climates and can be pruned and shaped into hedges or privacy screens. Spruce, on the other hand, is a sharp-needled evergreen that works fine in cooler climates. Spruce trees are slow-growing and require only minimal care, making them a very attractive option for easy-care landscaping.
If leafy trees are more your style, the first two least-messy varieties are the flowering dogwood and the maple tree. There are many kinds of dogwood trees, but the flowering varieties are the most popular since they produce large flowers in the spring and dark red leaves in the fall. Dogwoods tend to grow quickly, giving both appeal and shade for your rental house in a few short years. The maple tree, on the other hand, is the autumn beauty that offers plenty of shade in warmer months. Maple trees do drop their leaves in the fall, as does the dogwood tree, but maple trees have no flowers or berries. Maple trees also come in a range of sizes and varieties.
Beyond these four low-maintenance trees, you might reconsider the top picks of professional landscapers for your rental property’s yard. For most landscapers, it’s difficult to go wrong with an oak tree. They are effective, shady wonders that work in many different climates. However, keep in mind that oak trees tend to grow slowly, so the shade may take a few years to develop.
If you’d rather have a smaller, flowering tree, consider adding a desert willow or a Japanese lilac to the yard. They work well in smaller spaces, are easy to care for, and have flowers on them much longer than other trees. These features make them a beautiful addition to a low-maintenance landscape.
A few other options to consider include:
- Leyland Cypress
- Sycamore
- Palo Verde
- European Beech
- Japanese Stewartia
In the end, the best trees for your rental property will be ones that you choose based on your climate, preferences, and existing landscaping. There are many great options, all of which will add beauty and value to your property for years to come.
Now that your landscaping is taken care of, who’s going to maintain it? Real Property Management Deluxe offers a full list of Brainerd property management services, and that includes regular maintenance, inside and out. Contact us online or call us at 218-454-7368 for more information.
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