(BPT) – America has home renovation fever. At one time, a handful of home improvement shows were on late at night or during the day, but now entire networks are dedicated to showcasing remodels, flips, additions and new constructions.
The result is that more homeowners are ready to tear out the old and install maple cabinets, granite counters or marble bathtubs.
Many undertake these renovations with the belief that it will increase their home’s value. But the simple fact is that large-scale projects often cost more than the value they add, and rarely do homeowners recoup their expenses.
A far easier, less expensive and effective strategy is to focus on your lawn. As every good realtor will tell you, curb appeal and making a good first impression are fundamental in selling your house at the price you want. Therefore, having a well-kept lawn is key to your home’s value.
Even if you’re not selling right now, a healthy lawn is a long-term investment that contributes to the overall value of your neighborhood and location.
Science, simplified
Those immaculate greens you see on golf courses or large estates are so pristine partially due to engineering and a scientific understanding of the soil and how grass grows. People go to college to specifically study the science of lawn care.
The good news is, to get similar results, you don’t need men in lab coats to study your lawn. The basis of the best kept lawns in the world is the same as in your neighborhood: a lawnmower.
Types of lawn
The biggest challenge many homeowners face is how to adequately mow a yard that has a variety of terrain. Hills, dips and bumps can stop many lawnmowers and result in uneven cutting. Many push mowers now come with a propulsion system that takes a lot of the work out of mowing the lawn. The big advantage here is that a self-propelled mower is able to navigate a variety of terrain, and in wet conditions, provide an even cut.
To bag or to mulch?
There are the two main types of lawn mowers, ones that mulch and ones that collect.
Mulching, which leaves behind a finely chopped layer of grass, is ideal for areas suffering from droughts. The grass clippings not only aid in water conservation, but also fertilize the soil, leading to a greener, healthier lawn. These lawn mowers have a high cutting deck, which increases the airflow that helps to evenly distribute the clippings. When summer rolls into autumn, mulching can also be used to dispose of leaves while cutting grass. The mixing of grass clippings with mulched leaves helps both decompose more quickly, making it a great and easy way to prep your yard for winter.
People who suffer from seasonal allergies or don’t plan on mowing as frequently, usually have a lawn mower that bags the clippings. These type of lawn mowers also extend their usefulness into the autumn months, allowing homeowners to skip raking and use their lawn mower to collect and bag fallen leaves. This option works particularly well with dry leaves.
The do-all solution
There is a reason golf courses have a fleet of lawnmowers, as they require a special machine for each job, for many variants and terrain. Thankfully, consumers don’t need a garage full of lawn mowers. Self-propelled, with 4-wheel drive, the Husqvarna LC221A lawn mower offers an all-in-one advantage that gives you the choice to mulch or to bag clippings.
This allows people to adapt to environmental conditions, such as mowing a small yard or a farm yard, in a drought or after a rainfall. It also provides multiple options for leaf removal, which extends its value past the end of the usual mowing season. In essence, they’ll be able to maintain a lawn they’ll be proud of and, more importantly, adds value to their home.
