Owners View Lawns and Gardens as Home Assets

Lawns and gardens are seen by homeowners as significant financial assets, according to a survey for the Monsanto Co.

On average, homeowners say a lawn and garden would constitute 18% of the market value of their home. Of the $129,000 average value people assign to their homes, their lawn and garden is worth about $23,000, according to the survey.

Most homeowners also say the lawn and garden of their present home influenced their decision to buy that home.

Once they have the lawn, however, according to the survey, one in two people agree that the yard can be too much work. In fact, most people would rather play in their yard, than work, yet people care about the appearance of their yards and feel bad when they neglect them.

Who is today’s lawn keeper? When families do find the time to tend to their lawns, the survey shows the male is the predominant caretaker. The man of the house presides over nearly two-thirds (62%) of the lawns and gardens in America, having primary responsibility for their care.