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About This Quiz
Landscaping is more than mowing. Much, much more. How much do you know about the money and resources that go into this vital homeowner activity?
Good landscaping work can improve the value of a home by what percentage?
around 5 percent
around 20 percent
Quality landscaping can cause a big jump in home value. The key, though, is making lasting, attractive changes that catch the eye.
around 2 percent
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What percentage of United States homes have private lawns?
80 percent
No wonder lawn mower emissions account for a lot of the country's air pollution. That's a lot of grass that needs cutting.
45 percent
25 percent
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In percentage, how much higher in value are homes with excellent landscaping as opposed to those with just good landscaping?
about 7 percent
Quality pays, literally. And with a really good plan, you'll wind up with a really excellent landscape.
about 4 percent
about 10 percent
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Great landscaping an increase the value of your home more than what other projects?
kitchen remodeling
bathroom remodeling
all of the above
Landscaping beats out swimming pools, too! That's how valuable the exterior of your home really is.
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How much value do property appraisers assign to mature trees in your yard?
between $300 and $660
between $1000 and $10,000
And you thought money couldn't possibly grow on trees. Sadly, it's credit instead of cash.
between $10,000 and $15,000
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What's the average size of an American lawn?
1/2 acre
1 acre
1/3 acre
It's enough to make you work up a sweat while mowing. At 1/3 of an acre, there's plenty of landscaping that needs to be done.
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Properly positioned landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by as much as what percentage?
10 percent
50 percent
And you won't have to listen to the A/C drone on all day long, either. A few great trees make a huge difference in your utility bills.
28 percent
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What percentage of real estate appraisers say quality landscaping adds to the sales appeal of a property?
99 percent
The other 1 percent simply didn't return calls. Good landscaping attracts and sells.
96 percent
89 percent
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Trees and other foliage can reduce traffic and other annoying neighborhood sounds by what percentage?
10 percent
20 percent
50 percent
It all depends on the density and quality of your trees, of course. And nothing is likely to drown out the college kids down the block.
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About how many tree trimmers work in the United States?
45000
And it's one of the most dangerous landscaping jobs out there. Maybe that's why there are so few of them.
35000
30000
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Americans spend how much annually on lawn care?
$15 billion
$40 billion
That's enough mulch to reach from Earth to Mars! Or something like that. Americans spend a huge lump of cash on landscaping.
$4 billion
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How much recovery value can landscaping potentially provide when you sell your home?
20 to 30 percent
40 to 50 percent
100 to 200 percent
Now what excuses do you have for not taking care of the lawn? Your neglect is literally costing you money.
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The EPA estimates how many gallons of gasoline are spilled each year while people are attempting to refuel lawn mowers?
17 million gallons
Whoops, spilled again. This is just another good reason not to smoke cigarettes while mowing the yard.
4 million gallons
1 million gallons
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A nicely landscaped patio can increase your home's value by what percentage?
2 percent
12 percent
Note that folding lawn chairs on the front lawn do not qualify as a patio. But it's not uncommon for these areas to increase value by double-digit percentages.
8 percent
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Landscaping can account for what percenage of residential water usage?
20 to 50 percent
That's a lot of water to pour on the lawn. Maybe you could cut out showers to save H20?
10 to 20 percent
5 to 15 percent
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How many Americans mow their lawns each weekend?
around 34 million
around 45 million
And their efforts consume about 800 million gallons of gasoline, too. All in the name of keeping the grass more attractive to those pesky neighbor kids.
around 54 million
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In California alone, how much water is used for landscaping purposes?
about 20 percent
And about half of that water is considered wasted. Using drought-tolerant plants would help reduce the water needed for landscaping.
about 30 percent
about 10 percent
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In addition to rainfall, how much water do Americans annually shower onto their lawns?
10,000 gallons
That's enough to fill a nice-sized swimming pool. But it goes on the grass instead.
20,000 gallons
25,000 gallons
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About how much do lawn mowers contribute to America's air pollution?
5 percent
Those loud little mowers belch pollutants at and amazing rate. They're used far less than cars but pollute much more quickly.
2 percent
6 percent
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How many states in America anticipate having water shortages in the near future?
about 10
about 35
That's more than half, if you're keeping track. Water is a finite resource and should be used as such.
about 45
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You Got:
/20
Hemera/Thinkstock
