APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 - (Page 19)

landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home’s value. Money Magazine has said that homeowners who sell can expect 100 to 200 percent back for landscaping. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends investing 10 percent of a home’s value in landscaping. T he t a ke - away here is t h at a s t he company responsible for a big chunk of the backyard investment – the pool/spa – you should be orchestrating all of the elements of the backyard renaissance as the general contractor. To cash in on this backyard bonanza you need a partner, a qualified landscape architect who’s trained to see the big backyard picture and pull it all together with a master plan. In fact, it would be wise to foster win-win relat ion sh ip s w it h mu lt iple la nd sc ap e architects and a good landscaping contracting fi rm, for execution. In back yard makeovers the landscape architect – the planner – is key. Landscape a rc h itec t s a re t r a i ned i n col lege a nd graduate school and are licensed to consider the big picture, including drainage and all architectural aspects of the landscape. ASLA licenses landscape architects in 47 states, and the society’s members must keep current with technology and trends in the business. Bob Vila’s message for the public is to get a landscape designer and develop a plan. He believes that landscaping doesn’t have to happen overnight, and to be successful it must follow a plan. For more Bob Vila landscaping wisdom, visit www.bobvila.com/ HowTo_Library/Landscaping_for_Increased_ Property_Value-Home_Selling-A1814.html. So let’s meet a landscape architect with great advice to share, illustrated by t wo successful projects. Both projects are located in bucolic Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Both skillfully integrate a pool with hardscaping and landscaping. Both are the work of award-winning Carter van Dyke Associates, Inc. (CVDA) of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and its high-profile founder, Carter van Dyke. These two examples are at opposite ends of a very broad spectrum. Tarp Farm is a spellbinding 14-acre estate with gardens that were applauded as “the prettiest gardens in Bucks County” by Philadelphia Magazine’s Home and Garden publication. In 2006, Tarp Farm garnered an Award of Honor for CVDA from the Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of t he A merica n Societ y of La ndscape Architects. Our other CVDA example features a much simpler, yet storybook property on the banks of the Delaware River. “In both cases,” Carter van Dyke explains, “a pool company didn’t drive the bus, but they could have – and charged handsome fees to oversee landscape planning and execution.” In the case of Tarp Farm, CV DA was initially called in by the custom builder to suggest an alternative to a deck off the back of the main residence. That was in 1996, when Tarp Farm was a few mounds of construction earth, a frame, and hopes and dreams. By 2003, the Tarp Farm project had culminated 346803_Gecko.indd 1 SP RING 2008 | 19 1/1/70 5:42:21 PM http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Landscaping_for_Increased_Property_Value-Home_Selling-A1814.html http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Landscaping_for_Increased_Property_Value-Home_Selling-A1814.html http://www.geckoalliance.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 Contents President's Message Chairman's Message International Awards of Excellence Spotlight Quality and Innovation If You're Still in the Pool Business, You're Leaving Money on the Table Gunslingers for Sale-s Can Pool Builders Hedge a Tough Year With... Hedges? Creating a Shared Vision: An Interview with PoolCorp CEO Manny Perez de la Mesa Grow Boating Initiative Helps Industry Imagine a Better Tomorrow First Ever CBP of the Year Award Presented at Inaugural CBP Recognition Dinner Safety Department News & Resources Advertiser's Index

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.