A recent study called “The North Desert Village Landscaping Experiment” looked at how human behavior is affected by landscaping. This was reported in Seed Magazine.

The researchers, “transformed 24 identical family housing units on the Arizona State University campus in the Sonoran Desert, creating five mini-neighborhoods, each with a different landscape style. The multidisciplinary project, encompassing everything from sociology to ecology, allows scientists to observe how people’s behaviors and attitudes vary in response to different environmental characteristics.”

The new landscapes were designed to represent typical landscapes in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Not surprisingly, after some initial interviews with the participants, researchers found that people preferred the greener views.

It’s great to see this kind of research taking place. Landscaping isn’t just about improving the value of your home or making something look nice. A beautiful home and surrounding area including gardens, patios, pools, etc. can have a direct impact on your behaviors and feelings — for the better!

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Tags: seed magazine, phoenix landscaping, home improvement

What does the front of your home say about you?

While lots of people put emphasis on their backyards - where you’ll find swimming pools, barbeques, patios, etc. - it’s the front of the yard that really makes a statement to the outside world. First impressions are key in every relationship, and the same holds true when neighbors look at your front yard.

The front of your home can be a great and entertaining expression of who you are. Most people will want the front to feel open and welcoming.

Here are some ideas on improving the front of your home through landscaping and renovation.

1. Fix up a sidewalk or walkway. Cracked, old sidewalks will leave the impression of a deteriorating home. The pathway to your house can immediately set the tone for everything else.
2. Add liveliness and a fresh feeling with landscaping. You want to keep the front simple and elegant, but at the same time you want to express some uniqueness, fun and a freshness through landscaping your front yard. Add some trees and shrubbery, using various sizes and types to add diversity.
3. Go more extravagant with a fountain or pond. If you really want to make a statement add a fountain or pond to the front yard. Fountains in particular add a sense of luxury to any home.

Here’s an example of a fountain installed to add a real “wow” affect to the front of this home. The fountain sits center stage, with custom stone work that beautifully matches and enhances the walkway and stonewall construction.

And here’s an example of a home that drastically improved the front through landscaping and stone work. There aren’t too many plants blocking the view of the home, and they’re neatly placed with some diversity of type and size. The trees add a nice focal point, drawing the eye along the walkway to the home itself. The custom concrete was added near the road, along with a renovated walkway that makes the place look as good as new.

Check out more samples of Infiniti Landscaping’s work!

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Tags: renovations, home improvement, phoenix, arizona, phoenix renovations, landscaping, front yard landscaping

Too much construction and renovation related fraud takes place in the United States each year. It’s a shame because people could avoid these problems by hiring licensed contractors.

Buying and owning a home is likely your biggest expense. It’s a huge investment and you want to maximize that investment and get as much enjoyment out of your home as possible. Renovations are one way of improving the quality and value of your home. But if they go bad, if you run into an unscrupulous contractor, you could be in big trouble.

The challenge for property owners is to not go instantly for the lowest price. It’s appealing; you’ve already spent a ton on your home and you don’t want to keep putting a ton of money in, but very often the cheapest price is from an unlicensed contractor. They’re not bonded or insured, and they don’t have to pay into the residential contractors’ recovery fund or pay any unemployment compensation for their workers. Simply put: their costs are lower so they can offer cheaper prices. Saving money looks great on paper, but when the trouble starts and the work is shoddy, you’ll end up spending more and being far more frustrated.

Hiring a licensed contractor helps protect against construction fraud. The licensing system is designed to protect property owners, particularly residential property owners.

Here’s some points to keep in mind regarding the value and importance of hiring license contractors for renovation work:

1. Obtaining a contractors license isn’t easy. A minimum amount of experience is required and the contractor must pass a business management test. They may also be subject to a criminal history background check, and they can’t have any unresolved contracting complaints.
2. Property owners can file complaints. If you’re using an unlicensed contractor you’re out of luck, but if you run into problems with a licensed contractor there’s a system setup for submitting complaints.
3. Property owners can apply to the contractor’s recovery fund. Licensed contractors are covered up to $200,000, with a maximum payout per residential property owner of $30,000. So, depending on the problems, you may be eligible to recover some money to have work corrected or completed. For more information on the Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund you can call (602) 542-1525 xt. 7730.

There’s a ton of great information available at the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website.

You’ll likely pay more for a licensed contractor, but the quality of the work should also be better. When a contractor has a license you know that they’ve put in a certain amount of effort in that area of expertise, be it working with flagstone, marble and granite or exterior barbeques and fireplaces. And that could save you a ton of frustration and money.

Infiniti Landscaping is licensed for all of the services we provide.

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Tags: landscape renovations, licensed contractors, home renovations, phoenix, arizona