Billionaire Charlie Munger on Trees & Landscaping
“Lush landscaping, that's what sells.”
“You spend money on trees and you get it back triple. Stinting on landscaping is building malpractice.”
— Charlie Munger (1924–2023), Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
By Jeannine Mancini | Originally published on Benzinga.com
If you're a homeowner looking to boost property value, your mind probably jumps to the usual suspects: kitchen upgrades, bathroom overhauls, maybe even a fancy new roof. But according to billionaire Charlie Munger, you might be overlooking the real jackpot — your front yard.
That's right. Landscaping.
Triple. Not a bad return, especially coming from the man who stood beside Warren Buffett, one of the top 10 richest people on the planet. If anyone knows how to turn a dollar into three, it's Charlie.
Munger's Real Estate Experience
But Munger wasn't just an armchair real estate philosopher. Long before becoming Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, he rolled up his sleeves and jumped into property development.
In the late 1950s, through his law practice, Munger met Otis Booth. By 1961, Booth brought Munger into a probate settlement that soon turned into a business partnership. Together, they developed apartments next to Caltech, each investing $100,000.
The payoff? A cool $500,000 apiece — a 400% profit.
They didn't stop there. They kept building, learning along the way that single-level condos sold like hotcakes and — yes — buyers were wooed by beautiful landscaping. The lush landscaping became the not-so-secret sauce.
By the time Munger wrapped up his real estate adventures, he'd turned $100,000 into $1.4 million. And that was back when a million bucks could really buy something.
Why Landscaping Works
So why does landscaping pack such a punch? Simple. First impressions sell homes. A well-manicured yard signals care, quality and curb appeal — the trifecta that hooks buyers before they even step inside. Studies back this up, with some showing that great landscaping can boost home value by up to 30%.
At the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, Warren Buffett reflected on his longtime partner's passion for property. "Charlie enjoyed real estate transactions, and he actually did a fair number of them in the last five years of his life," Buffett said. "But he was playing a game that was interesting to him."
And while Munger eventually focused more on stocks, he never stopped believing in the power of real estate — and the magic of a well-planted tree.
So, before you tear out that perfectly good countertop or splurge on another bathroom tile trend, take Munger's advice: Plant some trees. Your property and your wallet will thank you.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga.com. Source: "Damn Right!: Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger" by Janet Lowe.
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Privacy Trees
We are a nursery tree farm specializing in Privacy Trees for screening. We sell retail & wholesale, for residential and commercial projects and we “deliver & plant” our trees. Our most common project is planting a line of privacy trees for a homeowner.
Great Selection
We have approximately 12,000 privacy trees growing at our Snohomish farm, and many years’ experience in “what works where”. We also have privacy trees that are not available elsewhere, such as our “Hedged Privacy Trees” and “Thin Man” Arborvitae. You can see our hedged and natural privacy trees in our beautiful 8 minute YouTube Farm Video.
Ornamental Trees
While we specialize in Privacy Trees, we also have a nice selection of Ornamental Trees, with many of our trees being on the “Great Plant Picks” list for the Pacific Northwest.
Delivery & Planting
We usually deliver & plant our trees for Customers. Click here for more information.
Free Estimates
We will help you determine which trees are right for your project, and provide you with free, no-obligation estimates. This is often accomplished by e-mail and phone, usually first using our online Free Estimate Request Form. Where necessary, we will send one of our experts out to review the project (no cost or obligation). More information
Location
We’re conveniently located just 15 minutes north of Woodinville. Please also read the next section.
Farm Visits
We are a working farm not a retail nursery so we don’t keep regular retail hours; instead we set up appointments so that we can focus on your project. This is particularly important during our busy seasons. So please set up an appointment instead of “just coming out.” Thank you. (425) 343-2650; info@NurseryTrees.com.
Payment
We don’t require any money “up front”—you only pay when the job is completed (unusual exceptions to this are large/special projects or lengthy “holds” on trees). Be careful of contractors asking for “up front” money; they might not come back!
Warranty & Support
When we plant your trees we include staking (if necessary), transplanting fertilizer, and an easy-to-use watering system that hooks into your garden hose. We also give a one year Warranty on trees we plant, for no additional charge. We have a detailed “Care of Your Trees” section of our website, and provide ongoing support—we’re available to answer your questions as your new trees grow.
Customer Service
We pride ourselves on our Customer Service—real people answering the phone. We have an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau (their highest rating), are an Angie’s List Super Service Award winner, have excellent reviews on Yelp, Google, etc. and a 100% satisfaction rating with eBay.
Our Business History
We planted our first trees in the summer of 1995 and our “workforce” consisted of Mom, Dad and 3 young children. Today we have a dedicated, experienced staff, most of whom have been with us for many years. See: “About Us” for our farming history.
Contractor Registration
NurseryTrees.com, LLC is a registered Washington State contractor (License Number: NURSEL*956J1). Be sure to hire a registered contractor—to go to the Department of Labor & Industries website to check a contractor’s registration, click here. As it says there: “Unregistered contractors carry no bond or insurance to protect consumers. Consumers can face serious issues if anything goes wrong on a job.” These liability risks are in addition to fraud, poor workmanship, worthless warranties, etc. We are fully bonded and insured, of course.
Customer Satisfaction
Most important of all is what our customers think of us:
“I am really pleased with your work. You saved me several thousand dollars, steered me away from trees that wouldn’t work, provided healthy and beautiful trees, did a great job planting them, and did everything on time and on schedule. You can quote me.”
Jo, Vashon Island
“Our privacy bank of trees has done nothing but grow well into maturity. Our back yard and deck area is totally private and the 10 trees your team planted [in 2005] are rich, leathery and dark green. We remark on them every day it seems. Please include me in any of your ‘Testimonials’ as you would be hard pressed to find a more satisfied customer.”
Jim, Port Orchard
“For quality vs. value, your trees are the best landscape purchase I’ve ever made.”
Jeff, Seattle
“Michael, I just wanted to pass along a note to tell you how thrilled I am with the trees. The effect they have brought to our new courtyard in the front of our home here in Seattle has exceeded my expectations!”
Chip Hanauer, Hydroplane Driver