Multimedia Link Available: TruGreen's National Survey of Homeowners Reports a Healthy, Green Lawn Equals Improved Home Value

Spring Lawn Care Webisodes with TV Host Jason Cameron Give Tips for Enhancing Your Home's First Impression

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Apr 02, 2013, 11:34 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Is your yard helping or hurting you in getting top dollar for your house this home buying season? According to TruGreen's new Lawn Lifestyles National Survey of America*, the majority of homeowners (79 percent) reported "having a healthy, green lawn contributes to the overall value of a home"; and homeowners (56 percent) said "when buying a home, a good lawn would warrant a higher price." In fact, more than half of Americans surveyed (53 percent) said "the quality of the homeowner's lawn can tell you a lot about the quality of the home overall." TruGreen, a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, is celebrating 40 years as the nation's largest professional lawn care service provider.

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Curb Appeal Power
Curb appeal, or that initial feeling that homeowners get when looking at the exterior of a home, is important when selecting a house to buy. TruGreen's Lawn Lifestyles Survey also revealed that the majority of Americans surveyed (72 percent) said "it takes seconds to form a first impression about the outside of a home" and those impressions take root, as over one-third (38 percent) said "once I've formed an opinion about a home's appearance, it is hard to change my mind." According to the National Association of REALTORS^®, the majority of homeowners (71 percent) surveyed in the new TruGreen Home Features Report ** said curb appeal was important in choosing their home. Most of the homeowners reported having purchased a home with a healthy, green lawn (71 percent) and well-maintained landscaping (72 percent).

Weeds Top of Mind
Invasive weeds are on homeowners' minds. Treating and preventing weeds is homeowners' (34 percent) top area of interest for learning more about lawn care, according to TruGreen's Lawn Lifestyles National Survey. And while homeowners (54 percent) consider themselves knowledgeable about taking care of their lawn care needs, few seem to ace the test, on average scoring their lawn a C+.

"Grass competes with weeds for space and nutrients. Strengthening the health of turf will help your lawn win the war against weeds, such as dandelions," said Ben Hamza, Ph.D., TruGreen expert and director of technical operations.

Spring Webisodes Starring Jason Cameron
Jason Cameron, licensed contractor and TV host, is back starring in TruGreen's seasonal webisodes to provide insights and tips for improving your home's first impression. In this year's four spring episodes, Cameron toplines results from TruGreen's two national surveys and shares lawn care 101 for getting your yard into shape during the key home buying season. Episode one promotes the role of curb appeal in selling a home; episode two emphasizes improving home value with a great lawn; episode three reminds homeowners about spring lawn care basics; and episode four touts the benefits of a healthy lawn to our planet, including that homeowners (71 percent) surveyed* agreed "maintaining an outdoor space with a healthy lawn is good for the environment."

TruGreen takes a scientific approach to a lawn you'll love with Ph.D. agronomists developing the training for each TruGreen certified lawn specialist. TruGreen's specialized lawn services are designed to specifically meet your lawn's needs at key stages throughout the year based on climate, grass type, soil condition and usage. Partner with a TruGreen specialist for a tailored lawn plan to give your lawn exactly what it needs at just the right time to get the most out of your lawn. Go to the newly enhanced TruGreen.com for additional healthy lawn and landscape tips to boost your home's first impression.

Survey Methodology
*TruGreen's Lawn Lifestyles National Survey was fielded from January 3 - 9, 2013, using the field services of ORC International (Opinion Research Corporation). The online omnibus survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of Americans aged 18+ (n=2,000), with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. For questions that were asked among homeowners who are personally responsible for making decisions regarding their lawn care (n=829), the margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

**The TruGreen Home Features Report conducted by the National Association of REALTORS^® was fielded in October of 2012 from a sample of households that had purchased any type of residence real estate during 2010 to 2012 and still owned the property. The survey sample was drawn from a representative panel of U.S. households monitored and maintained by an established survey research firm. A total of 2,005 qualified households responded to the survey. There is a 95 percent confidence interval for the sample. Households were sampled to meet age and income quotas representative of all home buyers drawn from the 2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

About TruGreen
Celebrating its 40^th anniversary, Memphis-based TruGreen is the nation's largest lawn care company, serving approximately 2 million residential and commercial customers across the United States with lawn, tree and shrub care. As the industry leader, TruGreen continues to pioneer the development of new technology for lawn care and devotes substantial resources to evaluate new products and equipment. The company is committed to responsible lawn care, including offering and promoting the use of natural services and sustainable practices. Today, there are approximately 250 TruGreen branches in the United States and Canada, including about 50 franchise locations. TruGreen is a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, one of the world's largest residential and commercial service networks. The company's brands include Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Go to http://www.TruGreen.com or http://www.facebook.com/TruGreen for more information about TruGreen.

About ServiceMaster
With a global network of more than 7,300 company-owned, franchise and licensed locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world's largest residential and commercial service networks. The company's high-profile brands are Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 20,000 corporate associates and a franchise network that independently employs an estimated 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands provided services and products to approximately 8 million customers during the last 12 months. The company's market-leading brands provide a range of residential and commercial services including termite and pest control; lawn, tree and shrub care; home warranties and preventative maintenance contracts; furniture repair; home inspections; home cleaning; janitorial services; and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.