How To Clean Up The Woods Behind Your House

It’s easy to neglect the woods behind your house, especially if you don’t spend any time back there. However, it’s an important part of your property that can become unmanageable if left unchecked. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to clean up the woods behind your house. 

Cleaning up your woods is much easier if you start by removing fallen branches, leaves, twigs, and brush. Research local invasive plants and remove them from the woods on your property if you find them. Routinely pull weeds, clear a walking path, and plant groundcover plants to help keep unwanted weeds at bay. 

You can also call a landscaper and get a quote if you want to clear the woods behind your house. Follow along as we explore how to clean up the woods behind your house. 

How To Give The Woods Behind Your House A Makeover

You can boost the value of your property if you give the woods behind your house a makeover. Not only will it make the woods behind your house look better, but it can open the door to new opportunities. It only takes a few simple steps, such as:

1. Remove Dead Wood

Many people understandably let fallen twigs and branches accumulate in the woods behind their home. It’s an “out of sight, out of mind” situation, as many people don’t necessarily see the dead wood too often. However, this problem will only get worse with time, and it will only get harder to remove as it accumulates. 

Luckily, clearing the dead wood from the woods behind your house is much easier than it seems. Start at the front of the treeline and work in small sections, removing fallen branches and twigs. Collect the dead wood in a large pile until you decide what to do with it all.

You can repurpose the wood and add it to your compost pile, but not all of it may fit. Some people simply collect the wood and place it in a yard waste bag or bin. Work your way through the woods and collect all the dead wood until it’s gone, even if it takes days or weeks. 

2. Clear The Brush

The small bushes and thickets, or brush, behind your house not only look bad, but they’re also fire hazards. That’s especially true if you frequently grill and build fires in your backyard. The wind can easily carry a burning ember to the dry brush in your woods and start a fire. 

You can avoid this problem if you collect and clear all the dry brush in the woods. Put on a pair of thick gloves to avoid getting splinters and cuts on your hands. Ideally, you should bring a yard waste bag with you so you don’t have to make trips back and forth from the woods. 

It’s also a good idea to bring sharp shears, as some of the brush and vines may be deeply rooted. The more brush and debris you remove, the more easily you can see through the woods. You can also rest easy knowing you reduced a significant fire hazard in your backyard. 

3. Remove Invasive Plants

Have you identified any invasive plants in the woods behind your house? Invasive species are not only bad for local plants, but they can also negatively impact animals in the area. For example, invasive plants can take the place of local plants that shelter indigenous animals. 

This can ultimately disrupt the food chain and harm the ecosystem in your area. Become familiar with common invasive species in your town and look for them in the woods behind your house. Upon finding them, you can kill the invasive plants by digging up their roots or smothering them.

For example, you can lay a tarp over the ground around the plant to ensure the roots don’t get water and sunlight. Once they die, cutting them back is much easier and won’t take as much effort. However, you should call a professional tree removal service if you have large invasive trees in the woods behind your house. 

4. Pull Weeds

Pulling weeds is the easiest way to clean up the woods behind your house. Some people don’t think about pulling the weeds behind their home because they don’t go back there. However, once you clear the brush and invasive plants, the weeds will be more noticeable. 

You must be careful if you plan to use weedkiller spray to kill the weeds behind your house. That’s because you may inadvertently damage beneficial plants with the herbicide. It’s best to pull the weeds by hand and lay mulch to prevent them from growing again. 

Work in small sections and pull the weeds carefully to ensure you remove the root. You can also plant groundcover plants to prevent weeds from growing. Bugleweed, creeping thyme, sedum, and hostas are great groundcover plants that can prevent weeds from growing.  

How Much Does It Cost To Clear The Woods Behind Your House?

You can expect to spend at least $1,200 to $4,000 to clear the woods behind your house. However, the project can easily cost over $5,000 to $10,000 or more if you have several acres. The size of the area is the biggest cost factor, along with the type of terrain. 

Clearing densely wooded areas is more expensive because it takes more work. Cost factors like excavation equipment, hazards, grading, and stump removal add to the cost. Some contractors and landscapers charge flat rates, whereas others charge per square foot. 

Clearing a densely wooded acre costs roughly $3,300 to $6,200, while clearing a lightly wooded acre costs $730 to $2,300. It’s worth calling several landscapers or contractors to get multiple quotes before you spend thousands of dollars. 

Does Having Woods Behind Your House Increase Property Value?

Having woods behind your house can increase property value, but only under the right circumstances. For example, a poorly maintained wooded area may even lower your property value in some cases. However, well-graded woods with desirable trees and a nice layout can boost property value. 

Many people look for houses with woods behind them because of the added privacy. However, dead, dying, and leaning trees can hinder property value as they must eventually be removed. The last thing anyone wants to do is buy a house and sink thousands of dollars into clearing the woods. 

It’s a great idea to remove dangerous trees in the woods behind your house before listing your home. That way, potential buyers won’t have to worry about the risk and potentially expensive removal. 

Can You Build A Structure In The Woods Behind Your House?

You can build a structure in the woods behind your house if you own the land and it’s properly zoned. Some areas have zoning restrictions that prohibit people from building structures. You must talk to the local zoning and permit office and provide the coordinates, so they can check for you. 

It’s also important to verify where your property ends and your neighbor’s property begins. The last thing you want to do is strike ground and find out you’re on your neighbor’s property. There may also be prohibitive factors such as endangered plant and animal species in the area.

In that case, you cannot likely build a structure in the woods behind your house. That may disrupt conservation efforts and negatively impact the ecosystem. Go through the proper channels and do your research before building a structure in your woods. 

Summing It Up

The best way to clean up the woods behind your house is to clear dead thickets and branches. Pull weeds and lay mulch or plant groundcover plants to stop them from coming back. It’s also a great idea to identify and kill invasive plants to protect the local ecosystem behind your house. 

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