How Your Landscape Can Help You Sell Your Home
Curb appeal plays a big part in how potential buyers view your property. A neglected landscape can detract from your value and cause buyers to just keep on driving rather than get excited to come in and see your home. According to HGTV, an attractive and well-maintained landscape can add as much as 10% to the value of your home. A good rule of thumb is to start preparing your yard one month before your put your house on the market or hold an open house. This will give you sufficient time to spruce up your yard.
Here are some tips to go about that:
Refresh the Mulch
Applying a new layer of mulch in your garden and shrub areas will do wonders for your curb appeal. Whether you choose a red cedar or dark mulch, a simple application of mulch can breathe new life into your front yard, adding a pop of fresh color that will bring out stark contrasts and details. Mulch is an affordable way to achieve this color contrast while adding definition to your garden beds at the same time.
Plant Seasonal Colors
It’s not expensive to pick up some flats of annuals, so choose a few in a variety of colors and styles. You may want to use complementary colors to match your home, go with brilliant contrasting colors, or stick with a monochromatic scheme. Add container plants on porches, doorways and steps for added appeal. This way, potential buyers are sure to see them as they make their way into your home. Line walkways with low-lying grasses and flowers for added dimension.
A nice thing to do for potential buyers of your home is to label your plants and flowers if you have the time. This simple gesture will show the buyer the name of each plant so they can research how to provide continual care later on. You may also want to create a plant inventory scrapbook of all the plants and flowers you have in the yard along with a quick explanation of what they are as well as care instructions. At open houses and showings, would-be buyers can leaf through it.
Shape Your Shrubs
If your shrubs and bushes are looking a bit overgrown, trim them back with hedge clippers to get all the dead branches off and define the shape. You don’t want a bunch of bushes hiding the beauty of your home. Maintain a manicured look to signal a well-maintained property.
Clean Water Features
If you are leaving water features such as ponds, fountains and bird baths behind for the new owners, clean them out before the open house. Scrub off the algae and bird droppings, run some bleach through the system, and get rid of any leaves, acorns and branches.
Power Wash Dirty Areas
From patios to walkways, those surfaces can get pretty grimy over the years. Take a fresh look at those elements and see if they need to be cleaned. Chances are, they do. Consider hiring a power washing company to clean your roof, siding, walkways, driveway, patios, steps and sidewalk.
T&B Landscape and Irrigation can help you get your property ready for sale. Just give us a call at (978) 296-5290.