6 Steps To Great Curb Appeal

The yard, driveway, fence line, or paint color is what a potential buyer looks at as they drive up to your home for the first time. The exterior of your home reflects what a buyer would see inside. If the outside is well kept the assumption is the interior would be the same way. American Society of Landscape Architects note that a well landscaped yards will see 15 percent to 20 percent more at the time of resale than homes with less attractive landscapes

6 Steps to Great Curb Appeal

Mow and Edge the Lawn

A major component to keeping the exterior of your home looking presentable is your lawn. Tall grass, brown spots, weeds are all signs of neglect. What to do: Mow, edge, fertilize throughout the year. In the warmer months you want to mow and edge once a week. Visit your local home improvement store and pick up a few bags of fertilizer – You will need to buy different types during the winter and spring.

Keep a Water Schedule:

Nothing says “Welcome Home” like dead grass! What to do: If you live in the Seattle surrounding areas you will often water between late May through September. Rule of thumb, you want to water “deep” which means about 1inch of water per week to keep the grass green. Landscapers recommend running your water system as the sun is rising. Running your system during the hottest part of the day only evaporates the water quickly, not allowing the water to set into the soil. To avoid the “I forgot to water” moments, you can either hire a company to put in an underground sprinkler system or there is the good old fashion sprinkler you can place on a timer.

Design Medium Size Flowerbeds

Low to medium size flower beds are a great way to add color and interesting focal points to your landscape. What to do: Planting native plants will allow for minimal watering and maintenance. When walking the store isles, look for tags that state “perennials” these plants will grow throughout the year, not just in Spring and Summer. For existing flowerbeds, clean up the beds by pulling all weeds. For plants to maintain their health and moisture through the hotter months, lay a fresh layer of bark or mulch typically in early Spring.

Prune and Examine Mature Trees

If you want to add or maintain your home value, having mature trees (which typically appraise up to thousands of dollars) brings about an attractive landscape and privacy without blocking the light. What to do: For a yard with existing trees regularly inspect them for diseases or insects, placing mulch around the trees to keep grass and weeds away, and pruning dead or diseased branches.

Remove the Clutter

As you walk around your property, pick up all the extra items laying around your home – garden tools, bicycles, scraps, dead leaves, or branches. These items take away from the clean and welcoming curb appeal you are trying to achieve.

Consider Adding a Hardscape

Creating an outdoor living space is a large project to take on, however, the dollar value that is added to your home is significant. What to do: Either come up with a design yourself or hire a professional landscape designer who will provide you with yard dimensions, materials list, and plant recommendations. Hardscape features to consider would be an outdoor kitchen, patio, deck, pergola, swimming pool, or fire pit.

Enjoy your time outside,

Heather