A lot has been written about Landscaping yards for curb appeal because Buyers see the outside first, and first impressions mean everything. So it makes sense to make your curb appeal as attractive and inviting as possible. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars landscaping to make your homes curb appeal outstanding. Instead, wisely investing in a few essentials could make a huge difference to a buyer.~
1. Color is Key-An attractive landscape usually has color. Many people add flowering plants along the walkways or porch areas to create a focal point on the home. The colorful plants add a cheerful welcome. Remember, buyers will generally visit numerous homes so anything you can do to help them remember yours in a positive way will increase a second chance visit. Try to mix up colors in shrubs too. Most people tend to only plant green shrubs, throw alittle color with a off red Mulberry bush for instance.
2. Use colorful but Matching Mulch- A key to making a planted Area, flower boxes or such look finished and clean is to make sure you have mulch in the beds. Besides keeping the water in the ground helping the plantings grow, mulch can define a cleaner look. Make sure to pick a Mulch that accents the plants and flowers you have choosen. Mulch is inexpensive and really completes a look.
3. Keeping the Grass Green and Healthy- A beautiful green lawn says many things to a Buyer. To begin it tells the Buyers you take care of your home, and secondly it says "Warmth and fun, bring the kids to play and run on the lawn". Some people think a green lawn is difficult to achieve. Begin using Scott's 5 simple steps to get a green lawn. Where watering is concerned, when your home is on the market you will need to take the time to water the lawn. Most people believe you must water each area for hours on end. Water each Area for 20 minutes every 4 days and get your lawn use to this schedule and you will never have to do more. If you water each area for an hour than your lawn will always want an hour to be at it's top form. Train your lawn for 20 minutes, and it will only need 20 minutes.
4. Illusion of Space- Hide boundaries such as fences and walls. Make them appear boundless by breaking up the line of the wall which can create a closed off feeling. Paint and the placement of plants help give the illusion of space. Using tall but thin plants in your yard (as opposed to wide ones) can make a small area look bigger. Curved lines can help soften the look of a home that is constructed with too many straight lines or right angles.
5. Lastly-Clean up the driveway-Oil spills are unsightly and will chase away prospective buyers, or at very elast create a memory of your home that you do not want to create. Clean up spill and move the parked cars to give the Buyer's a chance to take in the entire appearance of your residence. If your is asphalt, get your drive re-coated for a fresh look. If your driveway is concrete, get a power washer and freshen the conctete look and get those stains off. Everything about your home is being taken into consideration. Don't let a first impression stop them before getting them through the door-
Now I know some of these suggestions seem alittle ridicules and over the top. You maybe thinking if Buyers are that picky or crazy then they don't need to look at my home. The home Buyer's of today are raised differently, and they have so many homes to choose from that your home needs to stand out as much as possible. The other consistency that I see in new home Buyers is that they are NOT do-it-yourself people. I also like to ask Sellers, "If they were to put alittle time,effort, and money into their home I could get their home to sell faster and for more money would you do that?", and not one Seller has turned that idea down yet!
As always, these are my own opinions so please do not take offense. My home is in no way market ready, but if I wanted to sell right now I would have a things to do list a mile long. These thoughts come across to me while working with many of my Home Buyers~just passing these thoughts on to you- Karen