Landscaping for Curb Appeal
They say that a first impression is everything, and that especially true when it comes to real estate. Just like the saying 'clothes maketh the man', so great landscaping makes a property too.
If somebody is interested in increasing the value of a home, then a small investment in quality landscaping will pay off many times over, especially if a potential sale is being considered, if not now, then at some future time. These days, it is not just appeal from the curb by a potential buyer driving past, but also how the property looks on the internet too. Most property statistics seem to indicate that around 80% of buyers start a property search using the internet. Since in most markets there are a large number of competing properties to look at, many potential buyers will look at the landscape design of a home and make an almost instant decision as to rule out a home or take a closer look. So in many cases the traditional curb appeal needs to be even better for internet browsers.
Although most people say they want a property bargain, in many cases they don't have the vision of what a garden or front yard could look like with some basic landscape maintenance. So taking an interest in the immediate landscape surrounding a home will increase the number of potential home buyers that are interested, and so indirectly affect the value of the property.
Take care of the basic landscaping first - start with any large trees and bushes - make sure they are neatly pruned and trimmed, both to show off the attractive natural shape, and also to allow enough light to enter the home. Many potential buyers are put off by a home interior that seems dark at first glance, and in many cases the available light can be increased by trimming some overhanging branches without spoiling the trees.
Next take a good look at the lawn, if it has not been cared for, a brown lawn with bare patches of grass looks unattractive, but can be rapidly improved. Investigate the cause of any dead patches, it may be as simple as dead leaves of a tree not being cleared up. Another cause may be damage by insects such as white grubs living just below the surface and killing of the grass roots - this is easily solved by an application of insecticide, and a lawn will recover quickly once the insects are removed.
A common reason for dead patches of grass (or even with pools of water collecting in a lawn is a faulty sprinkler system. Most quality homes have an automatic system for watering, but it still needs regular maintenance. Often a sprinkler head is damaged during cutting the lawn, and that is not always noticed at the time. If a particular sprinkler head or zone is not operating properly, then the immediate grass around a head can be affected. In most cases a relatively simple repair can be performed to bring the system back to full operation. Grass is surprisingly resilient and can bounce back to health very quickly once regular watering starts up again.
If your lawn looks reasonably good, but is just not very green, then an application of a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer will work wonders within a short time, even a week can see a big improvement in color.
Once the shrubs and lawn are looking good, have a good look at the driveway and edging. Clean out weeds and any grass growing in the driveway, especially between paving blocks, these are easily removed. Some landscaping improvements with some curved edgings and planting some colourful plants along the lawn edges can really make a massive impact on the curb appeal of a home.
They say that a first impression is everything, and that especially true when it comes to real estate. Just like the saying 'clothes maketh the man', so great landscaping makes a property too.
If somebody is interested in increasing the value of a home, then a small investment in quality landscaping will pay off many times over, especially if a potential sale is being considered, if not now, then at some future time. These days, it is not just appeal from the curb by a potential buyer driving past, but also how the property looks on the internet too. Most property statistics seem to indicate that around 80% of buyers start a property search using the internet. Since in most markets there are a large number of competing properties to look at, many potential buyers will look at the landscape design of a home and make an almost instant decision as to rule out a home or take a closer look. So in many cases the traditional curb appeal needs to be even better for internet browsers.
Although most people say they want a property bargain, in many cases they don't have the vision of what a garden or front yard could look like with some basic landscape maintenance. So taking an interest in the immediate landscape surrounding a home will increase the number of potential home buyers that are interested, and so indirectly affect the value of the property.
Take care of the basic landscaping first - start with any large trees and bushes - make sure they are neatly pruned and trimmed, both to show off the attractive natural shape, and also to allow enough light to enter the home. Many potential buyers are put off by a home interior that seems dark at first glance, and in many cases the available light can be increased by trimming some overhanging branches without spoiling the trees.
Next take a good look at the lawn, if it has not been cared for, a brown lawn with bare patches of grass looks unattractive, but can be rapidly improved. Investigate the cause of any dead patches, it may be as simple as dead leaves of a tree not being cleared up. Another cause may be damage by insects such as white grubs living just below the surface and killing of the grass roots - this is easily solved by an application of insecticide, and a lawn will recover quickly once the insects are removed.
A common reason for dead patches of grass (or even with pools of water collecting in a lawn is a faulty sprinkler system. Most quality homes have an automatic system for watering, but it still needs regular maintenance. Often a sprinkler head is damaged during cutting the lawn, and that is not always noticed at the time. If a particular sprinkler head or zone is not operating properly, then the immediate grass around a head can be affected. In most cases a relatively simple repair can be performed to bring the system back to full operation. Grass is surprisingly resilient and can bounce back to health very quickly once regular watering starts up again.
If your lawn looks reasonably good, but is just not very green, then an application of a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer will work wonders within a short time, even a week can see a big improvement in color.
Once the shrubs and lawn are looking good, have a good look at the driveway and edging. Clean out weeds and any grass growing in the driveway, especially between paving blocks, these are easily removed. Some landscaping improvements with some curved edgings and planting some colourful plants along the lawn edges can really make a massive impact on the curb appeal of a home.