Appealing Curb

Now is the time to take note of your curb appeal, or in some cases, lack of appeal. In other words, how does your house stack up? Make over your landscape by starting small. Pick an area and plant a small border bed, or get some containers for your walkway, deck or front door.

In the age of staging homes for market -- DIY projects featured on any HGTV show -- curb appeal is one that gets short shrift. Homeowners often fail miserably in this facet of homeownership, yet neglect will drive those prospective buyers away before they step a foot inside. That magnificent house will fall short in market appeal without careful attention to the exterior landscape.

If you’re not one with a green thumb, or time constraints don’t permit endless hours of gardening, do yourself a favor and hire professional help. If you’re not adept at digging or designing, but can delegate like Gen. Patton, get yourself in gear for a weekend makeover on your yard. 

Neat and tidy wins out and will be rewarding on the back end. Trim hedges, remove hedges and reveal the outer beauty of your home’s architecture.  A great looking exterior gets buyers in the door and possibly will continue to wow any prospective home buyer.

It’s not necessary to load up on specimen trees and shrubs, costly annuals and custom border beds, and you can do much with very little. Plant gorgeous containers with herbs, annuals and perennials and watch them transform the look of a front entrance, or deck.

I often gift my neighbors with my overload of perennials when dividing them yearly. My former neighborhood had floral continuity with the parade of day lilies, hosta, decorative grasses and an abundance of autumn joy that I willingly shared.  I was thrilled to give an assist to those less interested in garden tending. It paid off for them and for me. 

Take a step back, look hard at your hardscape and see what needs some tender loving care. Landscape design can translate into cold hard cash when your home is featured on that first open house