Curb Appeal – whether you are staying or selling

Spring is coming and many homeowners begin to think about their home’s property.  Whether you are staying or selling, the exterior spaces of a home are the first impression of any property.  Home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house or take it seriously based on its curb appeal.  Friends and family view your home’s exterior as a compliment to your individual taste inviting them to come and enjoy their surroundings bringing everyone together.

It’s challenging to look at your own house in the same way a potential home buyer looks at the property.  You have become accustom to the way it looks
and functions and cannot see flaws and deficiencies.  Many times a home’s outdoor landscaping is overlooked.  An attractive and well-maintained landscape
can add as much as 10 percent to the value of your home.

Front Yard Entrance,Winnetka, IL., Schmechtig Landscapes

Once the snow has melted, it is time to get started cleaning up your yard.  Do not wait until the very last minute to address the exterior of your home.  Give
yourself plenty of time to get everything looking just right.

Here’s a checklist and tips for sprucing up your property’s curb appeal whether you are going to stay or go:

– Spruce up outdoor containers. Container plants add considerable interest to patios and doorways where would-be buyers enter and exit the house. Such displays also demonstrate the endless possibilities for designing with container plants.

Lake Forest, IL., Schmechtig Landscapes

– Touch up the mulch. Nothing spruces up a place like a new application of mulch, so apply a fresh layer in all your garden beds. The color enhances the contrast of the surrounding plants and makes everything pop. What’s more, mulch is relatively cheap and easy to apply.

– Plant some instant color. Seasonal color makes the landscape pop as well, and flats of annuals are also relatively inexpensive. Go for a splash of several colors or a more monochromatic scheme, whatever fits in with the look of your home.

– Shape unsightly or overgrown trees and shrubs. Regardless of the season, it’s a good idea to tackle any overlooked pruning chores because nothing says neglect like a bunch of dead branches. The idea is to show how well not only the interior of you house is maintained but your garden too.

– Tidy up plants and if a plant is in such bad shape replace it or stick a decorative pot in its place.

– Edge plant beds and tree circles.

– Clean up water features. Get rid of any visible algae, remove leaves and clean filters so that the water is crystal clear. After all, a water feature that
doesn’t look good or function properly can be an instant turnoff.

– Repair outdoor faucet leaks. A leaking faucet suggests that there may be other problems elsewhere with plumbing.

– Power-wash all dirty surfaces.  This will make walkways, patios and driveways look brand-spanking new, free of grungy and grimy surfaces.
Power washers also do a great job on cleaning fences, as well as brick and vinyl siding.

Paver Walkway with Container Pots, Winnetka, IL., Schmechtig Landscapes

– When selling, stop thinking of the property as a home.  It’s a commodity you want to sell for the highest price possible.
You can help make sure potential buyers want to come inside your house by spending some time working on the exterior appearance.

Consulting with a full-service landscape service firm provides you the exterior staging solution design, installation and maintenance
needs.