A garden is something everyone will notice when they come to see your home. If you are trying to sell your home, you have more reasons to make that garden flourish. A nice garden and some landscaping can help you significantly increase the value of your property.
On the other hand, having a large garden or backyard means there’s a lot of work around it. Maintaining the big backyard and colorful front yard surrounding a small housecan be quite underwhelming. So, the key is to find the right balance. You don’t want to push your potential buyers away, so we’ve made a list of a few tips and tricks that can help you improve your garden and boost your property value. Let’s dive in.
Plant shrubs and trees
If you’re like most people, you like your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. If so, plant trees that lose their foliage (deciduous) right outside of the windows alongside the hottest (e.g. western and/or southern) walls of your home. In the summer, they’ll provide cooling shade. In the winter, they’ll allow the sun to shine through and warm up the rooms inside while leaving the useful foliage below to protect the soil.
Reduce your carbon footprint
You can improve your curb appeal with eco-friendly, grass pavers. Grass pavers (also known as, turf pavers, permeable pavers, and pervious pavers) are wonderful alternatives to “hardscape” (e.g. cement/concrete or stone) patios, walkways and paths, garden edgings, driveway extensions, and the like. First, they’re better looking. Second, they’re friends to the environment because they prevent undesirable storm water runoff. And they allow water to soak naturally into the soil. And today’s varieties are very durable, so let your imagination run wild! The best thing of all is that such a small intervention can elevate the general value of your property. Now that is a smart investment.
Organize your plants
Place water-loving plants close to your water source and consider drip irrigation over sprinklers and hoses. Retractable hose reels are a great help when it comes to irrigation. Drip irrigation systems release water to plants’ roots a bit at a time. This keeps the plants moist, not saturated. Better yet, you’ll use up to 75% less water than you would with sprinklers or hoses. And they’re allowed to be used during drought-restricted water shortages. What’s more, they very affordable and extremely flexible. Even novices can install them easily.
Think about appeal AND functionality
Your front garden is what potential buyers see first. So it’s incredibly important to achieve that WOW effect on them as they come to see your property. Your front lawn should always be mowed with no weeds and kids’ toys in sight. In some drastic situations, in urban areas, having a parking space is considered more important than having a garden. Think about the market you’re in and about the surroundings, and don’t feel sorry if you have to tear the front lawn up and pour concrete to meet market needs. Perhaps that is just what you need to elevate your house value.
Always mow your lawn properly
When it comes to lawn mowing, you should keep some things in mind. Cutting the grass as close to the ground as possible is not the best solution. If anything, it’s a bad one. In order for your lawn to achieve its maximum potential and its best looks, you need to set your mower’s blades higher. Cutting the grass around 2/3 above the ground disperses the trimmings around as a natural nutrient for the soil, and it eases up the raking process quite a bit. This way the grass stays healthy and your lawn look like it’s supposed to.
Today’s real estate market is quite difficult to understand, and even though it may be risky, sometimes selling your property is the best possible solution. In order to get the best value from your home, you should focus on representing it in the best possible light.
With some landscaping and gardening skills, you can make your front and your backyard look so appealing that even you wouldn’t skip such an opportunity. And remember – most of the people decide whether or not they will buy the property during their first visit, so make sure your garden leaves your potential buyers breathless.
Author Bio: Victoria is a true home improvement and DIY fanatic. She’s passionate about writing, sharing tips and DIY projects. When she’s not writing you can find her traveling and exploring with her dog or in a tea shop making difficult decisions about which tea would be perfect for her next cup. You could say she’s an avid tea-drinker.
