Before buyers will take the time to look inside your house they need to be impressed by what they see on the outside. If you live in a condominium ownership community or can't control your landscaping then you will need to work on sprucing up the inside to make your home stand out. For everyone else, read on to see how you can dazzle buyers with nature.
1. Add or touch up the walkway to your front door. - If you have a pre-existing walkway leading to your front door then you're already one step ahead of competing homes. Fill in any cracks, popping up bricks and other potential nuisances that could cause buyers to walk away. Adding a walkway is a great way to give your front yard some structure and the types of materials you can use are endless. Don't get too crazy spending money though since the return on investment for a walkway is limited.
2. Plant flowers along both sides of your walkway. - Just as important as having a path to your home is a well manicured set of flowers leading the way. Flowers not only pack a colorful punch but they'll show home buyers that you care about your home by remembering the little things.
3. Remove seasonal signage and decoration. - When you put your home on the market you want to appeal to buyers of all styles. Part of this is removing personalized decorations from the front of your home. A Happy Halloween sign may bring seasons greetings but the impression a four foot wide black hole in your landscaping leaves may not be a great one.
4. Add flower boxes to your windows or deck. - Plants tend to evoke the idea of life and growth so strategically adding flower boxes to your deck, balcony or windows will pull that positive energy into the space.
5. Re-shape aging stone walls. - After 10-15 years many retaining walls tend to develop sink spots where the wall has loosened. Check up on all of your retaining walls and reshape them to make your landscaping look like new.
6. Add items with character to your landscaping. - Landscaping doesn't just have to be flowers and green plants! Find an old wagon wheel, nostalgic signage or bird fountain and add it to your greenery. Bird fountains are especially useful because they attract beautiful birds of all different types.
7. Trim trees and tall plants to prevent excessive window blocking. - Privacy is very desirable and so we sometimes let trees and plants overgrow in front of a commonly used room in the house to gain more privacy. Unfortunately buyers will find overgrown plants to be a sign of deferred maintenance around the house. In today's market a sign of deferred maintenance can be a kiss of death for the sale of your home.
Using the natural beauty of indigenous plants, trees and flowers you can really amp up the curb appeal of your home. Buyers love houses that make a great first impression and they're willing to pay a premium for a home that gives them that impression without all the legwork.
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