4 Simple Tips for Improving Your Curb Appeal
Posted by Eric Skates on
Whether you just bought your home or are planning to sell, improving your landscape carries significant benefits. Those who just purchased will be able to enjoy their yard more, make it a safe place for their children to play, and boost their curb appeal. Those who plan to sell will also benefit from a boosted curb appeal. In fact, a great yard can significantly improve the odds of getting your asking price - and help you to sell faster!
So, how can you improve your landscape without spending a fortune or investing copious amounts of free time? Just use the four simple tips listed below to get started!
1. Mow & Weed
This one is pretty obvious but bears repeating, anyways. Simple maintenance can make a world of difference in the way your yard looks. Start by mowing the grass to an appropriate length, then edge around any walkways, the fence line, the house, etc. If there are garden beds already in place, make sure you weed those. In fall you will also want to get up any leaves which have fallen in the yard.
2. Create Front Flower Beds
Front flower beds add a certain undeniable charm to any home, no matter the style. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but you can save money by getting creative. For starters, try using large rocks as a border. If you have any brick laying around that also makes a beautiful border!
Use colored mulch to add some dimension, and ensure that plants are spaced out appropriately. Not only will you want to ensure plants have room to grow, but an uncluttered flower bed is much more appealing than an overgrown one!
One last word of advice: unless you are an expert gardener or have an especially green thumb, choose local plants and flowers for your bed. They will be easier to maintain and will thrive more in their natural environment than exotic plants would.
3. Lay Down A Walkway
Depending on how far your home is from the road or sidewalk, a walkway really shouldn't cost much - nor should it take too much time. Prices could range anywhere from a few dozen dollars to a few hundred, and time from a few hours to a weekend.
There are a lot of options when it comes to a walkway, but they all serve the same two purposes. First, it makes your yard safer to walk in. Second, it keeps people from excessively walking on your lawn, thus protecting the health and vitality of the grass.
A few ideas on what to create your walkway with without having to resort to traditional (and expensive) concrete blocks, include:
- Large paving stones spaced just slightly apart
- Medium paving stones spaced close
- Multi colored pebbles hedged with a brick border
- Half-buried bricks, laid close together, make a great walkway
4. Paint the Fence
If your fence is starting to look old or worn down you can breathe a fresh life into it by giving it a good paint job. The most traditional and highly-favored color is white, but you'll see many fences down in varying shades of brown also. Really, you could paint your fence any color you want but we suggest not going too crazy if you wish to boost curb appeal. For something a little unique but not too unseemly, you could match your fence to your home's accenting color.
If you use the four simple tips we listed above you can significantly improve your landscape for a comparatively small investment. Whether you just purchased or are planning to sell, you simply can't go wrong with boosting the curb appeal of your home. If you have questions about homeownership or are looking to refinance or make more significant home improvements, contact us to discuss your loan options by clicking here or calling our toll-free number 877-255-3554