Landscape Your Way to Better Curb Appeal

You have just one chance to make a great first impression to your potential buyer, and a neat and tidy front-yard landscape makes sure they’ll be impressed. The National Association of Realtors says that 63% of buyers will do a drive-by to see a home after they’ve looked at it online. When they do, you’ll get that one chance. Your front landscaping needs to reflect to the potential buyer what they can expect inside, too. A well-maintained front yard means a well-maintained home.

Here are just a few ways to transform your front yard into something that makes your potential buyers want to inspect your home further:

1. Flowers, of Course

The sight and scent of healthy flowers makes your yard – and therefore your home – seem welcoming and well cared for. You don’t need a lot of space, and you can even utilize planters instead of digging into your current landscaping to add flowers. Choose bright, happy colors, and keep the look of your planters similar for a more cohesive look. If you want to plant flowers in the ground, make sure you look into municipality rules and homeowners association rules before you do.

2. Walkways with Personality

A plain front walkway is just boring. Add a bit of style by edging the walkway with easy to care for hostas, and choose something other than basic cement for the walkway itself. Flagstone and pavers give your front walk personality, and are easy to install and upkeep. Consider adding some solar walkway lights, too, for added appeal.

3. Patio Appeal

The addition of a small front porch or patio will give you a place to sit and read the paper while saying hello to the neighbors. Surround the patio with flowers, or a low hedge to add a feeling of intimacy without seeming unfriendly. While this isn’t a fast or inexpensive project, it will be seen as a benefit for those buyers who love spending time outdoors.

4. Groundcover for Slopes

A grassy slope can be a lawnmower’s nightmare, so keep it easy by planting a pretty groundcover and letting it grow and expand, or choose the slope as a place to plant your flower garden. Mix and match groundcovers, grasses, and annuals with beautiful stones for an unforgettable garden with unbelievable curb appeal.

5. Let Nature Lend a Hand

Utilize flowers, plants, and landscaping materials that are naturally occurring in your region. Plant a butterfly or dragonfly garden with your region’3s species in mind. Add a bird bath to enhance the look, and the enjoyment of watching the wildlife.

6. Don’t Forget the Green

Tall native grasses can add as much to your landscape as flowers, so don’t forget to mix in the greenery, too, for a variety of textures and colors.

7. Indoor Appeal

Make sure your landscaping looks as good from the inside as it does on the outside. People normally spend more time indoors than outdoors, so make sure that your front yard is nice to enjoy from through the windows, too.

8. Hedge Your Privacy

For some privacy, create a buffer of plants around your property. Utilize different sizes, shapes, and varieties to add visual interest and appeal.

9. Pretty up Your Pathways

Utilize containers for plants and flowers along walkways, stairs, and anywhere else that looks like it needs a pick me up. Install some glass bulb waterers for easy maintenance.

10. Use Creative Borders

A curved border adds elegance to your front yard with very little effort. If your yard seems like a large expanse of green, break it up by planting some rows of flowers right through it. Just make sure you allow a few inches on either side of the row for the lawnmower to do its job without ruining the plantings.

11. Don’t Overdo It

If you’re working with a very small yard, be careful not to overdo it. The use of too many types of plants and flowers could overwhelm a small space, so utilize just a few types over and over again.

12. Ranch Home Landscaping

Your landscaping is especially important if you are selling a small ranch home, which are generally very ordinary looking. Your great landscaping will set your home apart from the sea of similar homes. Don’t be afraid to call attention to your home by the use of a white or ornamental arbor to mark the entrance.

13. Using Bold Elements

Bold elements can really make a statement in your landscaping. When building in these bold elements, be sure they fit with the type of home you already have. For instance, the walkway of a small ranch home would look out of place flanked by dramatic spiral-pruned junipers.

14. Balance is Everything

If you have an intricate walkway created with distinct brick pattern, go for a similar level of intricacy in your landscaping. Use color to your advantage by blending your gardens with the color of your home, and using a few contrasting colors for interest.

15. Perimeter Planters

If you have a grand front porch, call attention to it by placing railing planters filled with gorgeous flowers all around the perimeter – and don’t forget the stairs, too!