Having splendid curb appeal can make or break the sale of a home. First impressions last. It goes that way when meeting new people, and it goes that way when viewing a new home. While it’s obvious that we should dress up a bit to meet someone new who will be important to us, it is of equal importance that we prepare and do some proper landscaping around the house, when we’re selling that home.

It has been stated that an attractive landscape design can potentially add 10-15% to the value of a home. That means that if your home is valued at $300,000, an effective landscaping job could raise the value of the house by $45,000.

Houses with good curb appeal are also likely to sell faster. Spectacular curb appeal is not a guarantee your home will sell. However, it will dramatically improve the odds that it will sell. More people are likely to come see the house as an attractive house exterior makes prospective home buyers want to see the interior of your home as well.

So, let’s get to work at these easy to implement landscaping enhancements to spruce up your curb appeal, and help you sell your home quickly!

Top 10 Landscaping Tips for Selling Your Home

1. Perfecting Your Lawn
   Your lawn is one of the first things to attend to it takes some time for a lawn to improve. Keep a regular watering and cutting schedule, and initiate regrowth and repair of damaged spots. Consider hiring professionals to lay new grass sod if your time to repair the lawn is limited or the lawn has been unkept for a long time. Lush green grass is attractive to new home buyers, while an lawn that is brown, overgrown, or filled with weeds, is a turn-off. Furthermore, prospective buyers may conclude because the yard is unkempt, the rest of the house is not maintained. Ditto for other house exterior elements.

2. Mulching Garden Beds
   Adding mulch to your garden beds is a great and inexpensive way to really make your landscape clean and tidy. Cedar mulch has a nice clean smell and really makes the greenery pop. Best of all, mulch can be applied quickly and easily if your landscape needs a quick pick-me-up before a home showing.

3. Trimming & Pruning
   A very simple way to tidy up your outdoors is to prune up any overgrown trees or shrubs near the home. This will not only make the garden look nice, but it will also highlight the architecture of your home. And you can prune deciduous trees and shrubs any time of the year, which will help if you’re trying to sell your home in the winter.

4. Power-Washing
   An easy way to give your home a new appearance, short of a new paint job, is to power wash its exterior. With little effort, a dingy and dirty surface can shine and look like new! And don’t just stop at your home’s exterior! You can power wash the drive, your deck, a brick sidewalk, fences, or any hard surface that needs sprucing up.

5. Kill mold and mildew.
   Go beyond the sidewalks and driveway with respect to mildew and also eliminate mold on the sides of the house and the roof.

6. Adding Outdoor Lighting
   Many potential home buyers drive by to view your home for sale at dusk or in the evening! Capitalize on this fact and add lighting that highlights the best features of your house and garden. Eg. place low voltage lighting along the driveway or sidewalk or near landscaping that you want highlight. A well-lit patio or deck is more inviting.

7. Being Neat & Tidying up the Garden.
   Ensure overall neatness in your garden, even if it’s woodsy. Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools. Neatly stack firewood. Get rid of unsightly toys and ‘unfinished projects’.

8. Add Attractive Reds
   Place fed flowering plants and bushes near the front door of your home. The plants/flowers should make a significant, inviting statement. Choose appropriate sizes and choose the nicest pots you can afford if potting them.

9. Raking.
   When you dispose your garden of excessive leaves, even if your lot is wooded, you are highlighting the structure of your garden, rather than reminding prospective owners that a garden can entail some work from time to time.

10. Making it Picture Perfect.
    Taking pictures of your house and garden is a great tool for you to be able to see your house as a prospective house buyer would see it. Add interest to your garden with selected garden art, or plant a few colorful scrubs to fill visual gaps. Your landscaping pictures will suggest the adjustments needed.

Because it can substantially increase the speed of sale as well as the value of the property, it is worth taking care of the landscaping of your house when you are interested in selling your home.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

April Home Maintenance Projects

These projects that are ideally undertaken in or around April:

1. Inspect home from bottom to top looking for damage that occurred during winter. Prepare a ‘to do; list of needed repairs.

2. Lubricate hinges and tighten loose hinge screws. Apply clear wood floor wax to door edges that rub.

3. Replace batteries on smoke, heat and gas leak detectors. Do this when you set the clock back to daylight saving time.

4. Do spring clean-up. Wash walls and windows; clean carpeting, upholstery and window coverings.

5. Check doors and windows fro proper operation.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

March Home Maintenance Projects

These projects that are ideally undertaken in or around March:

1. Check operation of toilet. Check the area between the tank and bol, and around the base for leaks.
2. Remove ‘pop-up’ drain plugs from sink or tub and clean.
3. Turn off the water supply to the house. Observe the water meter after 1 hour. If it has moved, there is a leak somewhere in the plumbing system.

4. Inspect grout and caulk around sinks, tubs and showers. Repair or replace damaged areas.
5. Inspect water heater for leaks. Flush tank
6. Clean underside of range hood and clean or replace filter(s).
7. Check valve where water enters the house, outdoor faucets, and any valves to toilet, bathroom or kitchen sink, bar, etc. for leaks. Turn each off and on several times to check for leaks.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

May Home Maintenance Projects

These projects that are ideally undertaken in or around May:

1. Check furnace filter. Clean or replace if necessary. Do furnace or central air-conditioner maintenance recommended by he unit’s manufacturer.
2. Clean and prepare swimming pool, pond and fountain.
3. Repair cracks in driveways, walkways and sidewalks.
4. Check weather vent screens to attic or crawl space are damaged. Repair or replace as needed.
5. Remove accumulated mineral deposits from shower heads and aerators by soaking or scrubbing with white vinegar.
6. Inspect and service clothes dryer, cook top or stove, dishwasher, trash compactor, counter-top appliances, exhaust fans, etc. according to the manufacturers’ recommendations.

Monthly Maintenance Projects
These projects should be undertaken every month, or at least every few months:
1. Test and inspect smoke, heat and gas detectors.
2. Practice family fire-escape plan and review earthquake preparedness.
3. Inspect electrical cords for damage. Repair or replace if needed.
4. Be alert to safety hazards, such as cracked walkways, hazardous materials that aren’t properly stored, or unsecured heavy bookcases or other furniture that could topple during an earthquake.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Replacing an outdoor light fixture is one of the most effective ways to upgrade the exterior of your home. You can make a home entrance style stage that goes well beyond the cost of the lamp.

Learn tips for installing an outdoor lighting fixture in this vidoe which will show you how to go about your project.