No matter how many bedrooms your home has or how great your kitchen updates are, first impressions are critical to ensuring prospective buyers get past the curb and through the front door to find out what awaits them. That’s why making sure your landscaping is up to snuff is critical when listing your home for sale.
According to UK-based gardening expert with HomeHow, Calum Maddock, there are several key steps to take to ensure your landscape is in prime showing condition. Consider the following:
Maintain the lawn. If a buyer pulls up to your home and sees overgrown grass and weeds, they may not venture any further. Make sure your front and back lawn are kept neatly mowed, and stay ahead of weed growth while your home is on the market.
Clean all surfaces. Use a pressure washer to thoroughly clean all surfaces, such as the driveway, paths, patios, decking and hardscaping features like planters and benches. If you don’t own a pressure washer, you should be able to rent one from a local home improvement retailer or hardware store.
Do some edging. Edging the lawn along your driveway, patio, paths and garden beds immediately gives your landscaping an elevated look. You can also consider creating borders in these areas with brick, stone or small ornamental barriers.
Plant flowers. You may be an avid gardener who already has beautiful blooms that enhance your landscape. If not, you can easily plant flowers to beautify your home’s appearance. Choose varieties that are long lasting and require little maintenance, and plant them in decorative containers by the front door and throughout your patio, deck and other seating areas.
Tidy up flower beds. If you do have flower beds, make sure they’re looking their best by pulling up weeds, cutting back dead leaves and flowers, and trimming overgrowth.
Add fresh mulch. Nothing improves the presentation of your yard like mulch, so be sure to add a fresh layer to garden beds and other strategic areas. Maddock recommends mulching once or twice a year, and opting for varieties with larger chunks that take longer to break down. Not only does mulch look good, it helps prevent weed growth and keeps your soil healthy.
Consider lighting and water features. To cap off your landscape design, consider adding outdoor lighting to play up key features of your yard. Try solar lights to illuminate walkways, spotlights to play up beautiful trees or string lights to add atmosphere to seating areas. If it’s within your budget, adding a water feature can also elevate your landscape design, whether it’s a simple birdbath or a show-stopping fountain.
The above steps will help wow buyers as soon as they pull up to your home, putting them in a positive frame of mind as they cross the threshold to see everything else your home has to offer.
