So you’re trying to sell your home.
You know your neighborhood is great; friendly and diverse neighbors, kids to play with, and the houses actually hand out candy on Halloween.
You know your community great; a newly remodeled YMCA, ‘A’-graded schools, and a Publix close enough for any late night Ben & Jerry cravings.
And most importantly, you know your house is great. It’s been through countless hurricanes and only lost one tree in the backyard which is already growing back. It’s been though your son climbing in through the window after sneaking out. It’s been through puppy accidents on the tile. (You know, the tile you carefully chose to prevent slips from kids running inside from the pool.)
Your house has been through a lot and you show your appreciation by providing it the maintenance it deserves. What about your front yard? Has it received the same amount of attention? After all, no one will want to check out those anti-slip tiles if the outside didn’t convince them to even come inside.
If the answers to the above questions are no’s, then we have your solution. Remodeling your yard for curb appeal is a delicate balance. You want to be able to sell beauty without trying to sell a chore; no one wants to buy into maintenance. So while you may want your yard to look like a page out of Better Homes & Gardens, potential buyers might look at it as another responsibility they’re not willing to take on.
Here are our tips for creating a yard with curb appeal:
1. The grass is greener on the other side; meaning the money you’ll get from selling a house with green grass. No one wants a brown spotted lawn. Make sure you replace any brown patches or have a specialist come out to spray your lawn to prevent pesky weeds crashing to party. You may also want to look into pest control (moles have a tendency of leaving lumps of dirt all over yards).
2. As stated, don’t try to be the Kim Kardashian of yards. Be the Tom Hanks of yards, down to earth, welcoming, and modest. Ask yourself what kind maintenance does your yard require? Knowing the answer to that will help your buys know what they want. With the exception of those with green thumbs, most buyers don’t want to buy into any more future weekend chores.
3. In Florida, many homes have skylights. Make sure your trees aren’t blocking natural light. However, it is a bonus to have trees that shade parts of your home without windows. Shaded regions of the house may help cut back on the cost of your AC bill and being in Florida, any cent helps. Go ahead, add that your home’s desirability…
4. Treat your plants to some new pots, everyone deserves a wardrobe change. In addition to a wardrobe change, give them some highlights; that is, add some florals with color. Keep the labels in the pots next your plants and flowers, this will help whomever takes over your yard to maintain your decisions (we all know we secretly want our legacy to live on somewhere in our sold properties).
5. Don’t be afraid to add texture to your yard to fill in spots. Rock garden? Stepping stones? Strategically placed boulders? Fire pits? Even creating a little brick patio with chairs is a nice attraction for potential buyers (and patios take little to no maintenance). All these elements can add to an effortless “Secret Garden” feel.
6. How are your sprinklers looking? Ignoring your sprinklers is like ignoring your own piping and we all know that can be a problem. Make sure your underground water system is up to par. Having a system that runs properly will allow potential new homeowners the ease of not having to water their (your) yard. In addition to your sprinklers, mind your hose. Find a suitable place for easy access yet easy for coiling for your home’s new inhabitant to use.
7. What about the slabs of concrete around your yard? Your driveway? Your sidewalk? Power wash those guys. I was always amazed how white our driveway actually was after a power wash as a kid. Power washing instantly adds to your home’s price tag.
8. Speaking of power washing, some are able to power wash fences. How is your fence doing? Either cleaning up or repairing fences also adds value to your home. It’ll offer your future buyer peace of mind that not only does their yard feel private, it feels secure.
9. Finally, suggest leaving your lawn care service provider’s information for your buyers. They’ll appreciate the help. Besides, who wants to sift through Yelp reviews while also unpacking and waiting for Brighthouse to finally fix their cable? If you have a trusted lawn expert, like Daniel’s, pass the word onto your new buyers. You’ll both be thankful your home’s yard can continue to look beautiful.
Beautifying the outside of your home will indicate to potential buyers that the inside of your home is not only as beautiful but also as properly maintained. Following some of these tips will help lead to more views from potential buyers, which will lead to more offers, which will lead you to closing sooner, which will lead you to retirement sooner, need I go on?