You want it all the time, not just when you’re selling.

“Curb appeal” suddenly comes to the forefront when selling a home. But don’t we always want our home and front garden to be appealing and inviting? We surely hope that guests will feel welcome and we want to feel proud of our home as visitors arrive.

The main objective of any front garden is to complement the house. Plantings and accents must be placed to enhance and accent the architecture of your home. Further, the condition of the front garden reflects on the condition of your home. A landscape that’s in poor condition creates uncertainty, while a well-designed and well-tended garden reassures and says “welcome, we’re glad you’re here!”

Improving Curb Appeal

Make meaningful improvements that are not simply cosmetic. Changes or improvements should blend well with the existing landscape. Colorful pots of flowers or hanging baskets are nice additions, but will not hide a poorly maintained lawn and overgrown and shabby shrubs. Identify particularly objectionable features and change or remove them.

Trees

Research shows that mature trees add significantly to the value of homes. They should complement the architectural lines of your home. They should neither hide the house nor cause it to be in dark shadows. Overgrown trees should have their lower limbs removed or thinned out to show your home’s architectural details. Higher limbs can be further thinned out to add light to the garden below.

Shrubs

Shrubs provide the framework or foundation for the home and the rest of the landscape. They should be in scale with the size of your home. Plants that are overgrown give the impression of neglect. Cut back shrubs that cover windows or that have grown into the eaves. Reshape plants (to more natural shapes) that have mindlessly been shaped by gardeners into balls or cubes.

Entry and Front Door

The front door and entry walk should be easily seen from the street. Remove or cut back plantings that obscure the entryway. Add seasonal color to make the walk to the front door stand out. The walkway is an extension of the home’s entry and is the first “floor” visitors step on. Make it safe and inviting.

Strive for an easy-care look with simple garden plantings. Simplifying the plant groups will help make your front garden appear restful, organized and well-kept. Remove weeds and fertilize the entire front garden to promote fresh green growth and flowers. An application of mulch will freshen the entire garden.

Lawns

No other element has as great an impact for good or bad as the front lawn. Remove weeds, fertilize, water, and over-seed (if necessary) so your lawn is healthy and lush green. If the lawn is beyond repair, replace it. Avoid the temptation to extend the lawn into all corners with little space left for trees, shrubs and flowers.

5 tips for quick curb appeal

First impressions are critical to potential buyers of a home and they react emotionally to what they see from the curb. Yes, your home’s exterior style and condition must appeal, but in many cases, the importance of an attractive landscape is overlooked.

If time or money are short, focus on what needs the most attention. The following will provide the biggest return:

• Greening the lawn
• Weeding; pruning shrubs
• Adding seasonal color
• Adding bark or mulch to flowerbeds
• Adding plants—the most mature you can afford.

Article from the Spring/Summer 2015 Issue of Inspirations Magazine.