of your front yard. In an “As Is” sale, you don’t have much to do except clean up any obvious mess; however, if you are looking for top dollar, pay attention to the details that will garner your home more positive attention: • Get your lawn into its best possible condition, or add a new patch of lawn with sod for instant green. Lawns are plants, too. • Cover exposed foundations and utility boxes, and add privacy from your neighbors with fencing, shrubs, or bushes. • Add color with annual flowering plants set out on your porch or entry. Seasonal annual plants add instant color to garden beds as well. • Add an inch or two of mulch after putting in new plants. It makes your garden bed look cleaner, makes the color of flowers pop, and covers unsightly dirt. In addition to flowering plants, plant trees in your yard to increase your home’s value. Mature trees are the most valuable in a landscape, followed by well-placed, newly planted trees that contribute shade, ornamental value, and fruit or nuts. In general, a well-designed landscape with beautiful trees will increase the value of your home. Taking advantage of the latest in gardening trends will also make your home stand out to prospective buyers by giving your property an up- to-date look outside. Miniature container gardens continue to grow as a popular garden idea, and growing your own food is enormously popular. On the edible gardening front, gardeners are creating “Cocktail Gardens,” “Smoothie Gardens,” and even “International Cuisine Gardens” with their favorite Japanese, Indian, and Thai herbs and vegetables. Also, anything that is a “vertical garden” is top on the gardening charts. Adding any of these items to your landscaping will enhance buyer interest. THIS OLD HOUSE’S WAYS TO BOOST HOUSE VALUE The venerable This Old House home improvement television show weighed in on the home improvement and remodeling projects with the best ROI and interest-generation in buyers. According to these home improvement gurus, the ways to increase the value of your home at the time of sale include:
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