CHAPTER 16 Enhancing Curb Appeal
Imagine driving up to a house for the first time: The paint is peeling, dead shrubs litter the yard, spent flowers are literally dying on the vine. What would you think? Now, imagine driving up to the same house. The trim is freshly painted, foundation plants are neatly pruned and blooming, and perennial plants provide a blast of color. What would you think? The point is, when it comes to impressing a potential buyer, your home’s outside is, arguably, more important than its inside. The outside creates the first impression, which colors everything the buyer sees thereafter. If the house has curb appeal, buyers walk in looking to like. If the yard is a mess, buyers already have a bad impression of your property that the inside must overcome. You don’t have to spend $25,000 on brand new landscaping to give your home added curb appeal. Here are ways to spend way less and get a big bang for your curb appeal buck.
CLEAN UP
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often I view a home with a messy, littered yard. • Pick up all trash, paying special attention to papers that may have been blowing into your foundation plants. • Deadhead all spent blooms on perennial plants and
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