Here’s something you might not know about selling a home: the outside matters almost just as much as the inside. Sure, you could have a beautiful kitchen and a clean interior, but if your landscaping looks unkempt, you may not be able to get buyers in the door.
Curb appeal stands out in person and online, and now that people are seeing homes online first before visiting, it matters more that your landscaping look presentable.
Now like wall colors, landscaping is one of those things that most home buyers know that they can easily change or fix themselves. In fact, most buyers anticipate painting the walls, buying new lighting fixtures or changing out cabinet handles to match their styles. But if buyers feel like your home has too many projects, then they might put in a lower offer or pass on your house altogether.
That’s where the power of landscaping comes in. If buyers feel like the landscaping is not an extra project for them, then that just makes selling your house a little easier. We know how the power of landscaping can make all the difference when trying to sell a home, so here are our experts tips for harnessing the power of your landscaping and how to do it right to attract buyers.
Remove dead trees, bushes and weeds
To make a difference with your lawn, start first by getting rid of anything dead on your property. That can include trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers or any other plants. These are most likely to be noticed by buyers, and they won’t want to do the lawn care that the previous owners neglected.
You can hire a company to remove the dead plants, but it will be easier and less expensive to do it yourself — unless you need to remove a tree. If you do, hire a professional to do the work. You don’t want to risk damaging your home, so get a pro to help you out.
A dead tree or bush can really be an eyesore when buyers first show up, so remove as much as possible.
Tend to your lawn
You mow your lawn at least once a week — maybe more depending on the amount of rain — right? It’s okay if you sometimes fall behind on mowing your lawn. Everyone gets busy from time to time, but if you have prospective home buyers coming over every week, then they will certainly notice that your lawn is not mowed.
Now an unmowed lawn will not drive people away on its own exactly. Everyone can relate to not having enough hours in the day to get everything done. But an unmowed lawn can amplify other negatives things about your landscaping, and once prospective buyers notice the grass, they may notice other landscaping problems, such as overgrown trees or a dirty driveway.
Your lawn is only part of your overall landscape, so make sure it works with other parts of it to make the outside of your home look beautiful.
Beautify the space
As you are planning to move out, the last thing you want to do is invest a lot of money in your gardening and landscape, but the truth is, you don’t have to. Little ways can make your lawn look beautiful without investing tons of money.
First off, get started trimming your trees and bushes. Overgrown plants can make your lawn feel unkempt and overrun. Think of it like getting your hair trimmed. You want to snip away the dead ends so your hair can grown long and healthy, and you know you love that look when your hair looks clean and fresh. Your trees and bushes are the same way.
Lay down some fresh mulch in your flower beds to help stop weed growth. This will save you time otherwise spent pulling weeds. Most home and garden centers have deals on bags of mulch, and you don’t have to do your whole yard. Look for areas that need some touch-ups and concentrate your mulch there.
If you do have some extra funds to spend on beautifying your space, here are a few tips:
- Invest in annuals in the spring months. These flowers die every year, but they come in bright colors. Your buyers may not want tulips, which grow back every year, so stick to flowers that won’t last. They’ll make your yard look beautiful, but without the commitment.
- Choose one or two colors for flowers. You don’t want to overwhelm your space with too many colors. Pick one or two complementary colors for flowers and plant them.
- If it’s summer or fall, avoid planting flowers and stick to trimming and maintaining. It’s better to have a green but sparse yard in the long run. Continue to pull weeds and mow the long regularly.
A beautiful landscaping job will stand out to buyers. They want to live in homes that have been cared for, so show that you’ve been taking good care of your landscaping, and you’ll likely excite your buyers before they set foot in your home.
Clear away clutter
You’ve probably heard this for inside of your home, but clearing away clutter matters on the outside just as much as the inside. When buyers walk into your home, they want to imagine their possessions in it. That’s why you should keep clutter away and make your home look as neutral as possible.
The same principle applies to the outside of your home as well. You don’t want to leave bikes, lawn mowers, tools and empty planters laying around your garage and lawn because they make our garage and landscape look cluttered. And sure, prospective home buyers know that all of those things will be gone when they move in, but you want them to be wowed when they first see your home. With all that clutter lying around, you make ruin that great first impression.
So first, start in the garage and work your way out. Put away bikes, skateboards, chalk and other toys, but don’t forget about your own toys — you shouldn’t leave your tools laying out all over your workbench. If you have clutter lying around without a place to put it, invest in some plastic storage bins to hold everything. This will make moving a little easier because you’ll already be a little packed.
Then take a walk around your landscape with a trash bag. Roll up your hose and put away any pool toys. Tuck away gardening tools or planters in your shed or in your garage. Collect any and all garage on your property, as well as dog waste, and put it in your trash bag. Once you’re finished, you’ll see a world of difference in your lawn.
Install solar path lighting if you don’t already have path lighting
If you already have path lights going up to your front door or around your back patio, then just make sure they’re all working and replace any bulbs if needed. Give them all a little polish and you’re good to go.
But if you don’t have path lights and you’re not willing to invest in them — which is totally okay — there is a cheaper alternative that you can pack up and take with you: solar path lights. These smaller lights can be staked into the ground and will absorb the sunlight throughout the day. At night, they’ll emit a glow bright enough to light the way, but likely weaker than a path light plugged in.
You can find decorative solar path lights or more simple designs, but these lights will keep your front pathway lighted in case any home buyers come over late after work. They’re also far less expensive than heavier path lights meant to stay in the ground for years and years. As mentioned, you can always take them with you when you leave and use them around your new garden.
Repair or retouch
Like most homeowners, you probably have a long list of tasks to do around the house — fix this, repaint that, replace those. Most homeowners are torn when selling their homes. They want the house to look nice, but they don’t want to invest a lot of time and energy into a house they’re going to leave.
But prospective buyers are going to be looking at your home with a magnifying glass. They’ll be looking out for anything that looks damaged or in poor condition. If they notice too many small problems, then they may decide that making all of those little fixes won’t be worth the other positives of your property. Remember, you’re competing with other homes out there that might be in better condition. If you want to get the best value for your home, then it needs to be in good condition.
Start outside with a fresh coat of paint on the front door and anywhere else that needs a touch-up. You don’t need to repaint your whole home, but giving the door a new color or touching up the railing on your porch can make your home look a bit brighter.
Then move around your home and look for any minor repairs you can make. Do you have broken outdoor furniture or a trellis that needs to be repaired? If you have any outdoor lights that need new bulbs, make sure you get them replaced. These repairs take time more than money, so find the time to do them.
Want to really wow prospective buyers? Give your front door handle and any other hardware around your home a good polish. A little shine always catches the eyes.
How pressure washing services can make a big difference in landscaping
As mentioned, you don’t need to repaint your whole home in order to sell it. It’s a lot of work and money, and more than likely, your home looks nice anyway — you just need to clear away the dirt.
Pressure washing services can make all the difference in the appearance of your home. From the siding to the windows to the driveway, pressure washing services blast away not only the dirt and grim, but also harmful mold and mildew that may be building up on those hard-to-reach places.
But pressure washing services extend beyond your siding. Think of it this way: You want buyers to be able to see the great views from your windows, but how can they if the outside of your windows are looking a bit dirty? That’s where pressure washing services come in. An expert will target those hard-to-reach windows high above the ground and make sure they get a strong cleaning.
But not too strong! As most experts in pressure washing services know, a stream of water can be powerful. The experts at Advantage Pro Services know the best techniques to clean windows without running the risk of hurting your home. You don’t want a harsh stream of water to crack a window, so make sure you hire experts in pressure washing services who know the difference.
Some pressure washing services can even clean up your driveway. As you’ve lived in your home for so long, you probably think your driveway is one color, but underneath all that dirt and grime that has built up over the years, you might see a totally new color. With great pressure washing services, you can blast away all that dirt and reveal a shiny new driveway underneath.
When you’re trying to sell your home, there is a ton of preparation that goes into it — both inside and out. It can seem overwhelming, like you need to repair every single aspect of your home. But when it comes to the landscaping, regular upkeep will go a long way. If you get into the habit of clearing the trash that may have blown onto your property and keeping up with the lawn and bush trimming, then your home will look spectacular to any prospective home buyer.
But then again — a little door handle polish never hurt either.
