When it comes time to sell your home there are a lot of things to do that can make it more appealing to potential buyers. Everything from fresh paint to new appliances can help, but what many sellers neglect is the outward appearance of the home. The truth is there are numerous outdoor things you can do to help sell your home quicker. Today, we’ll look at some landscaping projects you can do to help sell your home quicker.
One note, while landscaping can certainly help make your home more appealing to buyers, it is generally a lower impact method of actually improving your home’s value. Landscaping and exterior work should be one of the last things you focus on if you’re looking to rapidly increase your home’s value. That said, a nice looking exterior is more likely to entice buyers to visit it in the first place, and that can be a big win in itself. Additionally, a yard that needs too much work is a big turn off for a lot of buyers, so in most cases you’ll want to balance your landscaping work with home improvements.
Focus On The Curb Appeal
One of the most important things to keep in mind is the overall curb appeal. For those that don’t know, that’s basically how your home looks from the street or sidewalk. Does your home look inviting and like someone wants to live there, or does it look unkept or messy? You want people to be wowed from the second they pull up, first impressions definitely matter when selling your home.
When you’re working on improving the exterior of your home you’ll generally get the most bang for your buck focusing on how it looks from the front. While improvements to the back are certainly helpful, if the front doesn’t look good no one will take the time to appreciate them.
The options here are limitless, you can spend hours getting creative and searching through inspiration. You don’t have to go overboard though, start by ensuring that the front looks neat and tidy, and then expand from there with things like gardens and more exciting features.
Deal With any Serious Issues
The one big catch to the above is that you should always focus on serious issues before taking on cosmetic projects, even if they’re not directly related to curb appeal. If there is something clearly broken, or even dangerous, it should get your attention first. Things like broken gutters or loose boards in a porch are common ones, and a big turnoff if a buyer notices them.
Now, with those general guidelines out of the way let’s look at some specific projects.
Clean Up Foliage
A good first step is to clean up any foliage like bushes or trees that may be a bit overgrown. This is generally fairly simple to do, especially for smaller bushes, but can really help give your exterior a put together feel.
For an added step, get your trees trimmed as well. You’ll likely need to hire a professional for this, but it’s worth it in a lot of cases. This is extra important if you have trees near your house that may risk damaging it in a bad storm. Don’t expect homeowners to overlook these things, if they don’t catch it an inspector probably will.
Add Fresh Mulch To Garden Beds
A rather inexpensive but effective project is simply to add some fresh mulch to your garden beds, especially those adding to the curb appeal. Fresh mulch is always going to look more vibrant than old mulch, so this can really help put the exterior together. Mulch is also fairly cheap, so this is something with a low investment but high return.
Tend to the Lawn
A nice green lawn is also important and paints an inviting picture of the home. Many times, good care of the lawn gives people the picture that the interior is also well put together, first impressions here matter.
It’s best here to follow a good care routine to get your lawn into perfect shape. If you’re short on time though, give it weekly cuts at the bare minimum. This will help keep it shaped and looking good. For those with a bit longer make sure to follow a proper feeding schedule, or hire a company to do it for you.
A Little Wash Goes a Long Way
If you own a power washer it’s also a good idea to give the outside a quick wash. If not, it’s rather inexpensive to rent one. A freshly washed exterior can really help add to curb appeal, and doing so with a power wash can get rid of the grime that builds up over time.
Don’t Neglect The Night View
It’s become increasingly more common that viewings are scheduled at night, or even potential buyers to stop by to see the neighborhood in the evening. For that reason spending a little time on outdoor lighting is a smart idea. You don’t have to go over the top here, keep it simple.
A few lights along the driveway or some uplighting on the house goes a long way. Even a few simple solar lights are more than enough to provide some inviting light during the evening.
Too Many Plants Can Be a Bad Thing
One thing many sellers think to do is go out and buy a large variety of beautiful plants to create a stunning garden. While this is impressive, it can actually be a negative for many home buyers. Maintaining a large garden is a lot of work, and not one many potential homeowners are eager to undertake. It’s better to keep it simple and focus on quality over quantity.
If you already have a large garden you can help ease the new homeowners fears by spending a bit of time labeling your plants or providing proper care instructions. This can help the new homeowner get up to speed, and not worry about how they’ll maintain the beautiful garden you’ve cultivated.
While the interior of your house is likely your first priority when selling your home, don’t neglect the exterior. Many buyers are looking for that elusive curb appeal when buying a new home, so make sure you make yours as appealing as possible. The great thing about many of the above is that most are very easy to complete over the weekend, and can be done cheaply or even for free. Focusing on these low investment improvements is a great way to help sell your home faster.
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