Real Estate
Turn Your House into a Model Home
Getting A Good Return On Your Investment
Curb Appeal for a Steal!
Invest about $100
Create a welcoming entrance with one or two big pots filled with colorful plants. You can make a significant impact on your landscape with a few 5-gallon trees for about $35 each Buy seeds, such as a mix of wildflowers, and cover much more ground than $100 worth of plants.
Invest about $500
Invest in a couple of great architectural pots that make a statement at your entrance. Add rounded boxwoods for a classic look, or try a seasonal planting of ornamental grasses, and colorful annuals and trailing plants for an eye-catching display.
Add a bench or garden ornament, such as a trellis or birdbath, to a key spot or a nice mailbox and with some plantings for at? the base.
Pay someone to professionally prune or selectively remove and replace overgrown bushes.
Spruce up your foundation plantings with a border of long-blooming perennials. Use just two varieties (a dozen or more of each) for more impact and add fresh mulch for a professional look.
Clean up existing plant beds by removing weeds and overgrown plants.
Prune shrubs -- but not into an unnatural ball or square shape.
Trim tree branches that hang too low and create hazards.
If you're trying to impress potential buyers -- or even guests -- nothing is worse than having unkempt grounds. An unruly yard is an immediate turnoff, and buyers might assume you're not maintaining the home well, either.